Visualization

I'm not into what I call "kooky stuff." It's clear that the supernatural has very little room in my life. Hey, I think it's wonderful if it acts as a stress reliever to others and brings peace to their psyche because that can only be beneficial. But I'm too much a critical thinker, too analytical, too evidence-based.

So it might surprise you to learn I used acupuncture and visualization during my fertility efforts. During my abysmal-failure-IVF-turned-IUI-BFN cycle, I just did some acupuncture. I'd hoped it would relax me. Actually, I think a massage is FAR more relaxing. But there are actually a lot of RE's out there that give some credit to acupuncuture to increase blood flow to the uterus, which is a good thing. CCRM actually recommends it if they see limited blood flow in your uterus during the 1-day work-up. My uterus performed fine so it wasn't recommended for me.

But during my donor embryo FET in July, I had a really really strong sense that it would work (stupid me!). After all, the embryos came from a 27-year-old egg donor and the original cycle resulted in a pregnancy with 4 blasts in the freezer.

Well, I didn't feel quite so hot when the first 2 blasts thawed died and they had to thaw the last two. In my heart, I think the freezing mechanism at my old RE's (done before 2005) wasn't so hot and probably caused a lot of cell damage during the freeze/thaw - but that's just my take.

Anyway, when that cycle began I thought heck, I need something to look at every day that represents the end product and I bought the cutest pair of booties (actually, 2 pairs on a cardboard pack). I taped them to my kitchen upper cabinet and every day as I would fill the Lupron syringe or later the Progesterone monster shot, I would touch them and smile.

Yeah, I had a chemical pregnancy but I really loved the way those booties made me feel. I still have them and I really believe they'll be worn by my child next Christmas.

Now is that positive thinking, or what?!