The Kingmaker’s Daughter Has Secondary Infertility

The Kingmaker’s Daughter Photo

In The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory the main character, Anne Neville, has secondary infertility.  This being the 15th century, she doesn’t have the option of IVF.  Instead she tries to get pregnant by drinking nasty potions and wearing smelly herbs around her neck.  She also contemplates calling on a wise woman with dark, magical powers to create a baby for her. A boy baby would be preferable to doubly insure her husband’s male line in case their three year old son dies.  My husband also wanted a male heir to continue his eight generation, unbroken male line from a famous Jewish scholar called the Vilna Gaon.  I didn’t know any witches to call on to cast the appropriate spell, but I did choose to use a donor egg inserted with my husband’s sperm in order to continue his illustrious gene pool and to provide me with a much desired infant.

Gone Girl Fights For Fertility

Gone Girl Photo

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn  features two generations of infertility.  Amazing Amy, the main character, was the miracle baby after her parents had 5 miscarriages and 2 stillbirths of girls all named Hope.  Then the grown up Amy visited the fertility clinic with her husband Nick. He got to watch the 90’s porno flicks to produce his sperm and then he froze his creation at the clinic.  My husband also was a two generation infertile.  His parents had him in their 40’s after many miscarriages because of his mother’s previously undiagnosed polyp. Then he married me whose eggs were too old to work properly.  

Hyperstimulation Risk Increases Pregnancy Rates

Hyperstimulation Risk Photo

High doses of hormones for IVF treatment can cause hyperstimulation and result in death. In Europe and Japan lower doses of hormones are used to avoid hyperstimulation, but the pregnancy rates may go down.  The New York Times reported in their article “High Doses of Hormones Faulted in Fertility Care” that the US keeps the hormone levels high in order to have increased hospital success rates and remain competitive in the lucrative infertility market.  The best solution would be to become pregnant but to stay alive in the process.

HUNTINGTON BOOK REVUE SIGNING

 

Huntington Book Revue Photo

I will be signing  my book Grade A Baby Eggs at the Huntington Book Revue tomorrow Thursday Sept. 30 at 7 pm. The Book Revue has featured presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, actresses, Whoppi Goldberg, Marlo Thomas etc. athletes, Darryl Strawberry, and numerous other famous people.  I am not a celebrity, but I am expected to bring in the crowds. So I will have to dig deep.  First I contacted Huntington possibilities.  I located an old  Huntington friend  who my cousin found her for me on Facebook since they had graduated in the same high school class. I will look forward to reconnecting with her.  Then I found my own Long Island high school friends and relatives.  I need to keep bringing in the bodies.  So everyone is invited and as long as you know someone who is still breathing bring them along!

TRUE BLOOD VAMPIRES BIRTH BABIES

 

TRUE BLOOD FERTILITY PHOTO

HBO’s True Blood vampires on Season 5, Episode 10 are ordered by the Authority to birth new vampires.  They have no infertility issues and handily dig their fangs into their human victims to turn them into the living dead.  Vampire Tara, with the same name as the famous plantation, resurrects the movie Gone With The Wind when she paraphrases Prissy’s famous line and says “I don’t know nothin’ ’bout birthin’ no baby vampires.”  This being the 21st century, Tara does not maintain a passive role. Rather than trying to “birth” a vampire, she rebels and stakes the Vampire Sheriff of Bon Temps.  After all, since the Civil War, there has been both Women’s Lib and Civil Rights, and Tara does not have to be a female nincompoop nor anybody’s slave.

GAY COUPLES USE SURROGATES

Gay Couple Child Question

Legalizing gay marriages means the relatives are clamoring for grandchildren.  Gay male couples are either adopting or using surrogates.  The New York Times recently quoted one eager grandmother to be as planning for her son and his groom to each donate their sperm to a surrogate.  She was being equitable and wanted each of their genetic lines to continue.  She also was unabashedly promoting her baby plans during their wedding. Unfortunately, her son doesn’t even want children.  But there is always the honeymoon to try and convince them.

THE BABYMAKERS: STEALING SPERM

The Babymakers Photo

 “The Babymakers” features desperate prospective parents played by Paul Schneider and Olivia Munn.  His sperm have gone bad so he robs the sperm bank that houses his one batch of good sperm that he donated in younger days.   When I was trying to conceive a baby with my second husband, we needed his extra sperm that were stored at the hospital sperm bank.  We weren’t sure if they were still good, but the nurse reassured us that his frozen sperm would outlast us all. We arranged to have the sperm shipped to our new donor egg doctor in New Jersey. Then I kept my fingers crossed that the delivery truck wouldn’t crash and smash my husband’s sperm to smithereens.

YAHOO SHINE AND EGG DONATION WITH ALESHA RENEE

Yahoo Shine Alesha Renee Photo

For my Yahoo Shine appearance with Alesha Renee, I was thrilled to be picked up by car service. When I arrived at the studio, I went to the makeup and hair room to prepare for the show.  I felt like a celebrity!  Alesha Renee gave me a welcome hug and put me at ease.  When the show began, I just looked at her and talked girlfriend to girlfriend.  There were a row of people facing me during filming, and one of them discretely told me to pick up my bra strap.  I readily complied.  I also remembered to keep my legs crossed so I wouldn’t have a Sharon Stone moment.  A few weeks later, I got the eagerly awaited email that the episode was ready to air.  My donor egg show was paired with an ad that featured The Odd Life of Timothy Green, a movie about an infertile couple, and I was thrilled to be on the world wide web!

BREEDING BABIES

 

Breeding Babies Photo

When my husband and I were using our donor eggs, the doctor said that we could genetically test the fetus in the petri dish to determine its sex.  I told the doctor that wasn’t necessary.  My husband asked why not?  I realized that he wanted a boy to continue his unbroken, 8th generation male line from a famous Jewish scholar called the Vilna Goen. However, when my husband heard the extra cost for the DNA testing, he backed down.  Now the New York Times reports that future technology will enable all couples to check the genetics of their fetus with a blood sample. If they discover that their offspring will not be a beautiful genius who becomes the next Olympic athlete, they will be able to eliminate that child and choose another.   

PERSONHOOD LEGISLATION GET IT STRAIGHT

Personhood Legislation Photo

Personhood Legislation outlaws infertility treatment because the fertilized egg is deemed a person. The doctor and mother could be charged with murder if the fertilized egg did not survive an IVF attempt.  For those who don’t want to get pregnant, there is the morning after pill. Personhood Legislation also would make the morning after pill illegal because it ejects a fertilized egg.  However, the New York Times just reported that the pill actually prevents the egg from ovulating before it becomes fertilized.  It is important to get the science right so procedures aren’t banned for the wrong reasons.  In any case, infertility treatment would have no scientific loophole if Personhood Legislation got passed.  That is why RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association opposes all Personhood Legislation.