Stay positive. Just relax. Don’t stress. How often do you hear these things in relation to pregnancy or trying to conceive? I know they’re words well meant. But, actually, I find this always-look-on-brightside philosophy supremely unhelpful when it’s foisted upon me. In fact, nothing is guaranteed to fill me with more rage and general ill… Continue reading The negatives of positive thinking
Back in November, just as most sensible people were gearing up for the Christmas onslaught of office parties, lunchtime mulled wine, and endless oh-go-on-then prosecco, I decided to stop drinking. I did 30 completely dry days to start with. Then gave myself a bit of leeway for a couple of parties and work events, but… Continue reading Not pregnant, not drinking
There’s a meme that surfaces on social media in January: I can’t believe it’s been an entire year since I didn’t become a better person. Well, the new year is almost here and I can’t believe it’s been an entire year since I didn’t become a mother. Last January was, ironically, the first January in… Continue reading 2017: The year I learnt to fail
A few pages into Trying, I had to close it and put it down. Not because it wasn’t good. It is. Really good, in fact. But it was painful, too. The flashes of recognition hit me with a force that was almost like being winded. I needed a second to catch my breath. As you… Continue reading Book review: Trying by Emily Phillips
As some of you who follow me on Instagram will know, we had our first appointment at the recurrent miscarriage clinic a few weeks ago. And while it’s a bit of a blogger cliché to say ‘a lot of you have been asking: blah blah’, a few of you have been asking how it went. (Thank… Continue reading Testing times: How our recurrent miscarriage investigations are going
When it comes to fertility there a limited number of stories women are told, in the mainstream. The first and shoutiest is how you need to get cracking NOW before you’re 30/your ovaries shrivel to raisins. Invariably these stories originate with unhelpful fertility experts who just happen to be offering private fertility MOTs or egg-freezing… Continue reading Three things about trying to conceive that no one tells you (by someone who’s tried really hard)
I realise most people got over that beginning of autumn/new term feeling about a month ago, but due to two weeks of post-ERPC hibernation followed by an actual holiday in the sun I'm a bit behind. Last week was 'back to school' for me. Back in the office, back in the gym and, well, back… Continue reading Life starts all over again: On getting back to normal after miscarriage
I'm not pregnant, as you know. And we've decided not to try again until we've been seen at the recurrent miscarriage clinic. This is a bit of a departure from the previous losses. For me the need to be pregnant after my first two miscarriages was over-whelming; all-consuming. I just felt hollow. Literally gutted. And… Continue reading All the messy feelings about running in pregnancy… and after miscarriage
