First Doctor Consultation

It's Em here! On Monday morning, we biked around the corner to our huisarts (neighborhood GP) for our first chance to ask questions about becoming pregnant in the Netherlands. We found out that our doctor can help us with an ICI (intracervical insemination), which is when the donor sperm is placed in the cervix, right before Jackie is about to ovulate. Our doc told us we have a 6 hour window of prime baby making time!! We are advised to try ICI 3 times and then try IUI (intrauterine insemination) which is when donor sperm is placed in the uterus. I am still doing research about this because I think we can inseminate 2 times per cycle with ICI which would increase our chances.

To prepare, Jackie is (supposed to be) taking folic acid already! I think our doctor was impressed by this and Jackie's efforts of tracking her temperature to find the spike which indicates ovulation. We need a few months of data to make a good ovulation prediction! We are both working out more so we are healthy for the first littlewazz:-)

Now, it's time to find a donor!

E

... and the adventure begins...

Excitement is what first crossed our minds when we began talks of creating a family together. However, first thing's first... the logistics of just exactly how do two women create a family together needed to be addressed. Lots of research (thank you bloggers and google!!) on how many other families have gone about this process was vast... more than you'd ever know! Then the questions came about... do we want to know the donor? (no, not if we can help it). Who is going to have the first baby? (Jackie, cuz her eggs are dying out first!). Where are we gonna get that sperm from?? (a cryobank in Europe? in the US?). When shall we start?(late in 2009. No wait, mid 2009. No wait, Jackie is NOT getting any younger -ok then, late 2008 or very early 2009 it is!). And even more logistical questions such as 'how the heck does it work in the Netherlands?!'. two words: dutch midwife. two more words: no painkillers. two more questions: can we import a US doctor with a large needle? can someone knock Jackie out during labor and someone else take her place?.
Oh, and did we mention they push (no pun intended) for home births in NL?? Emily would love this but Jackie would not be able to handle the mess at all.
...and so the adventure begins!!!
love, Jackie and Emily