So, even though I explained some of this in my post where I documented what is involved in a typical cycle, I thought I'd include this link. It's from the fertility clinic where I work and explains things much more succinctly and clearly. Monitoring Mayhem 101
I wish that more people knew what most women went through when going through fertility treatments. With so many TV shows documenting the births of multiples, there is a misconception that we all are baby-hungry women or couples with no sense of responsibility. Most clinics follow strict ethical guidelines and demand frequent monitoring to keep high-order multiple births at a minimum. The goal is a healthy singleton pregnancy, though there is a slightly higher rate of twins. Higher order multiples do occur, but they're not the norm (and at my clinic, triplets is seen as a lot...we're not talking about a lot of moms having 6+ kids).
I have to admit that I've been part of the problem. By not being completely open with everyone in my life about our infertility, I'm one more person who has information to share but who is remaining fairly quiet. So...most people are "educated" through TLC or the Discovery Channel. At the same time, it's hard to open up to someone only to hear them say that God must not want us to be parents, or hear them imply that I'm trying to become the next Octomom. It's a double-edged sword. If I'm open, then I leave myself vulnearable to being hurt. If I remain quiet, than I allow those misconceptions to remain unchallenged. It's something that I need to work on, but I hope that I can be an advocate for others who are struggling to become parents.
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