718th Issue of the LFCA

Welcome to today's edition of Connections Abound. The point of Lost and Found is to level the support playing field. When LFCA works correctly, the newest blogger with the smallest readership can receive the same level of support as the oldest blogger with the largest readership. Anyone can submit news to LFCA by clicking here.

Lost and Found is open to anyone in the infertility, pregnancy loss, adoption, pregnancy-and-parenting after infertility, assisted conception, living child-free after infertility or loss community (as well as anyone I inadvertently missed on that list). Please support the list as well as anyone posting announcements below.

Connections Abound

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS
New

• Creme de la Creme: the 2011 Creme de la Creme list is now open!
  
• Interview Request: A reporter asks: "I'd love to speak with someone who paid a really high price for, say, an Ivy League student's eggs (I've seen reports of up to $100,000 offered. I honestly don't know if anyone took that offer but it'd be great to speak with someone who paid more than $25,000). I'm also interested in someone who has donated their eggs more than 7 or so times with the last one being within the last year or so (it'd be especially interesting if they're getting ready to do it again). If you're interested in talking to this reporter, leave a comment below.
• Research: Kris from No Longer Broken is doing a research paper for her Writing 123 class on Embryo Donation. As part of the paper, she needs to interview people who have used embryo donation, people who have donated their embryos, and people who have embryos they aren't sure what they are going to do with. She is looking to do a detailed report with a human touch, making sure that its not all facts from articles she finds online. She needs to find people willing to talk to her by October 15th, since that is when she needs to turn in a paper letting the teacher know she has people to talk to. There will be more time after that to do most of the interviewing. Thank you in advance. You can contact her through her email at washburnkristen@yahoo.com.
• Class: Circle Yoga is holding a Yoga for Fertility- a 4 week class at Circle Yoga- Chevy Chase, MD beginning 10/20-11/10. To register: http://circleyoga.com/workshops/yoga-for-fertility-with-sara-shelley or contact Sara@calmbirthings.com.
• Project: Heather of Production, Not Reproduction is organizing an Adoption Blogger Interview Project for National Adoption Month. Register by Oct. 28 to be paired with a fellow adoption blogger to interview on Nov. 17. A great chance to make a new friend and gain some new readers for your own blog! Details and registration here.
• Book Tour: Lori is hosting a book tour for the memoir "Found" by Jennifer Lauck. She decided by page 17 that this book was worth bringing to her ALI friends. Sign up soon through the link in the post because there are a limited number of spaces available, and book tours tend to fill up. This is an engaging book about loss and resilience, which is something we can all relate to, right?
• Question: Natalie is considering what do do with their leftover embryo and is wondering what others in a similar situation have done.
• Advice: Ashlee G. is thinking about making a blog dedicated to ways to help women with PCOS. Maybe something along the lines of recipes and exercise tips and other things that PCOSers have used and liked, or didn't like. Anyone that would like to participate please email her at ashleegibson09@gmail.com.
• Project: This is the time of month to notice a perfect moment from October! Head over to Write Mind Open Heart to link up your perfect moment and read those of others. Link list goes up Sunday night (10/23) and is open for a week. It's a great way to meet new people, get and give some comments, and live a little more mindfully.
• Research: Jody Madeira writes: "Have you or your partner undergone an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle in the past 5 years? If so you may be eligible to participate in an online research study assessing how IVF patients experience informed consent and make treatment decisions, being conducted by Dr. Jody Madeira at the Maurer School of Law, Indiana University – Bloomington, Prof. June Carbone of the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law, and Nicole Smith, Ph.D. candidate, Indiana University." Click here to see the survey.
• Class: Lesley Vance, author of Infertility Journeys: Finding Your Happy Ending, will host a “Coping with Grief” teleconference during Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Month on Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Conference Number: 1-218-548-1857 Passcode: 1987.
• Research: Drexel Pregnancy Loss Project writes, "If you have experienced a pregnancy loss (stillbirth or miscarriage) in the past 6 months to 4 years, we want to hear YOUR story. Drexel University is conducting a research study to learn how women healed and moved on from the grief of their loss. Click over to learn more information or email us at drexel.pregnancy.loss@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering for the study."
  

Old

• First Time Reading the LFCA: If this is your first time reading the LFCA or you need a refresher about how the LFCA works, please read this post. It has everything you need to know about getting your news in the LFCA.
• Quicklink Resources: Regular ALI Blogroll: If you would like your blog added to the ALI blogroll, please email me directly with your blog url and category pick. More information about being added is contained in that link. Password-Protected Blogroll: If you would like your password-protected blog added to the blogroll, please fill out the form.

NEW BLOGS (started in September or October 2011)

• A Sky for Blue (medical termination)
• The Elusive Second Line (in the beginning)
• Choosy Dads Choose Skippy (elusive male point-of-view)
• Perfectly Imperfect (general IF)
• Between the Paper Sheets (male factor)
• Life's Little Reflections (parenting after IF; old blogger in new digs)
• Fit to Parent (domestic adoption)
• Pink Lipgloss and Prenatals (IVF)
• The Perpetual Aunt (azoospermia)
  

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES (celebrate your birthday or blogoversary with the community. Send me date at any point and I'll post them on the correct day)

• Tigger's 200th post comes on the same day that she started her new blog. Swing by, take a look around, and celebrate!
• PFM celebrates its third anniversary. A synopsis and tribute to all those who have supported the cause. Thank you.
• Kristin is celebrating 7 years blogging. Go by and wish her a happy blogoversary.

LOSS REMEMBRANCES (send in the dates of loss anniversaries and I will post them on the correct day)

• Hillary is grieving and celebrating the first birthday of her stillborn daughter born one year ago on October 15. It's been a rough couple of weeks and she could use some support.
• Abide with Ruby as she remembers Isabel, who was born and died on October 21.
  

LOSS ANNOUNCEMENTS

• M just found out she had a chemical pregnancy. 2 days of hope ended in heartache. This was the last cycle before her miscarried baby's due date on October 31st. Please send her some love as they push forward with cycle #4 and hopefully a new fertility plan to create her rainbow baby.
• Please surround ADSchill with love. She lost her twins at 20 weeks.
• Lauren's husband Mike lost his battle with cancer on Oct 14. Stop over and give your condolences.
• Alyson lost her precious baby Lauren at 37 weeks. Please show her some love.
• Lola was pregnant with twins. She lost baby A on October 7th and baby B on October 20th. She could use some love!
• Anna lost her baby boy due to pre-eclampsia when she was pretty far into her second trimester. She needs a lot of love and support right now. Please go over there and give her a lot of virtual hugs.

MISCELLANEOUS SUPPORT AND CELEBRATIONS (scary scans, anxious waits, OHSS, and a host of other reasons why these bloggers could use some additional support right now. Also, celebratory retrievals, transfers, and other good news)

• Finding My New Normal needs some positive thoughts. She is having a frozen embryo transfer (created using a donor egg) on October 13th and is very nervous. After living through stillbirth and a failed IVF cycle using donor eggs, she is really hoping her luck turns around soon.
• E just gave birth to her beautiful baby boy. The doctors have diagnosed him with Downs Syndrome. Please stop by and give her a supportive hug as she wades through being the mother of two very small children and the complexities of her news.
• New Midlife Mommy is hurt and confused after a likely embryo donor has, rather mysteriously, backed off and is not returning phone calls and emails. Please visit her to read her story and to provide insight and support.

BEDREST BABES: on bedrest following infertility or loss and needing support. Drop in on them and keep them company. Blurbs running underneath the "new" line are from this week, and the ones above that line will disappear on Sunday. Please do not re-list bedrest blurbs.

• None Today.
  

PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS

• Jennifer had a miracle BFP after a failed IVF! She just had a scan where a heartbeat was detected, but now the heart rate may be low, and she's losing hope, having been through several miscarriages. Please go show her some love, particularly if you know of cases where a low rate did not mean miscarriage.
• Mo got a BFP! Go congratulate her on her newly formed Shmembryo!
• MJ got a BFP! Her first u/s isn't until the 24th and she is a little nervous... go send her positive vibes!
• After more than five years of infertility, and being just about to start IVF, Heather got a positive pregnancy test.
• Cats with Passports has just learned that one of the twins she is carrying has a life-threatening heart defect. Send prayers their way.
• After 3.5 years of trying to conceive and 2 rounds of IVF that resulted in highly fragmented embryos, Emily just found she is expecting triplets! Stop by and offer her a congratulations and/or any advice you have about a multiple pregnancy!
• Amy got a nearly tripling beta last week on a Clomid cycle, which is stellar yet only slightly reassuring after four early losses over the past five years. It is going to be a long wait for the next beta on Thursday, 10/27. Any tricks for distracting oneself (without wine) while waiting would be greatly appreciated!
  

BIRTH AND ADOPTION ANNOUNCEMENTS

• All Aboard the IF Train! welcomed Kennedy, born 10/1, into their family through adoption.
• Welcome Hope, who was born to Alice of An Empty Chair at Our Table via GC on October 9.
• Junebug and her husband got the call last Thursday that they are parents of a sweet baby girl through the gift of adoption! Go send some love to Junebug as her husband has to go back home while she and baby bug stay out of state alone for 7-14 days.
• Lindsey's first son, Andrew, died in December 2009 at 13 days old due to a compressed cord during delivery. Tonight she is being induced with her rainbow baby, Thomas.

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