When we met Lori, we also learned a new interesting element to her story – she and her husband are going to use a surrogate/gestational carrier. For those who are interested in following this story, sure to include some good laughs, read her new blog called “My Egg, Your Nest” at:

http://www.myeggyournest.blogspot.com/

We wish Lori, her husband and the surrogate, lovingly nicknamed “The Nest”, all the best!

I recently found out about another local author, Christine Howser, who wrote a book about dealing with the loss of her twin baby boys. I haven’t read the book yet but imagine many of the lessons Christine learns would translate well to those of us dealing with infertility and even pregnancy loss. She’s also going to be speaking about her book at the Brownsburg Public Library on Monday, June 22nd from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. ****This event has been postponed due to a health problem. Hopefully to be re-scheduled later this year.*****

To purchase “A Different Kind of Mother” and read reviews, click here.

Our next meeting is Monday, June 8th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.

Sometimes it’s easy to assume that if you had lots of money and that you could afford all the treatments you wanted, then everything would work out. But the true is, it doesn’t guarantee a pregnancy or lessen the emotional toll on you or your spouse. Here are a few stories of celebrities speaking out about their experiences:

Constance Marie, star of George Lopez show, shares her story of a miracle baby at age 43, and started trying at age 38:

http://celebrity-babies.com/2009/04/03/constance-marie-introduces-her-miracle-baby/

Nia Vardalos, star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, who recently adopted a 3 year old little girl via the American Foster Family Agency:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20277865,00.html

The Dixie Chicks discuss their struggles with infertility and their song about it, “It’s So Hard”:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/SummerConcert/Story?id=1998321&page=1

Here we go again, yet another Mother’s Day where I only get constant reminders that I’m not a mother. I’m a stepmother, an aunt, a daughter, a friend but none of those officially “count” on Mother’s Day, do they?  I spend the day without any children and trying to avoid the Mother’s Day festivities going on everywhere. In retaliation, I started a new tradition last year. I send Mother’s Day cards to my friends who aren’t mothers, either. Why? Because somewhere inside of each us lives a mother dying to get out. And we do let her out more than we realize - when we comfort a friend, take a niece or nephew out somewhere their parents won’t, dote on a student or a friend’s child and so many other examples.   These acts deserve to be acknowledged so why not on Mother’s Day?

Let me also add that those of us with infertility issues aren’t the only ones who suffer on Mother’s Day. Mothers who have lost children and children who have lost mothers also hurt. I never thought about that until I read on a blog somewhere something along these lines, “On Mother’s Day, I have no mother to buy a card for or to send flowers to.” So, I will try to reach out to a couple of those people, too, and let them know they are not forgotten. In closing, here’s a quote that reminds us that no act of kindness is ever wasted, “Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.”  ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

We will have a fun change to our format for the May meeting. For part of our time together, we’ll have a local speaker and aspiring author on finding humor while trying to get pregnant, Lori LeRoy. Here’s more about Lori:

“As a woman with a gigantic set of birthing hips and two uteruses (I have a bicornuate uterus), I thought I’d have no problem conceiving. Adding insult to injury is the fact that my husband’s sperm count is off the charts. However, it’s been about 4 years of assisted and non-assisted trying and still no baby. The way my husband and I have coped with this frustrating ride on the road to conception is through humor. There are many, many embarrassing and awkward moments when you’re going through the many procedures, wacky suggestions from Web sites and friends and such. Instead of shedding tears, we decided to chuckle and giggle. It’s probably not the method of choice for every couple (and we do still have our moments of sadness), but it’s helped us tremendously. In fact, I am currently working on a manuscript, tentatively titled “A Pregnant Pause — Fertility Foibles”, which tells funny real-life sperm stories, egg anecdotes and conception chronicles of couples on the road to parenthood It includes stories from our 4 years of trying as well as other men and women who have been able to find some hilarity in their baby-making trials.”

So, if you’re still waiting for the right month to come, this is it. We’ll share laughs with Lori, share the heartache of Mother’s Day and be there for each other in the process.

Here’s our May meeting information:

Monday, May 11th from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church on the north side of Indianapolis
100 W. 86th Street – between Meridian and Spring Mill Rd.