I heard a fairytale while sitting at my hairdresser’s salon over the weekend. Another woman came in early while my hair was being finished, and my hairdresser immediately told me that this woman was a grandmother to twins (we had been discussing my twins). The woman, G, managed to tell me within 5 minutes that her grandkids were IVF twins, though she did not ask me about the origin of mine. (Kudos to her daughter--she must have taught G well that infertiles hate that question.)
Well, G elaborated just a tiny bit to say that both her daughter and son-in-law had a combination of problems leading them to turn to IVF after many, many years of trying. They had healthy twin girls. After their birth, G’s daughter was asked by her OB about whether she wanted to go on birth control pills. The daughter laughed, asking-- what is the point???? A year later, G’s daughter started feeling very tired. Very, very tired. Sure, she had twins and a full-time job, but this was a different kind of tired. So she took a home pregnancy test one night. And it was positive. She went on to deliver a healthy boy, and they lived happily ever after.
Secondary fertility. It is the bedtime story that H and I tell each other. I think about it with a longing in the same way little girls think about being rescued from an evil stepmother or kissing a frog and turning it into a prince.
H and I will not resume birth control after the birth of our twins. I just hope we won’t be too disappointed if our prince charming never shows.
Wrapping up my hair appointment, G, who kinda resembles a plump fairy godmother, proceeded to randomly refer me to a little-known restaurant that I might want to try close to my house. (It just so happens I’m trying to find a nice but local place to celebrate my impending birthday, but she didn’t know that). When I went home, I googled the restaurant and checked its menu--it happens to serve exactly the type of food I’m craving and it's not the typical menu you'd find near me. And looking at the restaurant’s pictures…the décor is just my style. Aah, I’ll have to schedule my hair appointments to run into this lady again! I felt refreshed all day.
12 comments:
What a great story! Maybe someday it will be an even better story when you too add a little girl to your family? “I remember getting my hair done and I was pregnant with the twins…” I believe there is no coincidence or luck in life. Things happen for a reason. I think you just met an angel.
What a great day! there's nothing like getting a great haircut, AND some great conversation and inspiration mixed in for good measure :-)
Happy pre-Birthday (when is the big day?) :-)
That's a great story! And I hope that the restaurant turns out to be exactly what you're craving.
That's so funny, just yesterday I found out that some friends of my brother's who just had a baby via IVF in July are expecting again - an unexpected old fashioned conception. I figured we would not use birth control either after our baby arrives and if something happens, it happens.
I have a friend that this happened too as well. I know a lot of people going through IF hate to hear the "I know someone who..." stories, but I'll share since you did.
My friend had 5 failed IVF's and was told she needed to go on to Donor Eggs (she only had 1 tube, endo, and diminishing egg quality, plus her husband had low motility). She wasn't ready to give up so she changed doctors, got pregnant the first cycle with twin girls. When the twins were three months old she found out she was pregnant and went on to have another healthy little girl. She really has no idea how she got pregnant on her own, but in a little over a year went from thinking she would never even have 1 child to having 3!
When is your birthday?
What a nice story and hey every needs a visit from their "Fairy Godmother" at some time in their lives.
Weirdly, I know three other people this has happened to. One did IVF and had twin girls, then got pregnant shortly thereafter and had another girl. Two other friends did IUIs and had twin girls, then got pregnant shortly thereafter and had another girl. In all cases, they had three kids under the age of two (ack!) but felt very lucky. My theory is that in some cases pregnancy fixes (at least temporarily) whatever was wrong with you, fertility-wise.
Oooh! Can I have some fairy dust from your fairy godmother? Please?
I'm hoping for some magical secondary fertility too - hubby says I'm greedy and I should wait until this one is born :)
Personally, I refuse to waste a penny on birth control until it's proven that I actually need it!
What an awesome day! Days like that just leave you buzzing! What a sweet lady! And..hope your birthday is a blast!
What a beautiful story! I hope she truly is your fairy godmother!
This is such a great story. I love these chance meetings that change your whole day. And, of course, I've always hoped for the fairytale of Secondary Fertility.
Emmie,
Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog. You're the first!
About your post ... I saw a "Baby Story" on TLC a few days ago that featured a family of 7(!) who had tertiary fertility. They had IVF twins, then a FET singleton, then a surprise baby, then, finally, a shockingly surprising baby at 40 years old. They went through 6 years of infertility before the first pregnancy. I told my husband that 10 years from now, we could have 5 children. He swooned a bit.
I don't think that is as likely to happen with MF issues like ours, though.
Post a Comment