The Emoblopedia--An Interactive Anthology

Welcome to the emoblopedia, an emotional blog encyclopedia that archives thought-provoking entries. It is organized both by larger umbrella topics such as "treatments" or "adoption" as well as by smaller subcategories such as "deciding to proceed with IVF" or "getting through the homestudy." An emoblopedia is an archive of the emotional journey--a series of posts that a person can read when they feel alone and want their emotions confirmed (click here for the original post kicking off the creation of the emoblopedia).

Even though the entry you may be reading was written weeks or years ago, the information can still help you emotionally on your journey. And since all posts come from the blogs of men and women experiencing infertility or pregnancy loss, please leave them compliments or questions in the comments section of their entry. Blogs are an interactive communication form.

In addition, if you have used the emoblopedia and have a blog that touches on the emotional side of infertility, pregnancy loss, or related topics (such as adoption or a GLBT experience with conception), please consider contributing links to entries from your own blog. There is no limit to the amount of entries a person can have in the emoblopedia. There is also no time limit--entries that were written four years ago are just as desired as entries that were written this week. You can submit an entry for a category that already exists, or you can start a new category. You can submit each entry that you write or choose only your favourites to pass along.

• To submit category titles, send an email with the new category name to Melissa at thetowncriers@gmail.com.
  

• To submit an entry for an existing category, send an email with the url address of the post as well as the url address for the main page of your blog to Melissa at thetowncriers@gmail.com.

• All other questions about the emoblopedia can also be sent to Melissa at thetowncriers@gmail.com.

Scan the index below and click on the hyperlinked topic headings in order to jump to the topic page containing the entries you wish to read.

General Infertility
Receiving a diagnosis
Family relations
Coming out about infertility
Being outed as infertile by another person
Taking a break
Marriage difficulties while trying to conceive
Marriage strengthening while conquering infertility
Depression and infertility
Friendships and infertility
Need a good laugh?
Need a good cry?
Emotions after a BFN (big fat negative)
Acceptance and peace during infertility
Hope and infertility
Infertility: a dirty little secret
Thinking about changing paths to parenthood

Pregnancy announcements and baby showers
Thinking through choices
A day in the life of an infertile woman
How infertility changes you
Anger and infertility
Time and infertility
Finances and infertility
Lifestyle changes for infertility
The ups and downs of the two week wait

Thoughtless comments and other assvice

Treatments
The first time you took Clomid
The dreaded HSG
Laparoscopy
Deciding to proceed with IUI
Deciding to proceed with IVF
Choosing a new RE
Injection classes
The first injection
GBLT experiences with clinics
Fears about starting fertility treatments
Excitement about starting fertility treatments
A mix of emotions about starting fertility treatments
Emotions after a first failed cycle after starting treatments
Emotions after a first failed IVF cycle
Good interactions with the RE or clinic

Terrible interactions with the RE or clinic
Coming to terms with treatment not working
When enough is enough
Deciding to move on from treatment
Hope management during a cycle

Going into another cycle after a failed cycle
OHSS
Becoming a treatment veteran
Waiting to start treatments
Glucophage/Metformin
Treatment stories
Progesterone
Emotions of cancelled cycles
Injection Fun!
Learning from cycles

Adoption
Deciding to proceed with a domestic adoption
Deciding to proceed with foster-to-adopt
Deciding to proceed with international adoption
Getting through the homestudy
Matching with an expectant mother
Birthmothers and children
When adoption plans change (terminating a match)

The emotions of a broken match
The first day feeling at peace again after a broken match
Long periods of waiting

The first time meeting your child
Expecting

Third Party Reproduction
Deciding to proceed with a donor or surrogate
Emotions surrounding the donor or surrogate experience

Living Child-Free
Deciding to proceed with living child-free
Navigating life cycle events after deciding to live child-free
Emotions over stopping treatments
Snappy answers to intrusive questions
The moment you stopped feeling childless and started feeling child-free
Stopping treatments doesn't stop infertility
Child-free in poetry and literature

Pregnancy Loss, Stillbirth, and Neonatal Death

Coming to a place of peace with loss

Learning that a pregnancy may not be viable
Learning you are having a miscarriage
Remembering terraversaries
The first day you felt good after a loss
Loss and the affect on family
Coming out about loss(es)
When is enough enough?
Coming to terms with recurrent loss
Making the decision to proceed with multifetal pregnancy reduction
Making the decision to proceed with a medical termination
Discovering that you have an ectopic pregnancy
Discovering that you have a molar pregnancy
The roller coaster of emotions
Going back to work after a miscarriage

Receiving pathology results

Pregnancy loss without infertility
Grieving
Losing a pregnancy
Not wanting to be pregnant again after a loss

Pregnancy After Infertility or Loss
Seeing a heartbeat
Being released from the RE
Fears during pregnancy
Doubts about being pregnant
Discovering that you're carrying multiples
Communicating with the OB after being accustomed to the RE
Moving to a high-risk specialist
Ambivalence about impeding parenthood
A child resolves childlessness, but it doesn't resolve infertility

Parenting After Infertility or Loss
Ambivalence about milestones
Postpartum depression
NICU experiences
Joy over holding your child for the first time

Feeling like a mother or a father for the first time

Secondary Infertility
How to come to terms with your new-found fertility-status
What to tell existing children
How to balance secondary infertility with parenting
Friendships and secondary infertility
Emotions and secondary infertility

The Emobloictionary
A glossary of made-up words