Top Five... Frustations of TTC

Here are my top five frustrations of trying to conceive; what are yours??

5. Expense - I thought having the baby was the expensive part, not getting there! I feel like I have spent hundreds of dollars already. HPTs and OPKs were one of the first expenses I saw. Even when you buy in bulk, you're looking to spend $20 for only a couple HPTs. OPKs cost about the same and you usually only get 7 tests (or 20-30 strips, depending on what you buy). So after 13 months of trying, and testing, you can imagine how much that adds up. Then there are the other products people recommend, like Pre-Seed or Mucinex. Then we start infertility treatments, and it just gets worse... co-pays, ultrasounds, medications, all of which are very rarely covered by insurance companies. I was fortunate enough to update my 2010 insurance to have some coverage on treatments and medications, but it’s still an extra cost that I wish I could avoid.

4. Living Two Weeks at a time - it’s sad, but everything is broken down now into the weeks preceding ovulation, and the weeks following. I'm either tracking every little symptom trying to catch the egg, or waiting to see if it worked.

3. My husband feels like a sex slave - Why is it that men think sex once is going to get the job done? I swear, before we started TTC, there was no such thing as too much sex. But the second you're having sex with a purpose, it’s like the worst job on Earth. Now, I know some would say that maybe it’s his way of showing that he isn't ready, but I don't believe that. I genuinely believe my husband when he tells me he is ready to be a daddy. The problem is being able to enjoy the sex and not think of it as a job, and that is hard, especially the longer you are trying. It is much easier for men to take a more "laid back" approach to this process. They usually have a "go with the flow" attitude, whereas if you are anything like me, you have turned into a baby making psycho. Oh to go back to the honeymoon phase!

2. Everyone else is pregnant, what’s wrong with me?? - This is a big one. Like I've said before, there was a time when every day I learned of someone new who was expecting. After a while, it gets hard to grit your teeth and smile and congratulate them. Deep down, I am very excited for them, but its hard to not be a giant green monster on the inside. At this point, I feel like I have more friends who are pregnant or new mothers than friends that are not. When you are already feeling broken, this is just the icing on the cake. And what makes it worse? Oh, yeah, the people who get pregnant and weren't even trying! I have friends who were on the pill and got pregnant. I have friends who accidentally got pregnant. Why is it so easy for them, and so hard for me????

1. HORMONES - When did I become this crazy obsessed woman? Around about the time that TTC took over my life... When did I start crying ALL the time? Around the time I started pumping myself with hormones in an effort to finally have our first child. I swear, I can barely watch most TV shows, movies, even TV commercials without tearing up. It’s embarrassing!!