Looking through my growing collection of baby/pregnancy/trying to get pregnant books I realized that it’s a perfect reflection of my TTC journey illustrated through literature. Each purchase tells its own little story of where I was at, what I was thinking and honestly, my complete naivety and ignorance about the reality of TTC.
So it all started off pretty well. This was the first book I bought. I thought I was being very responsible. I was determined to make the healthiest, most beautiful baby around and so gave my hubbie and I a couple of months to get into best conceiving-form before all the baby-making fun could begin. And then because I was so sure I would get pregnant straight away, or at least within a few months, I bought this:
Well you know I had to get prepared for the birth since I was going to get pregnant pretty quickly right? (Aha ha ha ha!) I mean that's what they taught me in Sex Ed. Just one sperm girls, it takes just one sperm. No, it takes at LEAST 20 million of those pesky little tadpoles. Ah, those days of ignorance. It truly was bliss. And yeah, I read the book cover-to-cover in my attempt to be very prepared for what was surely about to happen to me, in say 9 months? A cynical laugh is all I can manage as this book, now sitting at the back of the bookshelf, collects dust (it is actually a great book and recommend it to anyone lucky enough to be in need of it). Eight months later of absolutely no pregnancy double lines on those disloyal, back-stabbing sticks and definitely no childbirth to worry about, I wised up and bought this:
This is a fantastic book and it has given me and my husband a lot of very useful and practical advice. Both of us have got into the best shape we've ever been in and are working really hard to maintain it. When we found out my husband (aka Mr. T, for new readers) did have a problem with his swimmers, or rather with his non-swimmers, I bought this:
This purchase was made two months ago as we began accepting our infertility issues but with the resolve that we would do everything in our power to change/improve those factors as much as we possibly could. It may work, we may get pregnant (though I won't be rushing out to buy any what to expect when you're expecting type books, let alone ones on childbirth any time soon!) or it may not. Then I will be buying another set of books. I just wonder which section of the bookshop I'll be heading to after the six month window of natural TTC we've given ourselves. IVF/ICSI, dIUI or adoption? Or dare I say it, the pregnancy and childcare section??? No, I shouldn't jinx it.
