Little Kindnesses

Both IUIs are done. I have to say they went very very smoothly. The second batch wasn't as impressive as the first, only six million, but every little helps I suppose. So now it's the waiting game. The all notorious two week wait. But before I get into that craziness, I want to reflect on some of the little kindnesses people said and did over these past few days that really touched me.

First when the IUI was being done and I was lying flat on my back with my feet in stirrups, Mr. T took my hand, leaned toward me and looked in my eyes and told me he loved me. He kissed me over and over and I felt that this was a beautiful way for our maybe baby to be conceived. I was glad he had involved himself in the procedure this way and made me feel a little more positive that this might be it.

When the IUI was done, Mr. T asked Dr.B about payment and he said no, no charge. This one is a gift. It really took me by surprise. It was so sweet of him to do this. He said he was really hoping that this was the one for us. It means so much to me that even my doctor is rooting for us.

So I came out of the clinic smiling and happy, and full of the spirit of human kindness. And hopefully some fast-moving determined sperm who will get where they need to go! 

Then I came home to read all your comments, wishing me the best. These really put a big smile on my face. I cannot thank you enough. Melissa G, in particular, who has been my cycle buddy for a while now and said something that never even crossed my mind. She said "Clare, this HAS to be our month!!! We've been cycle buddies long enough. I want to share a DUE DATE with you now! I am hoping with everything I've got that this will finally be it." A due date? OMG! I gave up thinking about these things long ago. But she's right! Got to have some positive attitude! And it would be so cool to share a due date with Melissa G and all the rest of you who are in the 2ww!

Positive Attitude? Too much? Screw it!

How Babies by the Sea Boutique came to be

So, Dr. Biter (otherwise known as Dr. Wonderful) has opened up a baby & children's boutique with one of my former HypnoBirthing clients, Laura Fairchild. It's really amazing how this all came to be...so here is the story! I'm excited to have the opportunity to teach my HypnoBirthing classes there on Tuesday nights starting November 3rd. For more information about my HypnoBirthing classes, please visit my website listed at the end of this post.

Babies by the Sea Boutique is located at 2007 San Elijo Ave, Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007 in the Seaside Market Place. Their website is www.babiesbytheseaboutique.com. The phone number is 760-230-4272.

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to empower healthy beginnings and support sustainable families by offering cutting-edge natural-living resources and products, in-depth educational opportunities, and fashion-forward organic and boutique apparel; and to create a nurturing, open-minded, non-judgmental, accepting of difference, multi-cultural social network to meet the evolving physical, developmental, intellectual, and emotional needs of all mothers, babies, and toddlers.

Concept:

The concept of the Babies by the Sea Boutique was conceived by pure synchronicity. San Diego Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Dr. Robert Biter, has been a proponent of natural women's and babies’ health care for years. Witnessing the advent of the growing business of birth, Dr. Biter decided to establish a private birthing center where women and babies would not be subject to the pressure of revenue generating business practices and the lobbying of the pharmaceutical industry. Instead, he would offer his patients the ability to birth their babies in a natural, healthy setting with the convenience of having all the necessary surgical and medical back-up in the event of crisis situations.

Having years of experience familiarizing himself with the best and healthiest maternity products available, Dr. Biter decided that a natural fit for the birthing center would be a retail store where he could use his extensive background and expertise to make information and high-quality products available to the public.

Enter mom-to-be, Laura Ann Fairchild. Seeking out the absolute best physician to support her first pregnancy, she repeatedly comes across Dr. Biter's name. She researches his background, makes an appointment, and with no doubt that she had found her physician, becomes his patient. Through casual conversation, she learns that Dr. Biter used to shop at her designer clothing stores located in Cardiff by the Sea. The conversations continue over the course of her pregnancy, and the two eventually come to the obvious conclusion that with Dr. Biter's medical expertise and passion for health, and with Laura Fairchild's cutting-edge eye for retail fashion, buying ability, business knowledge, and familiarity with corporate start-up operations, that a partnership between the two of them could be a match made in baby boutique heaven! In addition, Laura's sister and business partner, Julie Fairchild, enthusiastically decides to join the team to handle marketing, events, and human resources for the store.

With Dr. Biter driving the vision and Laura Fairchild overseeing buying, merchandising, and day-to-day store operations, Babies by the Sea Boutique was born. The mission of the boutique is to provide much needed and well-researched retail options for pregnant women, mothers, babies and toddlers with respect to all aspects of life. The motivating goal is to address the customer's need for products that are healthy, fashionable, environmentally responsible, and practical, in addition to offering them information and daily support. The boutique will strive to develop a community support group and home base for its customers, and maintain an extensive community lecture program to address issues of social responsibility, nonviolent parenting, environmental health and self esteem development; as well as offering a forum for discussions and idea exchange. Other fun, creative, helpful, healthful, and educational ideas are being discussed daily by the owners.

Design:

The store build-out has been thoughtfully designed based upon a sustainable and environmentally-friendly "green" premise. Materials and themes incorporated into the build-out include the use of Kirei board and bamboo for shelving, recycled pallets for display tables, burlap coffee sacks for wall covering, reclaimed and salvaged urban wood for tables and beams, recycled glass for the countertops, non-VOC paint, energy-efficient lighting, and other non-toxic materials wherever possible.

Once open, the store practices will incorporate the use of earth-friendly office supplies, bags/packaging, water for customers, and other daily use items. The boutique will also encourage customers to re-use bags and to participate in environmentally friendly family events, in order to raise awareness with respect to sustainable living in the community.

Donation of Net Revenue to Non-Profit Organizations:

Babies by the Sea Boutique will donate a portion of net revenue to non-profit organizations developed by Dr. Robert Biter called Her Hearts Wish and Seaside Giving. Her Heart's Wish is a national organization dedicated to granting the wishes of women facing terminal illness. Seaside Giving provides medical care to pregnant women who cannot afford medical services. In exchange for this care, these women sign a contract with the organization to do volunteer work in the community.

DR. ROBERT BITER BIO

When Dr. Robert Biter was 14 years old, his father was diagnosed with cancer and passed away four long years later. From that time on, Robert Biter knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life ---- be a doctor."I remember that the only person stronger than my father was the doctor in the white coat," said Dr. Biter, who lives and practices in Encinitas, California. "At first, I was going to be an oncologist, but then I delivered my first baby and saw the joy in medicine."

Dr. Biter received his medical degree from Pennsylvania State University at the Milton S. Hershey School of Medicine in 1997, where he was named the Most Outstanding Graduate entering the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Continuing his post-graduate medical training and residency at Pennsylvania State University, he was recognized as Best Resident Educator and Best Chief Resident by the nursing staff. After having been awarded the American Medical Association Foundation Leadership Award and the National Health Service Corps Scholarship, Dr. Biter moved to San Diego, California where he worked with under-privileged patients as the sole physician in a practice with 11 midwives, delivering over 80 babies each month. He later became the Department Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas and eventually founded Seaside Women’s Health and the upcoming Babies by the Sea Birth Center. While in San Diego, he has been named Best Obstetrician/Gynecologist by Ranch and Coast Magazine and Medical Community All Star by the San Diego Padres. He also maintains his role as President of Her Heart’s Wish, a national wish granting program for terminally ill women, and founder of Seaside Giving, a local nonprofit that grants care to qualified women who then work hours of community service equal to the free care provided.

Dr. Biter is an advocate of natural birthing practices and natural baby and toddler products and is determined to make information and healthy avenues available to the public, so parents can make educated choices to best support their children’s long-term health and overall well-being.

As a writer and playwright in his spare time, his poetry and essays have received accolades from Medical Economics, San Diego Physician and Wild Onions literary magazine. His first play, Strangers, has received a total of nine awards including Best Original Script from the Eastern Regional Theatre Association.

LAURA ANN FAIRCHILD BIO

Laura Ann Fairchild is an entrepreneur, retail fashion consultant, and the creator of the successful L.A. Fairchild Boutique and L.A. Fairchild Denim Bar concepts. Having worked in the wholesale clothing industry and later with the celebrity boutique owner Dianne Merrick in Los Angeles, Laura decided to open her own designer boutique, the L.A. Fairchild Boutique, in 2004. Her store quickly became a destination shopping location that drew people from all over Southern California. Noting the growing popularity of premium denim, Laura, with her business partner and sister, Julie Fairchild, subsequently launched the L.A. Fairchild Denim Bar in 2005.

The Denim Bar featured over 50 different premium denim lines, men’s clothing, accessories, a billiard table, a giant size Sony PlayStation, beer on tap, and highly-trained salespeople who acted as bartenders, essentially working personally with each customer to serve up the perfect pair of denim to meet their particular needs. Although very trendy and stylish, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and customers felt like family and often just came to hang out at the store. Shortly after opening, the Denim Bar quickly achieved sales of over $725/ square foot, which is well above the national industry average. In 2007, gross margins were 48.5%, conversion was 30%, average transaction was $178.00 and units per transaction were 1.8. The Denim Bar was a hit!

Laura and the Denim Bar were featured in over 140 publications, ranging from People Magazine, Lucky Magazine, and In Style Magazine ... to Women's Wear Daily, Apparel News and Forbes. Year after year, the Denim Bar consistently earned the BEST OF awards in San Diego from 944 Magazine, Citysearch.com, customer driven websites, and Riviera Magazine. Laura Fairchild appeared as a regular fashion advisor on local San Diego News Channels and was also featured on Wealth TV and the E Channel, often being dubbed the Jean Queen or the Denim Guru. In 2006, she was also named to the San Diego Metropolitan Magazine's 40 under 40 in business. In November 2007, Ted Waitt, co-founder of Gateway Computer, invested over $5 million to purchase the Denim Bar concept and expand the business throughout California, with the eventual goal being a roll out of a 200-store national chain with a $250 million dollar market cap over a five-year period. Before choosing to exit the company in May 2008, Laura assisted Waitt in opening four new denim bar stores, while acting as Buyer, Chief Merchandising Officer and lead store designer. She also developed the merchandising and buying model that would be the foundation of the merchandising and buying strategy for the 200-store chain. Laura's sister, Julie Fairchild, assumed the role of Chief Administrative Officer and focused on developing replicable Marketing, Public Relations, Events/Promotions, Advertising, Branding, Real Estate Strategy, Store Operations, and Human Resources materials, strategies, and policies for the acquiring company. Julie also chose to exit the company in May 2008.

Together, Laura Fairchild and Julie Fairchild launched Fairchild Consulting in 2009 in order to assist small retail entrepreneurs by leveraging the Fairchilds' combined and varied experience in start-up strategy, business positioning, streamlining operations, buying, marketing, branding, human resources, and developing a replicable foundation for purposes of successfully growing a business from infancy.

Inspired by her recent pregnancy and the natural HypnoBirthing birth of her first child, Rion Price, Laura's latest business venture is as co-owner of Babies by the Sea Boutique with Dr. Robert Biter. With Dr. Biter, Laura Fairchild and Julie Fairchild will once again be working together as a familiar sister team on this venture, and the projected store grand opening is September 2009.

Congratulations on the opening of your new store, Dr. Biter & Laura! I know it will be very successful!

All my best--Carol
www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

Ovulation Surprise!

So I got my positive OPK this morning on CD12. I went in to Dr.B's office for my shot of pregnyl but he scanned me first which he didn't do last time. And lo and behold! I had already ovulated! So no need for the pregnyl! He said that we had to do the IUI asap. Whoa, was so not expecting this today. But it confirmed my suspicions that my IUI was performed too late last time around. So off Mr. T went to the laboratory and back I went to work to wait for the call.

As I was coming out of a good work meeting I got a text from Mr. T: "I delivered my soldiers to the lab. Think I did okay. Will call you when they're ready." I smiled. So funny that all this is going on in my life and no one at work knows. So I carried on with my emails and phone calls. Until Mr. T called. They're ready. I'll pick you up in 5. 

As I sat in the car I looked down at the sperm preparation, 'Hey spermies! Please swim well for mummy and make me a baby!' Yes I speak to sperm. I am a sperm whisperer. Not many people can say that. Or would probably want to. 

Anyway it's been 3 months since Mr.T's embolization so we were very keen to see how the little soldiers would be doing. It's not a semen analysis but the lab can give us some indication with the preparation for the IUI. So. Mr.T had 16 million fast swimmers. This is a massive improvement. Before he had only 16 million in total. Last IUI we had only 8 million fast swimmers. So it's doubled since the embolization. Apparently the forms were excellent and motility very good. Can't tell you how happy we were to receive this news! Hopefully in another three months things will be even better.

When we arrived at Dr.B's we were taken into the preparation room straight away and I was quickly in the green gown and on the chair... before I realized my panties were still on. No babies are gonna be made this way I thought. So panties off, back on the chair.. ready to be inseminated. No Sami Yusuf this time. Instead we had Eric Clapton's Layla. You know what that means, I said to Mr. T, if it's a girl we'll have to call her Layla. 

The IUI was really rather uncomfortable as it always is. I kept thinking how sex is a much better way of trying to get pregnant and this, well this doesn't even compare. But it is over much quicker. The IUI I mean, not the sex :) For those that are not quite sure what's involved here's a diagram:

You get the discomfort factor...

And it's all going to be repeated tomorrow morning.. Wish me luck. Again!