Albany Circle of Hope Support Meeting :

Tuesday, January 13 2009 7:00PM-8:30PM
We will meet in the CNY Fertility Center Reception Area
38A Old Sparrowbush Road Latham, NY 12110

Circle of Hope is a peer support group for current and former patients of CNY Fertility Center who are experiencing difficulties coping with the realities of infertility, treatments and pregnancy loss. This autonomous group was created by former patients and is a forum for patients to find support from others experiencing the same issues, to ask questions about treatments, discuss how best to cope with the emotional aspects of infertility, and to learn about different paths to parenthood.

*Please RSVP to Stacey Dicerbo via email at sdicerbo@cnyfertility.com

Syracuse PCOS & Circle of Hope Support Meeting:

Tuesday, January 20 2009, 6:00-7:30PM
We will meet in the CNY Fertility Center Reception Area
195 Intrepid Lane, Syracuse, NY 13205

Come join us this month at our combined PCOS and Circle of Hope meeting. We will take some time to relax, share with one another and discuss a helpful tool - Vision Boards. Vision Boards are nothing more than a poster board with a collage of pictures, words and phrases that have meaning to you. You’re vision board can be a powerful visual tool to inspire you to attain your goals.

* Please RSVP to Meg Marnell via email mmarnell@cnyfertility.com

How to create a vision board:

• Obtain a plain poster board
• Get some glue, scissors, magazines
• Cut out pictures of anything that motivates, inspires, relaxes you
• Cut out pictures of the things that you are striving to obtain
• Glue the pictures on to your poster board
• Include some inspirational words or phrases

Voila! You have created a vision board to use on a daily basis as a visual reminder of what you are striving to add to your life. A vision board can be a powerful tool to be utilized during your infertility journey.

First and foremost the sooner you begin acupuncture the better. Acupuncture treatments that occur Pre-IVF/IUI procedure are meant to increase oocyte quality, regulate the menstrual cycle, etc. Acupuncture treatments that occur Post–IVF/IUI Procedure are meant to calm uterine contractions, increase blood flow to the uterus, etc.

Pre IVF/IUI- The intention is to give you ample time to make appropriate adjustments to better your fertility condition. It’s our suggestion to begin acupuncture treatments 3-6 months before your IVF/IUI procedure. This consists of acupuncture, diet and lifestyle changes. The intended results are as follows:

1)    Regulate menstrual cycles

2)    Reduce Stress

3)    Increase blood flow to uterus

4)    Increase quality of oocytes

Post IVF/IUI- The intention here is to increase the chances of a successful IVF/IUI procedure. We suggest acupuncture treatments once a week through the first trimester. If problems arise during the second and third trimester we will have you come in for treatment. The intended results are as follows:

1)    Reduce uterine contractions after procedures

2)    Reduce Stress

3)    Keep Your Body Balanced (I.E. if you are blood deficient, continue to support blood)

4)    Miscarriage Prevention

Please contact CNY Healing Arts at 315.671.5755 if you have any questions or would like further information on acupuncture treatments and fertility care. You can also email Donald Clarke, LAc at dclarke@cnyhealingarts.com.

For The CNY Food Bank’s list of suggested items click here.

Below is a personal note from Kristen Magnacca on Holiday Strategies:

I wanted to wish you a wonderful peaceful holiday season. Below please find a recap of some of the strategies that we discussed that could be helpful over the holidays.

Don’t Leave Home Without these Strategies:

1. The Elevator Speech: Is a practiced script that rolls of your tongue in response to “those” questions. Here are my two favorites: “We have a team of experts working on it” or “Babies come when babies come”.
2. The Red Flag Phrase: A predetermined word, sentence or phrase that immediately lets your partner know that you’re near your breaking point. Ours was, “These pretzels are making me thirsty”.
3. Your right to change your mind: Remember that if you have committed to an event and then have a change of heart deciding that you don’t want to attend or perhaps you do, it’s your prerogative to change your mind and plans. Give yourself permission to do what is correct for you and your partner.

Remember how I read to you from a little book with sayings on our Saturday together? It is called the Daily Word and in the process of preparing my thoughts for this update I read today’s word: November 25, 2008.

FAITH
I am making progress in life-affirming, positive directions.

I use my imagination to understand the importance of my faith. I envision my thoughts as leaves floating on a river. The river itself is my consciousness. My spiritual faculty of faith is the power of the current that keeps my thoughts moving along in the right direction. I remember this imagery when circumstances appear that would cause me to reconsider whether the momentum of my career, relationships, or spiritual understanding is moving at the optimal pace. Deepening my faith in prayer and meditation, I make choices that determine the direction of my life and the progress towards my goals.

With an understanding of faith, I am flexible, serene, and calm. I know with certainty that I am making progress in life-affirming, positive directions.

Looking forward to seeing on December 7, 2008.

Blessings,
Kristen