thewholebabything Archives

22/03/2023 by Lisa McDonald

New Book Coming Soon! “The Whole Baby Thing”

Coming Soon - my new book, The Whole Baby Thing: Baby Or No Baby?

Are you struggling with the decision of whether or not to have a baby? Do you feel like you need more guidance and support? I have exciting news for you! My new book, “The Whole Baby Thing: Baby or No Baby? How To Choose The Right Path For You,” is coming soon!

“The Whole Baby Thing” is a comprehensive guide for women who are facing the decision of whether or not to have a baby. It provides practical guidance and support for those who are struggling with this decision. It delves into the motherhood dilemma, offering personal experiences with practical advice to help women make an informed choice.

I’m thrilled to share this book with you, and I hope that it will offer guidance, support, and a sense of community to those who are facing this important decision. For those who want to be amongst the first to access the book, subscribe to the Book Updates List to receive the latest news and early access to pre-ordering a copy.

Coming Soon: I’m excited to share that the cover reveal for “The Whole Baby Thing” is just around the corner! The cover perfectly represents the choice points that can arise when contemplating having a child or not. I can’t wait to share it.

Stay tuned for the Cover Reveal, along with more updates and information about the exciting new release of “The Whole Baby Thing: Baby Or No Baby”.

24/02/2021 by Lisa McDonald

World First IVF Success Website and Calculator – Ground Breaking News!

World First

In 1978 a world first occurred when the first child conceived via In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technology was born. At the time, I was just a young girl. I could never have imagined that I would use IVF. Even in my 40s when IVF was much more commonplace, I always thought I would give up before that would happen. However, after a miscarriage at 45, the door opened a crack.

Using IVF is now mainstream, assisting vast numbers of women to become pregnant. Most commonly it addresses fertility issues, whether that be female or male-factors or both. It’s also commonly used by Solo women and those in same-sex relationships.

There are now plenty of medical providers of IVF to choose from. But how do you figure out what your chances are for conceiving through IVF? How do you assess providers and their IVF success rates? It has been difficult to compare providers’ results because they don’t all measure and report in the same way.

Ground Breaking IVF Success Website!

“Your IVF Success” website, is groundbreaking! This resource, launched last week, was a response to growing calls for greater transparency in the sector. Funded by Australian Federal government, It allows prospective parents to:

increase their understanding of IVF
better predict their own chance of having a baby,
more easily compare the success rates of Australian IVF clinics.

The website uses carefully chosen measures, to minimise the likelihood of clinics gaming the system. For instance, it controls for where clinics transfer multiple embryos in one cycle – which carries significant health risks for mothers and babies – or where they are selecting younger, uncomplicated patients to boost their live birth rate.

World First Predictor Tool

The Your IVF Success’ website’s world first predictor tool works like a calculator, allowing users to enter their age, the age of their partner, their infertility diagnosis, whether they have previously had children, and any previous IVF treatment to offer an estimate of their chances of success.

Caution

Professor Luk Rombauts, Medical Director Monash IVF Group said, “the data should be interpreted with caution. For instance, some clinics may specialise in second referrals for complex or older patients. “You don’t want clinics to stop treating certain women just to protect their success rates,” he said.

Professor Rombauts also says:

“the website is not designed to replace the expertise of doctors. … would-be parents should consult with a fertility specialist to better understand their unique circumstances, as well as other considerations including the cost of treatment and potential complications.”

Such a website is ground-breaking and could be a “game-changer” for many women contemplating IVF assistance – perhaps even for you or a loved one.

If you’ve been struggling with the whole baby or no baby question and want to start tacking the issues Click Here for more free resources.

Keep happy, healthy and safe.

With warm regards

Lisa

24/10/2019 by Lisa McDonald

Baby or No-Baby Crossroads – Where To From Here?

Have you reached a baby or no baby crossroads?

When growing up, I had always thought that I would be a mum one day. I was one of five children born to happily married parents. I expected that all the right circumstances would just come together at the right time for that to happen. However as my 40th birthday approached, I was nowhere near having all the pieces together.

I had married and divorced in my late 20s. And here I was at almost 40 with no partner or baby in sight. While most of the time I still had hope that it would happen, there were also other times I felt like such a failure.

There were many baby or no-baby crossroads where I had to decide: ”where to from here?” Do I want to continue down the path of trying to make it happen, or is it time to close the door?”

At each of these times, I had to work through the process, in order to make that decision. So, I know how it feels. There can be a lot of uncertainty and confusion. Therefore, it can be really confronting to ask uncomfortable questions, and to seek out the answers.

Three questions to ask at baby or no-baby crossroads

If you’re at a baby or no-baby crossroad now, take a moment now to ask yourself the following three questions:

What is stopping you from making a decision?
How important is it to make a decision at this time?
By NOT making a decision, what is it costing you?

Click here to get my free resource: “8 Essential Questions To Ask When Deciding To Have A Baby or Not.”

Opportunity knocks with each crossroad

Although it might be daunting, each baby or no-baby crossroad can be a fabulous opportunity to gain real clarity about what is truly important. The following quote by Mehmet Murat Ildan captures this sentiment:

“When you lose your path, you get an opportunity to discover a world you have never known! And better worlds are often found this way! Darkness and uncertainty hide presents in itself!”

Where To From Here?

There can be great freedom in making a decision- even if it’s just deciding on the next step. Making a decision frees you up to move forward. It allows you to put your time, energy and effort into focusing on outcomes that fulfil you. That, however, requires you to make the commitment to move from where you are now. So, where to from here for you?

If you are at a baby or no-baby crossroads and would help to work through the process of getting clear about your decision click here to book a time to chat with me about how one of my programs can help.

Remember, it’s your life – create it the way you want it.

Warm regards
Lisa