#Ivf abroad

[ivftreatreatment0389]

Surrogacy Europe

Explore safe and reliable Surrogacy Europe options with expert guidance throughout your journey. Our Surrogacy Europe services provide legal expertise, personalized care, and access to top clinics, ensuring a smooth and ethical process. Choose Surrogacy Europe for a supportive and successful path to parenthood. Visit us:  https://ivftreatmentabroad.com/surrogacy/

[ivftreatmentabroad]

Fertility clinics abroad

Every fertility treatments are delicate, thus any information you provide us during the IVF Process is treated with the highest respect and confidentiality, with all details transmitted via a secure server. We will need you to sign our Fertility Care Registration paperwork to cover this as well.

[twopoppies]

Also, even if this person actually saw them together in Italy (which I’m pretty skeptical of), why are they jumping to conclusions about raising a family? How does one even connect to the other?

///

Italy is my country but the government have passed laws making it almost impossible for a male gay couple to have children so I don't think H&L would choose Italy to start a family. The Italian Senate recently passed a law making surrogacy a “universal crime”. It was always illegal in Italy but now we're not even allowed to go abroad to find a surrogate and the law won't recognise children born by surrogates.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62rmv63069o

Well, yet one more reason why that receipt is nonsensical.

But oh my god that’s terrible that the government did that. Once again, thank you to the far right.

Italy has made it illegal for its citizens to go abroad to have a baby through surrogacy.

The move extends a ban on the practice inside the country to also include those who seek it out in places where it is legal, like the US or Canada. Those who break the law could face up to two years in prison and fines of up to €1m (£835,710).

The law, proposed by the Italy's far-right governing party, is seen by critics to target LGBT couples - who are not allowed to adopt or use IVF in the country.

Full article here

In reference to this

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Five Fics Friday: August 16/24

Happy Friday Everyone!! Check out these fics to start off your weekend!!! Hope you enjoy!!!

RECENT MFLs

John's Wedding Speech by jawnscoffee (G, 790 w., 1 Ch. || Wedding Fluff) – Maybe I shouldn’t have let my husband hold his speech first because it’s way harder to leave a good impression when there’s already a winner.

Show Me Your Flaws by holmesian_love (NR, 8,271+ w., 2/14 Ch. || Coffee Shop AU || WIP || Angst with Happy Ending, Alternate First Meeting, Developing Relationship, Musician Sherlock, Friendship) – John Watson is lost in the world. Back from Afghanistan as an invalided soldier, with no purpose in life, he takes up a suggestion from an old friend and tries a bit of a life change. Only now, he finds himself stuck in a new, tedious situation with no money or friends. That is, until a dark, talented stranger crosses his path and suddenly life doesn’t seem quite so boring anymore. But how can John begin to win over someone like that, when he feels so flawed? And how can he capture the attention of the dashing man who keeps disappearing…

John's Legacy by BakerTumblings (M, 19,035 w., 3 Ch. || Inspired by Fanfic, IVF, Parenting, Surrogacy, Fluff) – Inspired by Nature and Nurture. This fanfic tackles life at Baker Street set after the British Government "accidentally" cloned Sherlock Holmes. Oliver Watson-Holmes lives with his two fathers and it about to embark on a whole new way of life. This story is less about Oliver (although he is a wonderful child) and deals with Sherlock's endeavor to gift John with a biologic child. Oh, and he never said anything about it to John.

Always a Soldier by Lock_John_Silver (E, 21,252+ w., 6/8 Ch. || WiP || POV Alternating, Developing Relationship, Nightmares, Sherlock's Violin, Caring Sherlock, Case Fic, Minor Character Death, Letters, Sherlock's Military Kink, Travel, Language Kink, Paris, Jealous John, BAMF Sherlock, Sherlock Speaks French, Twins, Dinner / Wine/ Food, Crime Scenes, Voice Kink, Hugging, Sightseeing, Idiots in Love, First Kiss, Childhood Memories, Military Uniforms, Captain Watson, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Blow Jobs, Friends to Lovers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, John's a Mess, Endearments, Sherlock's a Mess, Past Unhealthy Relationship, Sherlock's Mind Palace, Swimming, Topping from the Bottom, Anal Fingering, Excursions) – Mycroft arrives at Baker Street with disturbing news which even Sherlock can’t ignore. Going abroad, even when the circumstances are horrible, might be just what both he and John need to avoid stagnation.

Kinesis by StellaCartography (E, 35,641+ w., 13/28 Ch. || WiP || Johnlock and Mystrade || Post S4, Dissociation, Workaholic, Canon Compliant, Job Loss, Alternating POV, Vacation, Road Trips, Fishing, Card Games, Camping, Coffee Shops, Massage, Homophobia, Getting Caught in the Rain) – After the events at Sherrinford, Mycroft experiences intense scrutiny at work. As his position becomes increasingly precarious, he tries to investigate the source of the threat, but is thwarted at every turn. With his career and his mental health in shambles, can Mycroft open himself to a personal life he's been neglecting for decades?

[heresiae]

fuck my government.

by the way, this impacts every couple, not just LGBT ones.

[coochiequeens]

If you're so desperate for a baby you are OK with them starting out in a warzone maybe you should ask yourself why are you willing to go to that extreme instead of adopting.

People need to realise the lengths we’ll go to’: Ukraine’s surrogacy industry booms amid war

A British couple has described how they met their twins in incubators before having to move to a safe room as an air raid siren sounded Amita Chakravorty and Sham Jagpal had twins via surrogate in Ukraine

By Gabriella Jozwiak December 14, 2024

Juggling feeds and nappy changes is a learning curve for all first-time parents of twins. But when London couple Amita Chakravorty and Sham Jagpal became mum and dad to Rey and Ryo in July this year, they also had to learn to survive missile and drone attacks, as the boys were born through surrogacy in Ukraine.

“It’s been a really crazy journey,” Amita told The i Paper from the couple’s London home while the four month olds napped. “People need to realise the lengths people like us will go to have a baby.”

The couple are among thousands globally choosing the war zone as a surrogacy destination. Despite the dangers and difficulties accessing the country, Ukrainian agencies say business is booming.

Couples come from countries including Pakistan, China, Australia, Spain and Italy. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine was the third-most popular for British couples after the US and UK, according to fertility law firm NGO Law.

Since then, more than 1,000 babies have been born through BioTexCom Surrogacy agency alone, according to its legal adviser Denis Herman.

On the day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, about 200 surrogate mothers with this provider were pregnant. “Not even a month passed and we received calls to start or continue surrogacy processes,” he said.

Amita Chakravorty and Sham Jagpal missed the births of their twins after they arrived early and were confronted with life in a war zone

In addition to war, demand for surrogacy services has also withstood new laws coming into force in Italy. While surrogacy is already illegal in the country, in December a new law will ban couples from having a baby abroad. Herman believes this will not stop Italian couples coming to Ukraine, even though they could face up to two years and a €1m (£832,000) fine.

Alexander Schuster, a lawyer specialising in medical reproductive rights in Italy told The i Paper he would “strongly refrain anyone from going to Ukraine [from Italy] because it’s pretty sure they will have criminal proceedings started under the new law”. However, he believed couples could avoid the sanctions by entering plea bargains if this was their first crime.

For Amita, who suffers endometriosis and adenomyosis, surrogacy was a last resort.

After a decade trying to start a family involving 15 rounds of IVF in four different European countries and three miscarriages, the couple opted for surrogacy with the Ukrainian World Centre of Baby (WCOB) agency in 2023.

“We looked at the UK, Columbia, Mexico – we did our research,” says Sham. Ukraine only accepts married heterosexual couples, or those in a civil partnership, that are medically unable to carry a pregnancy to term. At least one intended parent must be genetically connected to the child – usually the father. If an egg donor is needed, this cannot be the Ukrainian surrogate.

Ukraine was preferable for the couple because Ukrainian law recognises the intended parents as legal guardians from conception. In the UK, the surrogate mother is the child’s legal parent at birth, meaning parental rights have to be transferred by parental order or adoption.

Amita and Sham had their biological materials (embryos, sperm and eggs) already frozen at a clinic in Czechia. WCOB transported these to Ukraine, meaning the couple only had to make one trip to collect their babies.

“We were clearly apprehensive because the country was at war,” said Sham. “But the clinic said everything is functioning normally in Kyiv. It was perfectly open for us to continue with the process.”

The babies are now four months old and back in the UK

Costs in Ukraine are also markedly lower than other countries. Helen Shumskyh, head of sales at Vireo Agency in Ukraine, said that the cost of surrogacy in Ukraine was between £33,000 and £54,000 for a package, including transport to the country, accommodation, surrogate expenses and agency fees.

In the US costs range from £103,000 to £276,000. In the UK surrogacy is legal, but surrogates cannot be paid, and surrogacy agreements are not enforceable by law.

“The price in Ukraine now is almost the same as it was before the war started,” Shumskyh said. “Usually in surrogacy there is a yearly evaluation of the prices, but no one has increased rates here because we all understand that in our current situation we need to attract customers. After the war finishes, we expect prices to change.”

The agency currently has 15 couples at various stages of their surrogacy journey. Shumskyh says demand increases every month. The company has sought to reassure prospective parents by relocating surrogate mothers to Western cities of Lviv and Ushgorod once they reach 28 weeks of pregnancy. These are far away from the front line and experience fewer attacks. Although surrogates can live in higher-risk eastern regions until then.

Ukrainian surrogate mothers are aged up to 35 and must have already given birth naturally to a healthy child. They receive between £11,700 and £14,200 per pregnancy. Nova Espero agency deputy director Sergey Glushenko said surrogate mothers were “normal, wealthy women” who wanted to help others, as well as make money.

“In 90 per cent of cases the surrogate wants to improve their living conditions, such as buy a new apartment,” Glushenko said. Despite worsening economic conditions in Ukraine, he said the number of women applying to become surrogates had not increased.

Amita and Sham never met their surrogate mother. They missed the birth as the twins arrived unexpectedly almost six weeks prematurely. Because flights to Ukraine are banned, the couple travelled to Poland then by car to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

“We were stepping into the unknown,” says Amita. “We passed so many graveyards on the way. It became real that so many people have died.”

Finally the couple met their twins, who were both in incubators. “There are no words to describe the feelings when you see your babies,” Amita recalls. But quickly they were brought back to reality when an air raid sounded and hospital staff moved the babies to a safe room. It was the first of numerous such experiences.

The couple spent many sleepless nights sheltering in their AirBnB bathroom when sirens sounded. On more than one occasion they saw explosions in the sky as air defences shot down enemy drones above them.

On 26 August they took cover in an underground station as Russia attacked Ukraine with 200 missiles and drones, knocking out the power supply. “When we came out, everywhere you could smell chemicals or gunpowder,” said Amita. “At the flat we had no electricity and couldn’t sterilise bottles for the babies’ feeds.”

The couple expected to spend six weeks in Kyiv waiting for passports to be issued. In the end, legal delays left the family stranded for more than two months. Despite this, the couple said they “wouldn’t change a thing”. But recommend others consider Ukraine carefully, as the paperwork took them longer than anticipated.

Since bringing their boys home, Amita and Sham have kept in close contact with friends they made in Ukraine. “They were generous, kind,” said Sham. “It was a kind of warmth you don’t see in the world anymore.”

Amita has not deactivated the air raid alerts on her phone. She believes people in the UK are unaware of the danger the war poses. “This is real,” she said. “Don’t think that war is not going to come here.”

Yes I have empathy for a woman who wpuld go through 15 rounds of IVF in four different European countries and three miscarriages, but at some point the someone in the industry should have stopped taking money and suggested adoption.

And was it a coincidence that they had boys or was the frozen material they sent to Ukraine sex screened beforehand?

[zot3-flopped]

https://web.archive.org/web/20140312071926/http://www.bohomoth.com/2014/02/21/harry-styles-and-his-man-bun-celebrate-a-milestone/

Here's the blog post that the Jamaica "proof" originated from, some obscure gossip blog run by a larrie. How convenient that a random anon commenter just happened to be on vacation at the same spot as Harry and found this blog to share their story on 🙄🙄 larries aren't very smart and don't know how to identify fact from fiction, so of course this is totes believable for them.

For the record, I think Harry vacationed in Jamaica in 2014 with friends and larries used this as a way to insert Louis into the story through anon comments (what they call "receipts"), they love lying like this on anon to this day. It's very stupid to think celebrities are above the law in foreign countries. The first thing you do as a gay couple traveling abroad is see if a country is safe to visit, and you certainly wouldn't be acting like a couple out in public in a homophobic country. Larries are so so painfully stupid.

I can't get that link to work but agree with everything you say.

Eleanor and Louis vacationed in Jamaica at least twice and fans met them.

Larries prove time and time again that they know very little about the world beyond their own country. Remember that recent fake receipt about Larry moving to Italy to have IVF, when it isn't even offered to same sex couples there?

Harry seems to prefer the BVIs and Anguilla to Jamaica these days and has probably travelled to multiple other tropical destinations that we just don't know about. He loves the ocean so much that I'm sure he's tried scuba diving, for instance.

[cardiac-agreste]

Tell me, why do you bring up real life issues whenever people talk about sentibeing stuff?

Based on your username, I assume that you are a writer (and tall, but that's not relevant here). So I'll answer your question with a question:

Do you use real-life issues to write your stories?

If you do, why do you disapprove of a reader doing the same thing?

Art is made to move people emotionally. You can't be moved emotionally without connecting yourself to the story. I'm not even sure something can be art when its beholders separate the work from real-life issues.

I'm not saying the work has to be overtly political, but it still needs to relate to the real world. Joanie is sad because Chachi was late for their date. "Oh, that reminds me of a time my wife was late for our plans!"

The sentibeing stuff is so transparently a metaphor for alternative conception methods. I'm old enough to remember that "test-tube baby" was used as an insult, and religious groups tried to get the practice banned. Before my time, federal research funding was denied. The practice left the US to be developed abroad for a while because of this. I think the first IVF birth was in the US, but after that it shifted to the UK and Australia.

And even decades before that, the term "test-tube baby" was used pejoratively against births conceived via artificial insemination. (I also remember this term being used pejoratively in media in the 80s and early 90s.)

Gabriel and Emilie couldn't conceive. Eventually, they used a technology that enabled it.

Because she was an actress and a member of the English nobility, we can assume she carried a baby for approximately nine months and delivered him. We can assume this because there's no way she could have magically had a baby one day without having been pregnant; British tabloids would've had a field day about the "fake kid" "staining" the BRF or whatever.)

I don't understand why people have a problem with that, but it smells too much like religious bigotry of the 70s. Actually, it smells like 2024. Did you know the largest religious group in the USA, the Southern Baptist Convention, just voted to oppose IVF in June?

[mariacallous]

In a fighting State of the Union address, much of which could have been delivered at a campaign rally, President Joe Biden directly criticized his predecessor more than a dozen times and drew lines that he hopes will define the 2024 presidential election. He was an unabashed liberal on social policy, a populist nationalist on economic policy, and a traditional postwar internationalist on foreign policy.

Biden’s forceful delivery was meant to signal that he is not too old to serve out a second term, which most Americans currently think he is. Indeed, projecting vigor and strength was one of the main objectives of the evening. Gone was his tendency to speak in a near whisper; through much of the speech he practically shouted. He ended his speech with an argument that his age is an advantage—that through extended experience, he has learned what he needs to lead the country in challenging times.

“The state of the union is strong and getting stronger,” President Biden declared. He may well have had no choice. The fact remains that the American people don’t agree with him. In a new CBS poll, 61% of Americans described the state of the country as “divided,” 45% as “declining,” 37% as “weak,” and just 15% as “strong.” Tellingly, only 25% of Democrats saw the state of the country as strong. Biden clearly hopes that he began to change their minds and that subsequent events will vindicate his optimism in time for the election. It remains to be seen whether his decision to lean against public sentiment will reduce his credibility and make him look out of touch.

To the surprise of few, the defense of democracy against autocracy at home and abroad was a central theme of the speech, which depicted Donald Trump as a threat to both. To the surprise of many, Biden led off the speech with an impassioned defense of the need to aid Ukraine and stop Vladimir Putin from conquering Ukraine and threatening all of Europe. Quoting Trump’s own words, he accused him of bowing down to Putin and moved on to accuse his predecessor of trying to “bury the truth of January 6th.”

Biden’s defense of his economic record was lengthy and detailed, with references to massive job creation, sustained low unemployment, small business creation, a manufacturing revival, and a shrinking racial wealth gap. He appealed directly to workers without college degrees, touting his enforcement of long-neglected “Buy American” laws and massive investment in infrastructure projects. He noted the recent surge in consumer confidence and must hope that a continued shift in the public mood about the economy will help him move from defense to offense on this critical issue. It remains to be seen whether his attack on drug companies and other corporations for alleged price-gouging will help him defuse the issue of high prices, the public’s main complaint about his economic record. And while the lengthy list was impressive, it fell short of being the sort of concise narrative that could be easily understood on the campaign trail.

The case was very different when it came to freedom of choice, where there were no such ambiguities. He condemned Donald Trump and his supporters for overturning Roe v. Wade and called for national legislation to restore Roe as the law of the land. In a similar vein, he criticized the move, which started in Alabama, to interfere with access to in vitro fertilization, many couples’ only chance to have biological children, and he called for national legislation to secure access to IVF nationwide. In this context and others, he invoked the political power of women and urged them to use this power to defend their freedom.

Turning to plans for a second term, Biden presented a lengthy laundry list of liberal proposals on health care, education, housing, and taxes. Most were aimed at the high prices middle-class Americans face that prevent them from giving Biden credit on the economy. While these measures may help fire up the base, they may not appeal to undecided swing voters, let alone the Haley voters whom the president invited to join his coalition just days ago.

Still, the president did better on offense than with the issues that have put him on the defensive. On immigration, he ignored advice from some Democrats to shut the border immediately and contented himself with calling on Congress to pass the bipartisan border bill that Senate Republicans abandoned under pressure from former president Trump. Similarly, he did not go beyond traditional Democratic proposals for fighting violent crime and missed an opportunity to break new ground on the fight against the epidemic of fentanyl and other deadly opioids.

He was more innovative about Hamas’ murderous attack on Israel and the situation in Gaza, which have already cost many thousands of civilian lives. He insisted that Israel has a responsibility to minimize civilian casualties, even as they pursue a ruthless enemy that uses human shields as a cornerstone of its military strategy. He also cited an urgent need to get food and other humanitarian aid to desperate Gazans and ordered the construction of a temporary port in the sea that would permit American vessels to get this aid where it is needed without, the president promised, putting American boots on the ground. He reiterated his support for a temporary ceasefire and an eventual two-state solution, which he characterized as the only path to durable peace between Israel and its neighbors in the region. Not until November will we find out whether these initiatives will be enough to soothe the anger of Arab and Muslim Americans whose defection threatens the president’s hold on the vital swing state of Michigan.

During his speech, President Biden referred with approval to two past presidents, Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. But it was the spirit of Harry Truman’s 1948 campaign that suffused everything he said and how he said it. Biden and his advisors have signaled that they regard blunt, no-holds-barred partisanship as the best path to victory against Donald Trump, whom he trails in most polls. In a time of intense polarization, they believe, mobilizing the base is Job One. The president talked optimistically about America’s comeback, but the speech was intended to promote his own comeback as well.

[mugiwara-lucy]

Okay after hearing this, I just need to comment…

So Trump will be “our daddy”?? 😂 I’m pretty sure we’d all get emancipated rather than Nathan Scott! 🤣

Yeah….with 11 days until the election, it’s imperative I remind people like always that while I am VERY happy with our voter turnout that the fight is NOT over yet!! ALL GAS NO BRAKES until November 6th!!!!! THEN we can celebrate!!

Here is the link to register to vote along with the deadlines varying by state! Also, your own vote isn’t enough! Get as many people as you can to vote for Kamala be it your friends, cousins, parents, grandparents, old friends from high school and college, coworkers, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, stepchildren (if they’re 18 and over) and the list goes on and on but every vote counts! ALSO PLEASE check your registration DAILY because MAGA WILL purge your voter registration!!

And early voting has started! And if you don’t wanna vote on November 5th, Early Voting is another option! Like I said get as many people as you know and try early voting that way you can avoid MAGA fuckery on November 5th! Here’s the link down below listing the dates by state:

Mail in Ballots are ANOTHER option I highly recommend!! And like I said get as many people as you can to take advantage of this option! BUT if you decide to go with Mail In/Absentee Ballots; PLEASE mail your ballots at the ACTUAL USPS office!! That way MAGAts won't fuck with it.

And lastly voting abroad is something I’ve seen people take advantage of and i HIGHLY recommend it!! Here’s the link!!

And I’ll end with this. Do you guys like the lives you have now?

Do you guys like your video games? No matter how violent they are? Because Trump has talked about BANNING VIDEO GAMES.

Do you guys enjoy Recreational Sex? Well a part of Trump’s project 2025 is to basically get rid of sex until marriage because apparently they think we wanna go back to some Ronald Reagan conservative bullshit. Like who waits until marriage anymore??

Do you guys like having IVF, Contraception and Birth Control? Yeah Trump and his camp want to get rid of all that. Why?? I don’t freaking know.

Do you guys want your abortion rights back? Because Trump’s dog Vance WILL pass a nationwide abortion ban with NO exceptions. Thankfully blue states still have that right but given Trump? I wouldn’t trust him.

Do you guys like Planned Parenthood? Vance wants to defend that? So cancer screenings and women’s health at cheaper prices than regular doctors? Kiss it goodbye and in return Trump plans to place RFK JR in charge of women’s health 🤢

Do you guys Hurricane Relief and Weather broadcasts? Trump’s camp will get rid of ALL of that so people in hurricanes will really be left on their own and without weather broadcasts? No words needed.

Do you guys like porn? Because Project 2025 wants to BAN porn. Ironic because one of Trump’s cheerleaders is that Amber Rose lady.

Do you guys like the military handling civilian affairs? Because Trump has said he will use the military against people who oppose him.

Do you guys like your rights being in the hands of state legislatures? They’re doing it with abortions (and failing MISERABLY). I GUARANTEE you if that old fool Trump gets back into office; say goodbye to interracial marriages, gay and trans rights.

Do you guys like having the freedom to worship whatever religion you want to or not? Trump and his camp LITERALLY want to force Christianity on everyone. Go look at Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Do you guys like having fresh food and clean water? Trump and his camp want to gut what we have now and put RFK JR in charge of that?? Gross much?? Especially with his history of killing animals.

If you want to enjoy your lives that you have now or make them better, PLEASE DO NOT GET COMPLACENT!!!

Yes we’re doing well but UNTIL we have news that Kamala won, there is STILL WORK that needs to be gone!

Knock on doors, send emails/post cards and texts, make phone calls and most of all V-O-T-E!! And get as many people as you can to vote too!!

In 11 days, we can be DONE with Trump and his bullshit ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!

[softpine]

Hi! I’ve been following you for probably 3 years? I never read your story in full because I felt like I was already so far behind when I tried reading it the first time. I know the very beginning is very gameplay-esque I was wondering where I should start so I understand the lore and story properly? I don’t want to miss anything! I am always so amazed at the way you edit your story posts and the writing! So I really want to deep dive and finally read everything 😭 sorry it took me this long!! Writing this on anon cus I’m shy and a little embarrassed tbh ><

hey!! don't be embarrassed, i'm not judging in the slightest. i'm more aware than anyone else how crazyy long my story is. but sadly there's not a great place to start reading without missing things :( but here's a summary of the main plot points that become relevant later on:

rosie camellia (right) is a college student from brindleton bay, studying archaeology abroad in selvadorada. she meets isa delavina (left), an author and the great-granddaughter of madre cosecha, the scientist who founded selvadorada. she ends up showing rosie the hidden temple, they fall in love, start dating, move in together, etc.

now stick with me. rosie has 4 younger brothers, both are pairs of twins. michael and jack were teenagers at the time, but owen and isaac were very young toddlers. anyway, so michael shows up in selvadorada and breaks the news that their moms, genevieve (left) and reece (right), were in a car accident and both of them are dying. rosie rushes back home, leaving isa behind.

gen and reece die. [you'll see them as ghosts much later on.] rosie gets custody of all 4 brothers. isa moves to brindleton bay to support rosie and they eventually get married. michael & jack go away to college. owen (right) & isaac (left) were so young that they consider rosie and isa their moms, which is how they will always view them going forward. [the only brother who is really important is owen, because he will be stevie's dad.]

using IVF, isa becomes pregnant with caroline. while she's pregnant, her old friend from selvadorada, eva vasquez, shows up with a baby of her own, beth!!! 💖

as it turns out, eva had to escape an abusive relationship with beth's father, so she turned to isa and rosie for help. she eventually moves in next door. beth (right) loves to play with owen and isaac, and when caroline (left) is born, they become the best of friends immediately.

the last thing you need to know is about caroline. she'll become the main character so she's super important. the day she's born, we get our first bit of true plot in the form of a letter from isa. it's a recounting of caroline's birth written in the future. she talks about why they named her caroline (after the song sweet caroline started playing on the radio), about how the huge storm subsided as soon as she was born, and finally, she writes: "We miss you, we love you, and we need you to come home. Please, please come home, Caroline." so caroline's entire childhood and teen years are clouded by the knowledge that at some point in the future, she will lose contact with her family, though we don't know how or why or when.

now you can start reading from around this point, although there's still plenty of cringe left before i really hit my stride 😭 i'm sorry, it's just the nature of working on the same story since 2018 and learning as i go. i hope if you decide to give it a shot, you'll be able to find some value in it :')

[ivftreatreatment0389]

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[ivftreatmentabroad]

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[sag-dab-sar]

Labrys Religious Community

This was originally supposed to have a book review with it; but there were cognitive difficulties. I have decided to upload this without the book review. To put it in the simplest terms I’d give it a 4/5 for helpfulness if you want to practice, but its not a scholarly work and has very few citations.

Labrys Religious Community is an organization in Greece dedicated to the revival of the Hellenic Polytheist Tradition.

Their website in English

Their website in Greek

Their Youtube so you may see some of what they do

Labrys Household Worship is their book

🔹

1. The household worship practiced by Labrys revolves around Birth- Marriage-Death. Thus there book about the topic reflects that. However, you do not have to accept Labrys tenants to the letter, they aren’t the sole voice. You can use their book and their articles as resources without having to 100% accept all of their beliefs. Especially since they don't give sources that prove is historical aka "recon" in the strictest sense. So that is what I do.  They say in their book:

“Individual household devotional practices may vary depending on environment, individual needs, and personal experience.” page 17 of their book

2.  “Organikotis (kinship): in our relationships within the Community.” is a core tenant of Labrys. They are located in Greece with other Hellenic Polytheists in a physical community. I am solitary, if I marry it is unlikely she would be a Hellenic recon/revive polytheist. If she was and we had kids it is unlikely that we could raise them in Hellenic Polytheism with a religious community organization and other families that share our religion in close proximity. That is rare for the majority of us. It’s just a difference that is important to remember, it seems that some of us forget. They also make this difference clear in their translation notes before the table of contents.

3. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Greece nor is adoption or IVF for same-sex couples. The year this book was published in English was 2014 [edit: AS OF 2024 IT HAS BEEN LEGALIZED IN GREECE] , so probably published even earlier in Greece. Same sex Civil Unions were not legalized until 2015 and same sex marriage remains unrecognized. Joint adoption is still illegal for same sex couples but in 2018 a bill was passed to allow couples to foster children. The book originally being published in Greece prior to this reflected the sad reality at that time by not mentioning it. However, I feel their marriage ritual can very easily be adapted for queer weddings. Nor does anything in their book delegitimize adopted children.

Additional in their coming of age article they acknowledge and accepts that the modern world has different types of families and identities

"the purpose for these milestone events that we may create an adequate foundation to enable the success of our young people in a society that accommodates a wider range of lifestyles, family structures, and personal identities."

🔹

The Organization Itself

If you want to use materials you want to know about the organization’s tenants and integrity.

Labrys has been accused by tumblr as:

Being unwelcoming to LGTBQ individuals

Considering infertile people, single unmarried people, or childless people as inferior. Or unwelcoming to them.

Heteronormative

Racist

In regards to racism claim:

Hellenic religion is still the religion of indigenous Greek people and any detachment from its culture and environment will probably lead to new directions that bear little resemblance to what the name implies. However, as the history from the Hellenistic period onwards has illustrated, Hellenism is neither an exclusive religion nor are our Gods exclusive to the people who worship them. As such, we believe that a bridge should be built between how our religion evolves in modern Greece and how it is perceived and expressed abroad. This bridge will not only offer valuable insights but may also possibly lead to each party gaining what they might currently be lacking, simultaneously offering roots to Greece and the means to freedom of expression. (Beginning of the book in section about translation)

As for the other claims I contacted them:

Question I asked: “Hello! I would like to know your opinion on LGBT individuals and gay marriage if that is alright?”

Labrys Response:

Questions I asked: “Is a gay marriage ritually valid in Hellenic Faith? What is your opinion on transgender individuals? Individuals who are infertile, people who do not marry, or couples who simply do not want children, are they welcomed in the Labrys Community & valid and accepted in Hellenic Faith, in your view?”

Labrys Response:

Conclusion

Labrys Religious Community does not care if you are gay, bi, trans, infertile, single, don’t want kids, or are non-white. They want religion to unite people and see nothing wrong with preforming same-sex marriages. When it comes to gender and rituals I’d assume they mean rituals like Thesmophoria, where men are not allowed— as I’ve stated before and as they state, this would require temporarily taking on a role you feel suits your gender.

Their religion aims to unite and are welcoming to all despite the unfounded criticism thrown at them.

Originally written February 3rd, 2020, Edited to add a few things.

[alarrytale]

I don't believe that receipt because we know they were in completely separate 'viewing areas' from the photos. Harry behind the Spanish goal and Louis behind the English goal. A closeted couple would not be 'constantly touching each other' in public in front of the world's press and the 'Louis was so loud' is an absolute cliche. Doubt she got close enough to smell him either.

The other receipt going round about Larry settling down in Italy to raise a family is also fake. Surrogacy is illegal in Italy and ivf is only available for heterosexual couples so just how would they go about having a child? They would choose a more lgbt friendly country like England.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/26/italian-parliament-approves-bill-criminalise-people-seeking-surrogacy-abroad

Hi, anon!

With all reciepts you have to take the information with a huge grain of salt. Anyone can send a made up story, especially if they're anonymous. It makes it pretty impossible to distinguish fake from real. So some reciepts you choose to believe, or at least consider possible, based on the information you have or other stories you've heard that you believe in. Some reciepts are clearly fake.

Regardless if it's real or fake, it's absolutely harmless to believe in it or wanting it to be true. We know H and L are together already. This isn't evidence of anything. It's just a cute story. So i choose to believe it. It's true in my heart. If nothing else, it's a cute fan fic or headcanon.

The italian reciept is clearly fake, but if people want to believe in it, does it really matter? Does it cause any harm? It doesn’t. So instead of going round and being a debbie downer, just roll your eyes and ignore it. It's very important to not kill other fans joy and fun, if it is harmless fun.

It's more important to debunk larry moments that didn’t happen before if becomes larry lore, and inform people who believe in things like louis being an extra in my policeman or that he said «I’m gay, it’s pretty unfortunate isn’t it Eleanor?», that it didn’t happen like that. So focus on the bigger things and the bigger picture and let fans have their fun. It's a fandom after all and we'll never get any of these stories confirmed either way.

[whentherewerebicycles]

gotta be honest I felt real bad for most of the day yesterday but gosh it’s so nice to be able to swing by my bff’s house after work to eat thai leftovers together and go grocery shopping and cackle a lot. my overall quality of life is about to skyrocket and I just still can’t believe I got so lucky.

I feel a little better today, probably because I’ve switched into planning mode and feel a little more in control of my life again. I think I am going to move forward with IVF abroad (though in the meantime I might go through a couple more IUI cycles to use up the donor sperm I still have in storage). more thinking aloud under the cut… sorry I just have to process everything out loud.

I know many people do IUI or try to conceive naturally for a long time and there might be some wisdom in continuing to try the lower-tech option for a while longer. however, I feel like I need to consider the following things:

I only have one fallopian tube now. it’s still possible for me to get pregnant via IUI, but after reading a bunch of articles I’m not sure that the “having only one tube doesn’t affect your chances!” messaging online is true. I can still get pregnant, but it seems like my time to conception will almost certainly be extended by quite a bit.

I need to weigh the practical costs. if I try IUI for six more months, that’s at least $15k, which is almost twice what an IVF cycle abroad would cost me.

I need to weigh the emotional costs. the IUI failures were tough but I could weather them and I could’ve probably kept going if that last cycle had failed. but the ectopic pregnancy was just devastating and I still feel like I am in a place of lowgrade anguish about it. could I keep going with IUI? yes, if I had to. but I also don’t have to use “could I force myself to endure a very painful emotional experience if I had to” or “have other people endured this painful experience in the past” as my criteria for making this decision. I don’t have to compare myself to other people or make choices based on the level of despair I think I can endure. I can make the ‘selfish’ decision that prioritizes my needs right now, because it’s my money, my time, my life, my heart.

I just really, really, really want to give myself a good shot at being pregnant before my SIL gives birth in March. I would love for our kids to be the same age and I also think that would line me up better with liz & A’s timeline.

obviously I would just be over the moon to have even one baby!!!! but in my ideal world I’d be able to have two kids a couple years apart. and if that is my goal, the time pressure is real. if I got pregnant at 34 I’d give birth at 35 and probably wouldn’t begin the process again until 37, at which point it would be even harder than it is now. if I’m very lucky, IVF might also give me the chance to freeze embryos while my eggs are a little younger.

after a lot of research, I think finding a clinic in Mexico makes the most sense for me. it’s a little more expensive than some of the European clinics, but here are the benefits:

I can book direct flights on points

most flights are under 4 hours (compared to 14-15 hours to europe). so it’ll be easier to get there and back if I have to return for future transfers or egg retrievals—like, I could fly down over a long weekend instead of having to plan around major holiday breaks when I have more time off. I think this will put much less weight on each individual try, as opposed to doing it in Europe where a failed cycle would likely mean having to wait 6+ months until I could accrue enough PTO to go again.

I can arrange to work remotely some or all of the time I have to be in-country since I’ll be in the same timezone

no one is going to make this decision for me or give me permission to do it—I have to be the one to decide to move forward. so I’m deciding. this week I will reach out to 5-6 clinics to schedule initial consultations. I’m not sure how long the waiting period is but man it would be great to be able to schedule something for the fall. I think if I had a date on the calendar, even if it’s a ways out, I could focus my energy on diet/exercise/sleep/overall emotional well-being and just, idk, feel like I was moving towards a goal instead of drifting in time like I am now. if I want this I just gotta get moving. and if it doesn’t pan out I can grieve and shift my focus to other routes to parenthood, but I think I’m far enough down this road that I have to exhaust my options first before I’ll be able to let go of this dream and move on.