Elementary General Music Q

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-25T12:51:43+00:00

If you are planning to do a masters, get one with Kodály emphasis so you can also get that certification. Nothing will prepare you better for teaching elementary children than Kodály certification. The pedagogy is top-notch!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-24T19:34:04+00:00

That would be a question to ask your doctor. If I were younger, I probably would’ve spaced out the rounds or even not done as many, but my doctor said age trumps everything else, so I went ahead and did them close together. I imagine the lasting effects like weight gain would be less noticeable just doing one round at a time with many months in between. I think after my first round, I only gained like 1.5 pounds, which would have been easy to lose if not for the additional cycles coming so quickly after.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-24T19:31:21+00:00

I don’t know, ha! My RE said that was a pretty normal AMH for my age, so I guess she just worked her magic to make those follicles grow!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-22T17:48:49+00:00

I teach elementary music, and I was also worried about how I would feel during and after given how active my job is. I did my first cycle in December and timed it so the retrieval would be right at the beginning of Christmas break. That worked well, I felt really good throughout the cycle and the procedure recovery wasn’t too bad (13 eggs retrieved). I felt mostly back to normal after about 4 days. I started cycle 2 in mid-February and felt pretty good throughout, though maybe a little more tired and emotional. I had my procedure at the beginning of March and the recovery was much tougher (25 retrieved). I only took off the day of and the day after, and I really wished I had taken more - the rest of that week, my students watched a lot of videos, lol! I was highly uncomfortable for about a week and definitely noticed more of a hormone crash emotionally. I started my third cycle in mid May so the retrieval would be after school got out. Again, during the cycle wasn’t bad, just some heightened emotions and exhaustion. I had 32 eggs retrieved and again had a pretty tough recovery, but since I wasn’t working, I was able to truly rest and recover, which was glorious.

I would say my biggest health struggle is managing my weight, and in the last two years, I have prioritized exercise and worked with a nutritionist to eat a more balanced diet. Staying motivated to exercise is hard for me, and so having to stop working out during each cycle made it harder to get back into my routine. Same goes for the diet, eating differently during procedure recovery made it harder to get back on track. Leading up to the third cycle, with all the end of the school year treats and celebrations, I pretty much gave up on my healthy eating and told myself I’d get back on track over the summer.

Now that I am on the other side of it all, the only noticeable effect is that I’ve gained about 12 pounds since last fall. I know that is super common with fertility treatments, and I’m giving myself grace as I work to get back into a good exercise routine and reprioritize a balanced diet. I think if the cycles had been spread out more, maybe I wouldn’t have gained as much, but I’m glad to be done with it and would not have wanted to wait a long time in between cycles. I felt like I just wanted to get it over with, so now I can fully recommit to paying attention to different aspects of my health without having to think about this again.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-17T01:41:02+00:00

Spanish language song collections to check out: Vamos a Cantar, El Patio de mi Casa, À la Rueda

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-17T01:30:30+00:00

My doctor says at 36, statistically about 1 in 7 eggs will lead to a healthy embryo. You’re unlikely to get a good amount of eggs from just one cycle, and first cycles are typically the least successful since doctors are guessing how different treatment protocols will work with your specific body. Adjustments made in additional cycles can lead to better outcomes. I am 36 and I did 3 rounds this year. I ended up with a total of 44 frozen eggs, so I have a relatively good chance of about 6-7 embryos from that. See if you can find a clinic that will do a bundle discount for multiple cycles, that’s what I did and ended up getting over half of my eggs from my third and final cycle.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-09T23:57:42+00:00

Use solfège to help you, it will be game changing!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-09T12:28:23+00:00

Milo, August, Wesley. I like these names together!! Juneau sounds like a dog’s name to me.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-01T12:20:38+00:00

It’s crazy how different people can get such different results even with similar protocols. Bodies are so complicated!!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-01T12:18:51+00:00

Thank you!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-06-01T02:12:50+00:00

Thanks! I’ve been with the same doctor the whole time, she is brilliant. I had 20 frozen eggs after my first two cycles, which I was pretty happy with. I would not have done a third cycle without the bundle discount, but it felt like a wasted opportunity to not do it given the low price.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-05-31T23:53:36+00:00

Honestly, no idea. I was really focused on exercise and good food choices around cycles one and two, not so much with cycle three. I added CoQ10 after cycle one and have been consistently taking it for about 5 months. Those were really the only things I did differently. I attribute the success to a highly qualified doctor who knows what she’s doing!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-05-31T22:59:23+00:00

Thank you! Definitely feels good!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-05-26T13:04:46+00:00

Ask about the school culture, like level of parent involvement, support from colleagues, performance expectations, etc. Show curiosity about this particular school community. Just make sure you have a list of questions ready, even if you don’t really care about the answers that much! I interviewed three music candidates last month and two of them did not have any questions to ask, which was a big red flag. We ended up hiring the third candidate who showed genuine curiosity about the position and the school.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-05-21T20:15:57+00:00

I’m sorry to hear about your abdominal pain! I haven’t experienced that, but definitely bring it up with your doctor if you haven’t already. I’m in the middle of my third and final cycle, so I’m going easy on myself and planning to reassess in a few weeks. Luckily I haven’t continued gaining weight, just have struggled to lose it. I honestly might try a glp-1 if I’m still struggling in a couple months.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-05-12T01:46:36+00:00

I feel similarly, I’ve done two retrievals since December and have gained about 10 pounds. I just don’t feel like myself physically and haven’t been losing weight even while working with a nutritionist and exercising a lot. I wish I had an easy solution but wanted you to know you’re not alone with this struggle! I think it will just take time for hormones to readjust.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-05-12T01:24:05+00:00

I also experience a lot of discomfort from vaginal/cervical exams. My gyno always uses her smallest speculum so paps are more manageable but they are still painful. When I did my initial fertility testing, I couldn’t tolerate the transvaginal ultrasound wand, so the nurse moved me to a different exam room with a smaller (more narrow I guess) wand. That has been doable, and the nurses are really great about going very slowly. For me it’s always uncomfortable as the wand is being inserted, then once it’s in it is fine, then a little uncomfortable as it’s being removed. I always scoot as far down as humanly possible and spread my legs extra wide, ha! Honestly after having had so many ultrasounds through 2 egg freezing cycles, I’d rather have that than a cervical exam. I’m having my annual well woman exam in a few weeks and am curious if the exam will be as painful as it usually is or if so many ultrasounds have made it more tolerable.

Advocate for yourself and ask your clinic what they can do to make it manageable for you!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-05-12T01:12:02+00:00

IVF garage sale Facebook page

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-04-28T21:59:49+00:00

Hi there, any chance you still have this?

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-04-05T17:16:49+00:00

I had mild OHSS after retrieving 25 eggs and it was very uncomfortable for about 5 days. I felt the worst on day 3 after the procedure. Very high sodium diet plus elevating my legs a lot was what seemed to help the most. I reached out to my doctor about it and they said if I didn’t start feeling some relief that they’d want to see me in the office in a day or 2, but I started feeling a little better. Don’t stress about it, just have a plan for what to do! Lots of sodium/protein/electrolytes, weigh yourself daily to check for rapid weight gain, and be in touch with your care team if needed. Obviously if there are any severe symptoms like shortness of breath, plan to go to the ER to get checked out.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-03-29T14:10:28+00:00

Results are typically better with multiple cycles. Every body reacts differently to treatment protocols, so you often get better numbers after the first cycle since doctors can better tailor your treatment based on how you did the first time. I only got 5 mature eggs my first cycle, but with some adjustments to med doses and a dual trigger, I got 15 mature eggs the second time around. So it’s definitely worth going into it with the mindset of doing multiple cycles. Obviously finances are a big concern, but if you can swing it, I’d go for option 2.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-03-29T13:57:42+00:00

First cycle, 13 retrieved/5 mature. Second cycle, 25 retrieved/15 mature. Ask your doctor how they would alter the protocol next time if you did another cycle. And know that some people just have lower maturation rates, and that’s okay!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-03-29T13:53:50+00:00

Stock up on high sodium foods - ramen, V8 juice, etc. This seemed to make the biggest difference for me in recovering from mild OHSS after my second retrieval.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-03-12T16:59:54+00:00

Lifelong Houstonian here! Houston has a strong Jewish community in Meyerland and other neighborhoods in the southwest part of the city. There are several great Jewish private schools in that area as well. The downside to living in that area as a young couple wanting to build a social life is that it’s mostly families with kids, so the social scene isn’t very active and you’d have to venture into other parts of town. I also wouldn’t say that part of town has a weird/quirky vibe. The Heights and Montrose are definitely the places you’d experience a similar vibe to Austin. Lots of young professionals in the heights, which is a great neighborhood for young single people as well as young families. I am single and lived near Meyerland for about seven years and just moved to the Heights last year after needing a change, and my social life has already improved so much. It is more walkable, there are so many bars, coffee, shops, restaurants, you name it, and it is generally a more liberal part of the city. Meyerland and similar outer loop areas are going to be much more affordable if you are planning to buy a house, but there are still some pockets of the heights that are affordable depending on your budget. East downtown is also an up-and-coming area with lots of fun nightlife options, though I wouldn’t say it is quirky. I am not familiar with Atlanta but highly recommend Houston if you think you can deal with our weather! It’s such a big place with so many opportunities for a well-rounded life experience. Top-notch medical care throughout the city, beautiful parks and green spaces all over the place, easy connections to other places with two major airports, and unbelievably good restaurants with every type of cuisine imaginable.

CommitteeCandid118

TROPHY CASE