The Number 13

13 is typically considered an unlucky number. I actually looked it up today on Wikipedia (yes, on my handy dandy iPhone) to see why it is considered unlucky. It turns out there are several reasons - even one that is related to the end of the Crusades and the 13 Templar knights. In Italy, when your luck has turned for the worse, you say “tredici” which translates to 13. In some buildings, owners even skip the number 13 when the floors of the building are labeled. Apollo 13 was a disastrous mission – an oxygen tank exploded on the 13th of April in 1970, ending any chance to land on the moon. There is even a phobia associated with the number 13 that is called Triskaidekaphobia.


You may be wondering about my current fascination with this number.

I decided to call last week to check to see where we were on one of our paths towards parenthood. That number, my friends, is where we currently reside on the list for donor embryos at our clinic.

When we signed up over a year ago, we were at position #21. Just a few months ago, we were at position #19. We are moving on up.

I must tell you. For some reason, I knew in my gut before I even called this would be the number that we currently resided at. Perhaps it was my fear that this would be the number. (13 was the number of embryos we had during our fresh cycles of IVF. BOTH TIMES. And we know how well that worked out…)

I don’t know if I should take this as a good sign (the fact that we are now 6 spots closer to #1) or if I should take this as a bad omen.

Luckily, Wikipedia also references some situations in which 13 is considered a lucky number. Italians do consider it a lucky number (which is perhaps why they say it when their luck turns for the worst). Many successful sports figures have proudly displayed the number 13 on their jerseys. It is the number of cookies in a baker’s dozen.

Maybe I should ask the Magic 8 Ball...