Infertility? - Part 2

It is hard to believe that we have been having one negative pregnancy test after another for four years now. About two years ago I shared about our fertility journey publicly and was amazed by the encouragement, love and support we received (see previous blog post if interested). 

The last two years since I initially shared about our fertility struggles have been full of so many emotions. We've had so much hope, as I previously shared about God's promise to us that we will one day have children, but also so much grief and bitter disappointment with every new cycle. We have gone to fertility specialists, completed four medicated cycles, four IUI's, and were seriously considering IVF when we learned about functional medicine fertility. We got connected with a couple of doctors online who started a program called Reimagined Fertility, which is a holistic approach to help couples get to the root of their fertility issues. We learned in their three month program that our health was not as good as we thought it was and we committed to sticking with it for a year. My gut health improved, my eczema disappeared, my cycles became regular, AJ lost 30 pounds and noticed a significant increase in energy, just to name a few benefits. So many of the other couples doing that same program conceived naturally, but why not us? 

After some repeat labs, we discovered that due to high stress and high fevers in the prior six months, there were some key numbers that had not improved like we had hoped. That pushed us over the edge to seriously consider IVF again. We did not know how it would work logistically or financially, but we started researching. I was reminded of a fertility doctor from out of state that I went to church with right after college and decided to investigate his practice. We couldn't believe how much lower his prices were than all the other doctors we had looked into, but he also had good reviews and success rates. 

I still had some uneasiness about it all and really did not want to do IVF unless God made it very clear. One day I published a random "fertility health" post on social media and an old family friend reached out and said that she would love to share her fertility journey with me. I had no idea where she lived, what she was doing, or basically anything about her current life. A couple weeks later we talked on the phone, and come to find out, she was treated by the same doctor that we were talking to! She told me how her whole journey with him had been so God-led, and couldn't say enough good about him. Tears filled my eyes as I realized that I had specifically prayed that very morning that God would give us extra confirmation if this was the path we should pursue. That was just the beginning of God opening all the doors for us to move forward. 

Here we are at a point in our fertility journey that we never could have imagined. We are amazed at God's leading, excited and nervous to see what He is going to do. His promises never cease to give us encouragement. This morning He reminded me of some promises He gave me over two years ago:

"Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast; trusting in the Lord." Psalm 112:1, 2, 7 "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!" Psalm 113:9

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned through this journey is, that whenever I am in my darkest moments, if I open God's Word, He always speaks to me. I don't know what you may be going through, but I challenge you to try it. Before calling a friend or hopping on social media, spend a few minutes in prayer and reading your Bible (Psalms never fails, but pray that God will lead YOU to what He wants to share with you). We are so thankful for all of you who have supported, prayed for, and encouraged us. Only time will tell what the outcome of everything will be, but we trust that God has us on this journey for a reason. 

To be continued...