It’s a dreaded word: infertility. I’ve had some internal resistance to using it to describe myself and our situation. I’ve heard others say that it has such a finality to it, and it kinda does. I think the words “delayed fertility” or “sub-fertility” are much more accurate. But I know that in the world of social media and trying to find others to relate to, “infertility” is a commonly-searched word. So I continue to use it.
This page of my website is meant to be simply an introduction to what I want to do here. I will be sharing our infertility story – over the course of many posts! – but I don’t want this to be just about our story. My heart has been moved to share the stories of others who are facing infertility and miscarriage, or who have faced them in the past.
Warriors in the Wait
Specifically, I want to give a voice to those couples who have chosen to use fertility awareness and restorative reproductive medicine to address infertility, of which the most well-known and proven method is NaPro Technology. There are not many layperson resources out there for couples who choose to forego all artificial reproductive technologies (ART), and I want to be a solution to this problem. As Catholic Christians, my husband and I believe that life needs to be protected and respected from natural conception to natural death. We also believe that good medicine treats the whole person and seeks to determine the root cause of the issue. NaPro and restorative reproductive medicine does exactly that!
Mark and I have tried to start our family for over a year, but have been unsuccessful so far. It has caused especially myself much emotional pain and turmoil, feeling disappointed month after month, and wasting money on countless negative pregnancy tests and fertility supplements. It is exhausting to go through that hope-being-dashed cycle constantly. For awhile, we had no idea what was wrong. But I knew we had to get to the root of the issue, and that NaPro Technology was the way to go.
I won’t tell our whole story here, but I will share the findings and treatment briefly. (To read our story, please click here.) Progesterone injections have been a blessing to treat my prolonged PMS and slight luteal phase defect. In March 2019, I had an exploratory laparoscopy (surgery) with my NaPro surgeon, who found endometriosis and a blocked Fallopian tube. He removed the endometriosis but was unable to clear the blocked tube due to it being narrowed, a probable congenital defect. But my right tube is perfectly fine, and the endometriosis being gone greatly increases chances of pregnancy.
Our infertility story isn’t over yet. We still don’t know how the next chapters will play out. I have joy and peace now though, which almost seems like a dichotomy next to the word “infertility.” Through sharing our journey thus far online (mostly Instagram), we’ve received the first fruit of our struggles. I’ve received messages from and formed relationships with other ladies that I never would have if Mark and I weren’t going through infertility. I’ve been told personal stories that touch the deepest recesses of my heart, and still others share with me that they are encouraged by my story.
So it’s with that spirit that I begin the series Warriors in the Wait. It will be not just our story of infertility and experience with NaPro Technology, but many other couple’s stories. Some of them will be currently in the wait, some will have conceived but lost precious babies, and others will be “on the other side” of infertility with their miracle baby (or babies!) in their womb or arms. However, I know that even those with their babies will never forget what it was like to walk through infertility. I want to feature women from every stage of this journey, including those who have become moms through adoption. Each stage is part of the same heartbreaking yet beautiful path we have to face. Only God knows how the story will end, so all we can do is turn each page of each chapter in trust. It can be incredibly difficult, but I believe that sharing our stories is part of the healing process.
So, even if you are not a fellow infertility warrior, chances are that you know several people in your life who are. I encourage you to share this page with them so they can reach out to me if they feel called to that. And if you are someone who hasn’t looked into NaPro and restorative reproductive medicine for infertility or recurrent miscarriage, please let me know because I’d love to chat. I get paid $0 to promote NaPro – I do it simply because I love it, have benefited from it, and want more women to know about it so they can be better helped. (It’s beneficial even for those not struggling with infertility but who need help with female issues!)
Stay tuned for inspiring, raw, real stories from other women and couples who are infertility warriors – Warriors in the Wait!