Naturopathic medicine and Infertility

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior’s hand.”
Psalm 127: 3 & 4

While reading other blogs, I found this article, by one Dr. James Prego, a naturopathic doctor.

From article:

“What many people do not realize is that 'infertility' is often like other symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, constipation, etc. In other words, it is a sign that something is 'off' or not working as well as it should in the body. Many times, infertility is simply a result of a digestive issue, stress, improper diet, or some of many other lifestyle factors that can be easily corrected.”

Read on: http://www.wellsphere.com/complementary-alternative-medicine-article/fertility/756783

This would particularly be helpful to persons who have been just diagnosed with infertility even though it can be helpful regardless of where you are in your treatment process.

I wish my diagnosis was as easy as one of the above, since these issues can easily be treated and I know I would not have had to struggle for over a decade. Anyway, a popular saying goes, ‘what is for you cannot be ‘unforyou,’ and so I know that I was handpicked for my struggles.

Do you feel you have been handpicked for yours too?

It was immediately after a visit to an alternative medicine doctor, that I became pregnant with our son and so I highly recommend this path. I was getting weary of the infertility medications and their cruel side effects and wanted to try something more natural in nature and was happy when I was recommended to this doctor by a friend of mine, who was working for him at the time. I am so glad I went to see him. I would recommend this path to all who are struggling with infertility at this time, especially those who like me, is looking for something more natural and easy on their system.

Remain positive and until next time, keep clinging to hope.

When our children show up and we are 35...37….40…...

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior’s hand.”
Psalm 127: 3 & 4

I want to consider this part two to my last post “Our son showed up right on time.”

Due to infertility, many of us find that we are forced to become parents much later in our lives than we would have liked. Having a child is of course a very happy moment for all and more so for those who had to beat the beast of infertility. My husband and I were ecstatic, to say the least, when our little fellow showed up.

Then reality starts to kick in and we realize that there are certain challenges accompanying this little bundle of joy. We later find that it is not easy trying to keep up with them, because let’s face it we are not twenty-five or even thirty, we are ten years and counting older. Believe me, I am having those moments now because or son in so active. At church on Sunday, he made a dash for the gate and the road, I had to actually push him hoping he would tumble a bit and slow down so that I could grab him before he was through the gate and even with that strategy, he still got up and was still heading for the road. I managed to stop him, thankfully, but almost at the expense of my ankle, (but I was not even bothered by that because my ankle can be fixed but our son cannot be replaced). Someone who was watching the whole scene played out asked, ‘where in the world did he get that speed.’ It was truly a terrifying moment. I know many of you maybe fit because you lead a healthy lifestyle so you should not have any problem keeping up with your active child, but then there are others of us who find that we are not at all that lucky. I told myself that since I cannot afford to go to the gym, my son is my home gym.

The other thing is, soon we find that we are doing the maths. Let’s see when our son in eighteen, we will be this old, when our son is twenty-five, oh my, we will be that old and panic starts to set in. Will we even be alive to attend is wedding or see our grandchildren. The other day my husband and I were talking and I said to him, honey, because of this age factor thing, we will just have to make sure that our son gets into college early so that he can graduate and still have time to find is bride-to-be so that we can attend his wedding before we die and see our grandchildren. I know there are parents who are anxious for their children to get married and give them grandchildren, and I am seeing where we could be such parents, given our circumstances.

There is also another factor which we are currently facing now, where all our peers and family members had their children way before us and now they are grown and that leaves our son not much choice of children in his age group to play with.

I hope I am not scaring anyone and I am certainly not discounting what I said in my last post, that these kids do show up on time and so God who is all knowing, sends them to us because he knows he will equip us to deal with them. This equipping then includes the fact that he quickly reveals to us what we are dealing with so that we can prepare accordingly. My husband obviously was not prepared for such an active child because on many occasions, I have to rescue our son left in his care, as he gets overwhelmed by the pressure and falls asleep. I myself, at several points in the day do feel overwhelmed and actually can’t wait for the time when he takes his nap.

Have in mind also that you might want to give your child a sibling and with age already not on your side, you will have to do this sooner than later, if you can, so that if all else fails, your child will have their own little sibling to play with. This too will take the pressure off you from having to be his playmate, and lastly, that you might end up being among the oldest parents at the soccer games and dance recitals. When I realized that the years were passing by and my child was not showing up, I was a bit concerned that when they do show up, my husband and I will be among the oldest parents at their school events.

Regardless of all the above, I am eternally grateful for my son and I know you who have been blessed already are and those still to be blessed with children will be too, when they show up. Even if our son’s friends ask him at some point, how comes your parents look so old, I believe we will still be alright with that and hoping that he will be alright with it too, because children do get affected by things which are not deemed the norm in their little worlds (We are not the least bit concerned about that though, because we actually look half our age, so chances are we won’t have to deal with that, thank goodness for good genes).

In closing I want to add my words of encouragement as usual, do not be too concerned yet with what is contained in this post, just press on to your goal for now, a wonderful experience awaits you, one with challenges of course like anything else in life, but the joy outweighs the challenges by far and take comfort in the fact that God sends these little ones to us because he knows we can handle taking care of them, believe me, I am taking comfort in that too.

Until next time, keep clinging to hope.

Our son showed up right on time…………..

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior’s hand.”
Psalm 127: 3 & 4

Our son's birthday, June 16, 2007.

Recently, my husband and I were at the park with our son, while my husband was off playing with him, I was talking with a neighbor and upon realizing that our son was having a hard time trying to find someone of his age to play with, I remarked that this is happening because he came too late and that is the reason he is having a hard time fitting in with other kids, as most times he is the youngest child around. My neighbor said, ‘do not say that at all, he came right on time.’

It was only after my neighbor made that comment that it came home to me, what I had really said and I began to feel really guilty and ungrateful. How could I have said that our son came too late, when it was never in my power when he should show up. My husband and I did everything to beat infertility so that he could come, but it was really up to God when he came or if, despite our efforts he should show up at all. It is therefore, in my opinion never late when a child shows up.

My husband and I began trying for a child when I was twenty-six years old and when I realized that infertility would play a part in our efforts, at first I was not at all too bothered because I thought time was on my side. Unfortunately, the years began slipping by and soon I was staring right into the face of thirty-five when it is said that a woman's fertility starts to decline, and panic took over, as I thought forty was not too far off, the deadline which was said at the time to stop trying to conceive . Well I did it before forty thankfully. I conceived our son when I was thirty-seven and he was as healthy as could be.

These days, I think of how late in our lives, our son came and wonder if he had come when we were much younger, (say we were one of those very blessed fertile young couple) and he came the minute we began trying to conceive? Would we have been ready to be the parents we need to be to him. Maybe not and so I think God knew that and that was why he chose to put us in the refinery (allowing us to have to go through infertility, because believe me, it is character building), so that we could come out as fine gold, mature parents, who are far more equipped now than if we were younger and had not have to deal with the challenge of infertility, to take on the challenges of parenthood.

Many of you struggling with infertility at this point do have age on your side but many also are in a race with time, because your age is not co-operating with you. What I want to say to you such is, do not feel frightened, do not be dismayed, God knows what he is doing and he will send those precious little ones your way when he deems you ready for them. Sometimes we think that we are so ready for things but it turns out we are not as ready as we think. I would suggest not watch the age factor too much then, just continue to do all that is in your power to have your family and leave the rest up to God, who has final say in the ultimate.

Take comfort in this therefore, and until next time, keep clinging to hope.