[kbl]

I was just wondering if anyone here actively tries to get pregnant?
I vacillate between obsession and a whatever whenever attitude.
I know it is in God's hands, but I also feel that we have an active part to play (in obedience) besides just random marital relations.
Perhaps you ladies have some insight to help me to have a more balanced outlook.

[Solace]

kbl, on 03 December 2009 - 04:55 PM, said:

I was just wondering if anyone here actively tries to get pregnant?
I vacillate between obsession and a whatever whenever attitude.
I know it is in God's hands, but I also feel that we have an active part to play (in obedience) besides just random marital relations.
Perhaps you ladies have some insight to help me to have a more balanced outlook.

I think we have quite a few ladies here who are very open to life. Scripture says the womb constantly calls for 'more'...but when we trust God knows our future and the plans He has for us, that He alone orders our steps, we can have peace admidst the heartache and disapointment while we wait. {{This is true for me}}. It is a struggle to keep balance, but isn't all of our spiritual a constant struggle to 'hit the mark' and just trust and wait for His will? {{hugs}}

[allison]

With my first son, we did actively TTC. I never charted temps, but I did use the ovulation microscope thing (you swab under your tongue and look at the patterns it forms as it dries), and those ovulation sticks that you urinate one. Only used those a few days one month and got pg! Apparently the microscope was a day off for me. :)

I don't think there is anything wrong with trying. God loves babies and seeking them, to me, is just fine. If it becomes an obsession, or you lose track of the fact that you're not really in control - God is - then I guess that's a sign to step back and refocus. But overall, I see nothing at all wrong with TTC.

That's just me!

[Jewel]

kbl, on 03 December 2009 - 04:55 PM, said:

I was just wondering if anyone here actively tries to get pregnant?
I vacillate between obsession and a whatever whenever attitude.
I know it is in God's hands, but I also feel that we have an active part to play (in obedience) besides just random marital relations.
Perhaps you ladies have some insight to help me to have a more balanced outlook.

I had an early m/c in March of this year and we weren't actively trying. We were so excited to be expecting and then lost that baby. After the m/c I decided to start trying. I began using opk's and could never get an actual positive result. They were very close but not quite pos. I did that for about a month or two and then I decided to buy a clearblue easy fertility monitor and got two days of peak fertility; ovulation and continued to try and never did conceive. After a few months of that I was so frustrated and sad that I decided to just quit and let what happen happen. Let G-d do what he would.. Well, we went on vacation in early August to MN and that's when I got pg. I was relaxed and not worrying. My dh kept telling me that when I let go and gave it to the L-rd He would give me another baby but I am a slow learner and went thru months of heartache doing it my way.

BUT I do not think that trying to conceive is wrong at all. many families that love the L-rd try and do conceive this way. I think we all need to do as the L-rd leads. I knew in my heart G-d was asking me to trust in Him and instead I was trusting in myself. When I finally quit trying and began to trust Him he blessed me with this baby. So my advice is to follow G-d's leading...

[cindahomaker]

The first several years of our marriage I didn't know my body and signs of ovulation very well. I conceived regularly and was content with 'when ever we will be blessed we will be." My first three miscarriages I still pretty much held that attitude.
We have shifted our thoughts a little after this last miscarriage... I really need that assurance that I have been doing everything I can possibly do for my health and see signs of long term rejuvenation before the next conception I know that doesn't mean the Lord won't choose to take my baby early... but I? we are more reluctant to take as much a relaxed approach as we once did.

We haven't been super controlling over when we do and when we don't have full intercourse but we have been more thoughtful and have done some avoidance AND I think we both are excitedly anticipating the next time we conceive. After my health is better improved we will likely try a little harder to conceive meaning no avoidance and making sure we are together a few times when ovulating in hopes to start new life.

[apleasingaroma]

My perspective is......

We are to bear fruit, especially as Christian couples. So like a tree, we need to be healthy plants and be planted in fertile ground. So take care of your body, and be grounded in the Lord.
Always abide in Him, and relax.
Enjoy marital relations for what they are (coming together as one flesh) rather than focusing on what you might get out of it (conception).

I believe that being anxious about when or whether we could or might conceive or why we are not conceiving...., all of that is signs that our eyes are on our own situation rather than keeping our eyes on the Lord. Let us get our minds and hearts stayed on Him.

Respectively, from one whose had my fair share of ocillating between extremes ;)

[kbl]

Thanks Ladies,
I appreciate knowing I am not alone in this journey so thank you for your replies.
I know you are wise mamas that have gone before me, so I am glad for your feedback.

For those of you who don't know, we are facing a pretty difficult situation(difficult to the medical world, anyway). We would certainly be labeled double infertility. I have severe endo and my DH has an immunity issue that kills his sperm due to the reversal of a regretted vasectomy.

I guess I am looking for any encouragement on what I think the Lord is leading us to do, so here is the scoop;
There are cleanses that are a lot of work, but have brought healing of endo and there are cleanses and health building programs that could possibly help DH. (Yeah I finally found someone discussing how to deal with antibodies from a more natural approach.)

I have spent a great deal of time educating myself on these protocols that would be a six month commitment at the least. I have been a natural health educator for quite a long time, being a firm believer that lifestyle, herbs and such is part of the design God had for our care (especially after the fall).
I have been involved in aggressive natural health therapies for everything from diabetes to cancer and have seen many miracles. However, my knowledge and experience in the area of reproduction is limited but growing. Now the idea of being as healthy as we have the ability to be, is good and I believe biblical. I also believe that the Lord works through the things He gives us wisdom about as well as instant miracles. We have asked and believed for healing but that has seemed to not be God's will and way for us. Maybe because I am a health educator God's wants me to learn the natural process for the healing so I can share with those of less faith.

Sorry I am not trying to write a book here, just perhaps trying to take ownership of my thoughts and impressions... forgive me if I am rambling.

Anyway, my husband wants me to do a special cleanse on him this winter (when work stops) for mercury toxicity. He has high levels of mercury in his system from multiple amalgam fillings. We do not have the money to have them replaced at this time, but we know that this is a factor his body is having to deal with. I will spare you the boring technical stuff and just say I used to work for a ND that specialized in mercury toxicity, so I know the problems and options for care. We have both done various cleanses, but nothing to the level of intensity or length as these would be. The weird thing is that we would consider ourselves in perfect health if it were not for these reproductive issues and the effects of mercury.

If we do these cleanses we would be putting TTC on hold as you don't want to conceive while dumping toxins.

So all that to say that I think we should turn our focus to the healing our bodies need and stop thinking about anything "baby" for the next year. I guess that is really where the trust factor comes in for me, because we are not young and don't have a few years to wait this out...unless I am Sarah.

Thanks for your listening ear.

[Sombra]

The woman who encouraged me to keep trying to get our reversal, they too had the imunity issue with killing the sperm. She did however get pregnant - but they did it invitro. They took his sperm, put it in a centrifuge, spun off all the antibodies, then took that sperm and did invitro fertilization and implanted the fertilized eggs. She had a set of twins first time, and a single the second.

May Abba Spin off those antibodies by His Own Hand

[Gentile]

we don't actively try...but we put it in God's hands...so what happens happens. :)

[cindahomaker]

kbl, on 06 December 2009 - 09:07 PM, said:

Thanks Ladies,
I appreciate knowing I am not alone in this journey so thank you for your replies.
I know you are wise mamas that have gone before me, so I am glad for your feedback.

For those of you who don't know, we are facing a pretty difficult situation(difficult to the medical world, anyway). We would certainly be labeled double infertility. I have severe endo and my DH has an immunity issue that kills his sperm due to the reversal of a regretted vasectomy.

I guess I am looking for any encouragement on what I think the Lord is leading us to do, so here is the scoop;
There are cleanses that are a lot of work, but have brought healing of endo and there are cleanses and health building programs that could possibly help DH. (Yeah I finally found someone discussing how to deal with antibodies from a more natural approach.)

I have spent a great deal of time educating myself on these protocols that would be a six month commitment at the least. I have been a natural health educator for quite a long time, being a firm believer that lifestyle, herbs and such is part of the design God had for our care (especially after the fall).
I have been involved in aggressive natural health therapies for everything from diabetes to cancer and have seen many miracles. However, my knowledge and experience in the area of reproduction is limited but growing. Now the idea of being as healthy as we have the ability to be, is good and I believe biblical. I also believe that the Lord works through the things He gives us wisdom about as well as instant miracles. We have asked and believed for healing but that has seemed to not be God's will and way for us. Maybe because I am a health educator God's wants me to learn the natural process for the healing so I can share with those of less faith.

Sorry I am not trying to write a book here, just perhaps trying to take ownership of my thoughts and impressions... forgive me if I am rambling.

Anyway, my husband wants me to do a special cleanse on him this winter (when work stops) for mercury toxicity. He has high levels of mercury in his system from multiple amalgam fillings. We do not have the money to have them replaced at this time, but we know that this is a factor his body is having to deal with. I will spare you the boring technical stuff and just say I used to work for a ND that specialized in mercury toxicity, so I know the problems and options for care. We have both done various cleanses, but nothing to the level of intensity or length as these would be. The weird thing is that we would consider ourselves in perfect health if it were not for these reproductive issues and the effects of mercury.

If we do these cleanses we would be putting TTC on hold as you don't want to conceive while dumping toxins.

So all that to say that I think we should turn our focus to the healing our bodies need and stop thinking about anything "baby" for the next year. I guess that is really where the trust factor comes in for me, because we are not young and don't have a few years to wait this out...unless I am Sarah.

Thanks for your listening ear.

i appreciated what you said... I am of the same thought. Please pray for my husband and I as I pray for you and yours.
We are both doing various detoxing.
Where I am stuck is sometimes we know the 'health' answers for our needs but the Lord doesn't give us the ability to follow through... for instance I was responding wonderfully to a diet/ supplemental program I put myself on but then had to break because we didn't have the financial means to keep it up. Though there has been some loss of progress it is not totally a loss...
and this week I should be able to go back to what was helping.

My husband started a detox on his own and was so grumpy. I tried to not have a negative response to the attitudes but he saw me struggling and now he is stopping ( hopefully just temporarily) I so want to encourage him to keep trying and I can see I need to fortify myself spiritually so I won't take things too personally.

Anyway I am re reading much literature and it keeps flashing before me I know this stuff but to follow through is another story!

[kbl]

cindahomaker, on 08 December 2009 - 08:25 AM, said:

i appreciated what you said... I am of the same thought. Please pray for my husband and I as I pray for you and yours.
We are both doing various detoxing.
Where I am stuck is sometimes we know the 'health' answers for our needs but the Lord doesn't give us the ability to follow through... for instance I was responding wonderfully to a diet/ supplemental program I put myself on but then had to break because we didn't have the financial means to keep it up. Though there has been some loss of progress it is not totally a loss...
and this week I should be able to go back to what was helping.

My husband started a detox on his own and was so grumpy. I tried to not have a negative response to the attitudes but he saw me struggling and now he is stopping ( hopefully just temporarily) I so want to encourage him to keep trying and I can see I need to fortify myself spiritually so I won't take things too personally.

Anyway I am re reading much literature and it keeps flashing before me I know this stuff but to follow through is another story!

I often find that the journey I am going through is not for me alone
I hear you on the knowing versus doing thing. The Lord is helping me with the areas I struggle in though. Perhaps we can forge ahead somewhat together by God's grace.

Detoxing can be very demanding on your body. If your husband is not able to reduce work or what have you for a period of time, than he needs to do a more gentle (slower) cleanse.
That is why we are waiting until my DH has his down time this winter, especially since we are doing a mercury detox. It can make him plumb dingy to detox fast since the mercury has effected his brain. And since he works on people's houses, we can not have that!

I have a testimony on the eating right issue. My DH and I purposed in our hearts that we would not eat anything that would defile (like as Daniel) and that we would eat that which brought strength and vitality. For us, the Lord has opened the way so that we have never retreated from that commitment. And for us, as vegans and very *diet educated, there are many absolutes that we can not just give up for convenience. Our conviction is very strong on that, thanks to the Lord.
So I want to encourage you with this; as we purposed in our hearts, the Lord did show us ways to make it work. I am a bit of a frugal enthusiast, but I was amazed how many other lifestyle things the Lord showed us that greatly reduced our needed income. We actually spend less on food now then before we went vegan and we bought whatever and did not know any better. It really has been a fun journey. Now I have to get the rest of the healthy lifestyle up to par.

Lol, I think I just hijacked my own ttc thread
You could PM me if you want to go through this together.

*Diet Educated= Being aware of the many problems with food ingredients such as pesticides, preservatives, artificial gunk, excitotoxins, low or no nutrition and such.
Basically we eat organic as much as we can, we don't eat processed foods, we eat whole grains and we eat a decent amount of raw produce.

[kbl]

Hello Ladies,
I just wanted to share with you about the peace I now have over this matter.

As I discussed this with my DH, he was all for it, not happy about delaying ttc though (we are so impatient!). But he did ask if we have Biblical precedents for doing a cleanse and especially to boost fertility. We have always accepted that we have Biblical precedents on the use of herbs as they are the herb of the field given in the beginning and the leaves on the tree of life are for the healing of the nations. So from start to finish, we have herbs. As I was pondering these things many passages came to my mind where poultices, hydrotherapy, enemas and such were used. I was content at this point, but the Lord had more for me. And you never know where confirmation will come from.
Yesterday, I was reading an old Organic Gardening magazine and they were talking about mandrakes in this one article. That got my attention because I never searched out why mandrakes were of value to Rachel, but I had wondered. Come to find out they supposedly boost fertility. I was so elated that the Lord showed me that. Not only was Rachel seeking the Lord's Blessing but she was also partaking of the natural means which He had already provided.

So I have the go ahead from DH to get all of the cleanse and health building supplies needed for the programs we are going to do.

Praise Him, Praise Him, Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him Praise Him, ever in joyful song...

[Sombra]

thanks I needed to read that today

[kbl]

Sombra, on 09 December 2009 - 06:41 PM, said:

thanks I needed to read that today

((Sombra))
Indeed our Savior knows what we need and when we need it.
~Blessings