Praying for a Little One--for Loren

Please join me in prayer for Loren this month (Jan-Feb) and let her know if you prayed for her in the comments section. I know she will be encouraged by your prayers, and I know all of you will be blessed by her story

Loren met her hubby in 2002, and they became best friends almost immediately. By 2003, they were madly in love and didn't look back. Unlike many couples, Loren and her husband didn't wait to try to conceive and never prevented pregnancy. It was after a year of trying that Loren found herself at a gyn clinic looking for answers. Loren was diagnosed with anovulation, and clomid was recommended for treatment. Those of you who have taken clomid know how hard even just one cycle can be on your emotions...Loren and her husband attempted six. The stress of treatments proved to be too much, and they stopped treatments in September 2008.

Since stopping treatments, Loren and her husband have been able to relax more and are waiting patiently for God to lead them towards the next step. But of course even without the stress of infertility treatments, infertility still takes a toll. Here are Loren's thoughts on the hardest part of dealing with infertility for her:

"The emotions. Infertility has more ups and downs and all arounds, than anything I have ever experienced. I think the worst part is the feeling of being alone. Although I know my husband wants a child, I do not feel like he has the physical desire that women naturally have. I see and read about so many women who struggle with Infertility yet still I feel so alone. Every woman's story is different. Some days are harder than others. One of the most bitter moments for me was when I went through my blog roll of Infertility Blogs, and ALL of them had turned into pregnancy or parenting blogs. Out of the original blogs that I read, not a single one of them was still infertile. Except me. It gives me a sense of being left out or left behind. I want so much to be on the other side of infertility, but time seems to only take that dream further away from me. I remember being that "girl" on the message boards and blogs that had been trying to conceive for 13 months, or 15 months... never ever ever in my wildest dreams did I think I would be "this girl" the girl that has been trying even longer than most, the girl that has been trying for 42 months!!!! 42 months, 2 weeks, and 4 days to be exact! but I am that girl. Like it or not. So i'm trying daily to accept that and put my faith in the Lord, that I will one day be the girl that has all her dreams come true. The girl that becomes the Mom!"

Loren's Prayer Requests:
For God to continue to strengthen her marriage and allow Loren and her husband to communicate their feelings with one another.
For strength to keep faith, and for God to lead Loren to make the right decisions for her future.
Pray for healing.
For courage to not break down during her weak moments.
Most of all Loren thanks God for all of the blessings that she has, and she prays that she never loses sight of what is important in her life.

Here is a picture of Loren snuggling with her precious nephew.  Can't you tell she is just the sweetest southern girl?  Praying for you Loren--keep us updated!!

Help a Reader Out and a new blog direction!

Hey Girls! I know a lot of you are still keeping up with me through forthislittleoneweprayed, but I wanted to update over here and explain a slightly new direction for this blog. The purpose of me starting a new parenting after IF blog was so that I could keep prayingforalittleone as an infertility blog, but I feel like I failed myself and my sweet readers these last five months. I've been praying and thinking about what I should do with this space, and I feel that God is leading me into turning this blog into more of a ministry than just me getting on my soapbox (but I'm sure that will still happen from time to time). Since having Henry, I've felt called to pray for those still waiting more than I ever have previously. Just looking down at him and seeing what a miracle he is has made me even more sensitive to those around me who are still waiting. Starting this month, I will be asking all of you to join with me in prayer for one woman in particular each month. This month God has put a very special woman on my heart to share with us, and I believe we will all be blessed by hearing her story and praying for her. Post coming soon...

Also, I've recently received a lot of questions from readers, but a lot of you do not have infertility blogs (I don't want to comment back on a personal blog for your privacy) so I wanted to start answering questions on this blog. First a disclaimer....I'm NOT a medical professional, and any answers to questions would be only for support and ideas NOT medical advice. If you have a question about my journey or pretty much anything about infertility email me at prayingforalittleone@gmail.com or leave a comment on any post. One of the blogs I frequently read has started a Help a Reader Out post, and I think this is a great idea to help a reader get more feedback from all of you instead of just me (because again I'm NOT an expert!). Our first Help a Reader Out is from a new reader Megan:

"Hi Courtney - Im the "anonymous" commenter from your other blog. I left a comment on your letter to the "purple shirt girl". I have been seriously loving this blog. I started from the beginning and read all of your posts. Your story is truly a testament to the "awesomeness" of the Lord. Thank you so much for sharing.

I have a question... open to anyone who may read this.

My husband and I have been trying the "natural" way for 2 years. I HATE taking medicine, so I have just been praying each month. I have used the OPK but with no luck - obviously. So... I started reading a book called the Infertilty Cure by Randine Lewis. That got me going to an accupuncturist and on herbs. I have been doing that for a short while. I love it. It is all about treating the cause, not the symptoms. However, I have an appointment with a fertility doctor in Feb. (on my birthday, actually...fun way to spend my 27th birthday, right). After reading this, it sounds like I need to do research before I even get to the appointment. Are there certian things that I need to ask him, or look for. I feel overwhelmed!!!!!!

Much Love to you all,
Megan

Megan, thank you so much for reading and commenting. I can't believe you read my entire blog that had to take some time! First of all, I have the book "Infertility Cure," and I think it is a GREAT book for an eastern approach to infertility. They are learning more and more about how accupuncture and herbs can help infertility so I'm glad you are doing your research and are being proactive. I'm also happy to see that you made an appointment with a fertility doctor. From your comment, it seems that you and your husband haven't had an infertility workup yet and a doctor specializing in infertility is a good place to get that completed. First, my advice on the doctor would be to make sure he is a board certified Reproductive Endocrinologist. You can see all of the doctors in your area by clicking here. I would also check the cdc website to look at the clinic's success rates in your area. 2007 is the most recent data available, but I would think 2008 should be coming out soon. Even if you aren't going to attempt IVF, it is a good way to find the best clinic and doctor in your area. A good RE will look for a cause to your infertility before starting a treatment plan. This will include bloodwork (to see if you are ovulating and to check for other problems like thyroid etc), ultrasound, a HSG to see if your tubes are clear, and a semen analysis. The first appointment will probably just be a discussion of the possible treatment options out there and info on all of the testing. Believe me, I understand not liking medicine. I hesitate before I even take a tylenol! But sometimes with a disease/condition like infertility, you need medicine (God can of course decide to heal you without medicine, but He does work through medicine too--this is another post for another day). However, I do like the idea of combining the good of both eastern and western medicine for treatment. I know you feel overwhelmed, but it won't be long, and you will be an expert on infertility and your body! Don't stress about having all of the answers right now. Just make sure you have a good doctor that you can trust and take it day by day in prayer. Keep us updated on what you find out at your appointments!

Okay readers....now it is your turn! Help Megan out--what advice do you have for her as she goes to her first infertility consult appointment?