Two Roads Diverged in a Wood

Total honesty here. I'm struggling. This journey we're on is getting a little too routine for me, to the point where it's been a huge struggle for me to think positively or hold onto hope. I know it's not right to think that way, but I can't seem to shake the negative feelings. It feels like what was once a blessing in disguise that taught us so much, humbled us so much, and drew us closer in marriage...is now becoming a stumbling block in my heart.

If you've ever experienced a point in your life where you were waiting for something you desire, then you can probably relate. When you've waited, and waited, and waited, and don't have even a clue as to how much longer you have left to wait, thoughts of hopelessness enter your mind so much more frequently. Satan knows exactly what he's doing, and what to whisper in my ear to get me to lose hope.

You will never get pregnant.
You've always seen a negative result on the pregnancy test, therefore you will always see a negative result. It won't ever change.
You're going to have to rely on science to get pregnant.
This may never end. God doesn't promise to give children to everyone.
You are powerless.
You have endometriosis.
You don't produce enough fertile CM to conceive naturally.
And the darkest one: I'm a terrible wife because I can't even give my husband a child.

My hope in listing these negative, dark thoughts out is to help them lose their power. Bring Satan's lies to light so they can be revealed as false. Re-reading them shows me that they contradict one another. Thankfully, God is not a God of disorder (1 Corinthians 14:33).

As a side note here, Michael has been a wonderful help and comfort to me. I love that he has openly expressed his willingness and desire to be the listening ear when I need it, any time. I love that he prays for us right after I've tearfully let all my feelings out. I am so thankful to have him by my side as my spiritual head, and to not have to go through this alone. I know the truth is that he loves me no matter what, children or no children. But facing the lies and temptation to despair has been more than I can handle as of late. I have been praying for God's strength through His Spirit to take over, but feel like I'm still depleted. I know He is in control and has a perfect plan, but the waiting is getting to be unbearable.

The other hard part for me is that I have felt a division taking place in my heart with regards to my friends. Michael and I have chosen to be as open about our struggle as possible, in the hopes that when our friends find out they are expecting, they might show some courtesy by warning us ahead of time before they announce publicly in front of us. It is also in the hopes that our friends who already have children might use caution around us before complaining about unnecessary things related to being parents.

Many of our friends, as a result of our openness and their hearts of sensitivity, have shown us those courtesies above. For you, we are so thankful.

But there are others who I once felt very close to, and now I struggle with deep-seeded bitterness towards. There are people we once considered close friends who have said absolutely nothing to us since we've announced our struggle. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. And it has not been for a lack of opportunity. To you, I pray that you will learn to be more sensitive to other people's struggles and be less self-involved. I'm being totally honest because...well...it's my blog, and this helps me to process my feelings.

There are others who have at one time expressed their condolences about our struggle (and some who on top of condolences, offered their 'sage wisdom' and lectures on how I should get over it because kids are hard and change your life), and then they publicly announce their pregnancies without so much as an "I'm sorry, I hope that wasn't too hard on you." Again, zilch. To you, I struggle the most with you. I struggle so deeply with bitterness that I scare myself. I don't want to feel this way about you. I want to forgive you, but at this time, I just cannot seem to bring my heart to that place yet. I know I should. I know Ephesians 4:32 says "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Even though you have not asked for my forgiveness, I should grant it to you anyway. I know. But I'm just not there yet. It's easier to rationalize the previous type who has never expressed any condolences at all, because I can hope that they are just oblivious and perhaps too embarrassed to bring it up, or perhaps they think bringing it up will hurt our feelings, but your type...it feels like you're being fake. You offer phony condolences and pity, then turn around and act selfishly, only concerned about yourself. My prayer for you is that you would be made aware of how often you do this. I wonder if I'm the only one who has been affected by this trait of yours. I hope so, because I would not want someone else to feel the hurt that I feel from you. My hope and prayer for myself is that one day, hopefully soon, I will be able to truly forgive you. Sometimes I get really close to forgiving you because doing so honors God, not because you deserve it. But then I get pulled back in to those thoughts of bitterness towards you, making me realize I need to start the process over again. I really hope one day I can be free of the bitterness towards you and truly forgive you.

So the way I've been feeling lately is like I'm standing at a fork in the road, with all my friends lined up just before the fork, and I'm sorting them to the right and to the left: those whom I can trust with my struggling heart, and those I cannot. Those who have stood by us through this difficult time, and those who have not. Those who have been praying for us, and those who have not. Those who have entered a new, even more beautiful space in my heart reserved for friendship that I didn't even know existed, and those who have bruised my heart and taken advantage of it.



This feeling has made me question what kind of friend am I? Are there people in my life that I have ignored during their struggles? Have I been fake about my condolences and then hurt someone without even realizing it? If I have, I'm so, so sorry, and I hope you can forgive me. Know that I'll be a lot more aware of this from now on, and I pray that I can become even more sensitive to others' struggles.

And for those who graciously have been praying for us...please don't stop. I desperately need your prayer to help get me through this. To help bring me to a heart of forgiveness and hopefulness. To not let the lies listed above take root. To not let bitterness take root. I need you, I love you, and I greatly thank you.

Wall of Hope

You know the cliche "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"? Well, I disagree with that...I like to keep my friends closer because as iron sharpens iron, their love and support are a big part of what helps me keep a heart of joy and hope.

Several friends have been so sensitive and considerate of my feelings. Some who have found out that they will be expecting a bundle of joy have taken the time to send me a private message to "warn" me that they will be announcing soon, and that they told me ahead of time in order to spare me of any hurt feelings. I've got to say, when a friend of mine does this, my respect and gratitude for them jumps by a lot. So if you have been one of those who have shown me this type of consideration, I greatly thank you for making this infertility journey easier on me. I thank God for placing you in my life and giving you a selfless heart of love for others. Trust me, I won't ever forget your kindness.

And several other friends have been so supportive of us through prayer, asking us how we're doing or how they can help, and sending me little notes of encouragement. I have received several to date, and I wanted to do more than just file them away after reading them the first time.

So I started a Wall of Hope.

This Wall of Hope started originally from a gift that my friend, Anna, gave to me for throwing a baby shower for her. She was one of those sensitive and awesome friends who knew my pain and struggles, and did everything (and still does everything) she could to make this journey easier on me while she was pregnant. She gave me a wall decor of Matthew 21:22 that says "Pray for anything and if you have faith you will receive it."

So I hung it in the one room where I struggle the most with infertility...my bathroom. Yes, the place where I'm most often reminded about our struggle with infertility. Where I notice the changes in my fertility cycle, and experience the disappointment that parenthood will have to wait at least another month.

The Wall of Hope grew after our church's pastor's wife gave me another wall decor that simply says the word "HOPE". She gave this gift to me just before the first Hope Does Not Disappoint support group meeting kicked off.

So I added it to the Wall of Hope in the bathroom.

Then, as I mentioned previously, I decided I wanted to do more with the sweet and encouraging notes that friends have sent to me, rather than just keep them in a box in a closet.

So they joined the Wall of Hope.



This is one of the ways that God has shown me His love through our trial...He has brought to the surface how many people He has placed in our lives who love us, and have the heart to pray for us to become parents. God has richly blessed us in this way, and we are truly thankful.

The Adventures of Peeing in a Cup

The last time I blogged about this topic, it was in regards to taking a pregnancy test.

I'm...happy?...to say that this time, it is in regards to something else. Gimme a "U"! Gimme a "T"! Gimme a "I"! Put it together, and what do you get? U.T.I.!

Fine print: A U.T.I. may cause a sudden sense of panic when you realize that you've taken three trips to the bathroom in the past hour at work, and that you should probably go ahead and go submit a urine sample in case your nightmare is about to be realized...that you do in fact have a U.T.I. and since the lab closes at 4:30pm, you better leave work early. It may also cause a sense of urgency...not only in the need to urinate, but in your willingness to take any and all medication necessary to stop the BURNING and discomfort. Oh yeah, and a U.T.I. may also cause you to feel like your bladder hates you and has caught on fire, and that the insides of your urethra are lined with gasoline. Warning: Do not mix fire and gasoline.

So at the lab, they give you a cup to submit your urine sample in. They act like it's all discreet, but seriously, I'm pretty sure even a five-year-old is intelligent enough to figure out that a person carrying an empty cup into a bathroom is not trying to get a glass of water.

And they have the little "discreet" secret door in the wall where you leave your fresh sample for some technician to take out from the other side. There is nothing discreet about carrying a cup full of yellow liquid from the bathroom to this secret door.

But my favorite part of this process are the instructions in the bathroom stall:



To sum up the instructions, you must NEVER touch anything that is remotely close to the lid of the specimen container, and you need to have at least three hands to hold everything.

Thankfully, Dr. S. is super awesome, and he called me that same evening and prescribed me some antibiotics which started making me feel better the next morning, so all is well now. :)

A City Set on a Hill Cannot be Hidden

My apologies for having not posted in a while...I have been traveling a lot for work, but thankfully, the Lord continues to inspire me in every situation, even at work, about topics to blog about here.

Earlier this week I attended a conference with several of my co-workers, one of whom is currently expecting her first child. Just before leaving for the conference, I was fearful of getting into the car with her and another female co-worker (we were all three carpooling to the conference) because I was afraid I would be subjected to 3+ hours of nothing but baby-related talk.

To my surprise, this pregnant woman did not mention anything remotely close to her pregnancy, babies, children...nothing. Later that evening she was telling me how she used to be able to travel a lot without it affecting her, but now it's harder "Maybe because I'm married now..." She did NOT say "Because I'm pregnant" or anything close to that.

This really impressed me.

Why?

Because I've noticed a pattern in our culture, specific to females only. Obviously there are a lot of different personalities, backgrounds, strengths/weaknesses because we are all unique, but there is one thing that I've observed about women that can be classified into two groups, and only two groups: Prideful or Humble.

The pattern that I'm speaking of specifically relates, of course, to pregnancy or being a mother of children of any age. I have observed that women fall into one of the two groups above, either they are prideful or humble about how they view their role as a future or current mother.

Really and truly think about this pattern. I have observed that when women get pregnant, it seems like all of a sudden a switch is flipped, and they realize that they get to have 9-month's worth of doting on and full-blown attention from society. They get special parking spaces, strange women approaching them to comment about how great they look or ask them about their plans, the gender, the name, etc. They get to be the center of attention for at least one baby shower thrown for them by friends or family.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with recognizing the beauty and blessing of pregnancy. But where I have a problem, is how that pregnant woman's attitude and heart responds to all of this attention.

Does she remain humble, and just dwell in her gratitude and thankfulness for the blessing she's been given by the Lord? Or does she take this opportunity, where for 9-months she is placed in the spotlight on center stage, to keep the focus on herself?

Does she remain humble by expressing her thankfulness to God for the blessing she's been given, taking the opportunity to share her faith with complete strangers or unbelievers? Or does she post an unnecessary amount of ultrasound pictures, status updates about pregnancy, pictures of her growing belly, or a cartoon "Your Pregnancy, Week by Week" tracker on her blog or Facebook?

What should your heart focus on while the world is focusing on YOU?

Matthew 4:14-15
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house."

It's inevitable -- when you become pregnant, the world will focus a lot of attention on you. I'm not saying this attention is a bad thing. But if you choose to keep that attention mostly focused on yourself, then I believe you are falling into that Prideful group instead of the Humble one.

What message will you choose to send? If you know you have infertile friends, yet you choose to update frequently on Facebook or blogs about your pregnancy, doesn't that send a message to others that you are insensitive and intentionally being a stumbling block to your infertile friends? (Assuming of course that you have not already personally contacted those friends to warn them you will be updating those types of things. I have had two friends message me on Facebook prior to their announcing pregnancy for all of Facebook, warning me that they will be doing so, and to unfriend or hide them so that I won't be hurt. That is true class if you ask me. Their sensitivity frees me up to be joyful for them, without struggling with bitterness towards them.) If you utter several complaints about how sick or tired you feel, doesn't that tell the world all about yourself instead of how faithful God is to give you a child? When you meet a stranger who asks you about your pregnancy, do you only talk about yourself and your plans, or do you bring the focus back to God -- the One who created the very topic of your conversation?

Psalm 127:3-5
3 Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

If you are fortunate enough to receive the blessing of carrying a child, then please realize that you have been given an amazing opportunity from the Lord to share His glory and your testimony at a time when you will most certainly have a listening and watching audience.

I was so very impressed with this co-worker of mine that I flat out told her that I think she is so incredibly sensitive for not flaunting her pregnancy. I shared about how I struggle with infertility and thanked her profusely for making it easier for me to be around her -- so much easier that I joyfully asked her questions about her baby, the gender, the name, etc. because my heart was free of fear and full of joy and happiness for her.

Matthew 23:12
Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

If one day the Lord blesses me with a pregnancy, you will not see me flaunt it, nor will you hear me utter a complaint about it. I do not want to keep the focus on myself because I know for a fact that the pregnancy will not be a result of any effort I made, it will only be because God decided it was the right time to open my womb. I cannot wait for the opportunity to share my faith even more with strangers who approach me. This infertility journey has certainly given me a lot of practice at remaining faithful through difficulties. And since I never plan to use any form of contraceptive ever again, even after having a first child, Lord willing....second pregnancy right away? Bring it on. Ten children in my future? Bring it on. I say this will full confidence because I have complete faith in the Lord to carry me through any situation or struggle we may face. Easy? Certainly not...this is the most difficult struggle I've ever gone through, but I have such a greater testimony to share about the Lord and His Grace and Love because of it.

My Sweet David

Lately I've blogged about how I've been feeling weary of going through infertility. I've felt tired of waiting, frustrated that I don't yet have children, and alone like God is ignoring my prayers. I was definitely at a low point in our journey.

Thankfully, I realized that I've been feeling this way, so I made it a point to pray about it. Even though I was feeling like fears and anxieties were overwhelming me, that all my prayers were falling on deaf ears, I still chose to pray. More specifically, I prayed and asked God to hear my prayers, to not forget me, and to please, please, please (I say a lot of please's in my prayers) reassure me somehow that this is only temporary...that one day, some how, I will hold my children in my arms and begin that next chapter in our lives.

I didn't feel reassurance right away. I didn't feel peace right away. But I continued to stay faithful and pursue fellowship with my God because I know in my heart that I'm most protected and at my best when I seek Him.

A few weeks later, God began to reassure me in little ways.

First, I started to notice a trend in the book of Psalms as I caught up on my Bible-reading plan. Many of the Psalms were written by David, and in case you don't know, David encountered various trials in his life. As a result of those trials, he wrote many psalms of prayer and lamentations about what was going on in his life. Well, the trend I started to notice was how often David said something similar to "Please God, don't turn Your face from me, please hear my prayer!"...but stated in a Psalms-kind-of-way. Seriously, read the first couple verses of Psalms 4, 5, 13, 17, 22, 28, 40, 54, 55, 61, 62, 64, 65, 69, 70, 77, 83, 86, 88, 102, 106, 109, 116, 120, 121, 130, 141, 142, and 143. And that is just a rough/quick list I made - I'm sure I skipped a few that were not at the start of a chapter. This reassured me that I'm not the only one who has felt this way - ignored by God, like my prayers are not being heard or answered. That realization gave me a sense of peace and reminded me of God's truth, that He hears all my prayers and will answer them, just according to His will and timing.

The next time of reassurance came in the form of the name of David. You see, when Michael and I had been dating for only two months, we picked boy and girl baby names that we wanted to use someday. You guessed it, the boy name we picked is David. (The girl name is Katherine, FYI. So be warned, if you know us and have a baby before us, and you choose either of these names...too bad, we're still going to use these names, and you heard it here first that no, we are not stealing the names from you - we've had these names in mind for over seven years now.)

Continuing with my story, at work in my building there are two elevators, and inside each one is an inspection certificate that shows the date of the last inspection and the date of the next inspection, a year later. Back when we first started trying to conceive (December 2010), my office was still on the third floor, so I rode in the elevators more often than I do now, since my office is now on the first floor. So back then, for whatever reason...really, I don't know why...whenever I would get on the elevator, which back then was at least once a day, my eyes would immediately go to the Date of Next Inspection and I would think and wish to myself, sometimes praying and asking God, that I would please be pregnant by the time that next inspection date rolls around. Seeing as how I'm now on my third certificate, this wish has not come true yet. (You may think it's silly, but sometimes women struggling with infertility set these little timelines on themselves. Without meaning to cause ourselves stress or anxiety, it just sort of happens. I try to take the stairs more often to avoid this type of depressing thought.)

But earlier this week, as I got on the elevator to go back downstairs, instead of my eyes immediately falling on the date of next inspection, they fell on something else. Something that has likely been on these inspection certificates for this entire time, and I never noticed until earlier this week. My eyes fell on the name of the person who issued the inspection certificate. You guessed it, his first name is David.

Then yesterday, I emailed a seller about something I might be interested in buying from Craigslist, and he responded by calling me to talk about it. You guessed it, his name was David.

What do I think this means? Well, I choose to see it as my God sending me a sweet message. I see it as God reassuring me that one day, I will have a son, which means that one day, I will get to hold my sweet David in my arms. One day. That day is not yet here, but that's okay. I am happy to wait for my David.

As a result of these little reassurances, I've actually started to pray for my children, wherever they are at this moment. I know their spirits are with God right now, waiting just like I am, until the moment where we finally get to meet one another. My sweet little David and Katherine are waiting for me as much as I am waiting for them.

Psalm 139:13-16
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

Perhaps the reason I have not yet conceived is because my sweet little David or Katherine are meant to impact certain, specific people in this world, and so their conception must wait until the proper time. It's a beautiful thought, isn't it? My heart fills with so much peace and hope when I choose to have this bigger perspective about my future children, or even my future in general.

I'd like to close this post with a link to a fellow-infertile's blog post that talks about this type of thought with respect to waiting. I love the illustration she uses of waiting for the train to pass. Hopefully your heart will be as encouraged as mine was.
http://hannahbunker.com/waiting-for-grace-faith-waiting/

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Normally I only think of this cliche in terms of "short-lived" things -- bugs, flowers, etc. But sometimes the reality of our finiteness hits me in unexpected ways.

Take this beautiful tree, for instance.



This picture was taken in the spring of 2010 just outside my office building. For those that do not already know, Michael and I both work at the same company, same building. So we commute to work together, eat lunch together most days, and occasionally see one another throughout the day. For some couples, that would not be a fun-sounding scenario, but for us, we love it.

So two years later, in the spring of 2012, Michael and I were eating lunch together in his office on the third floor that overlooks this field and tree. We had been getting a lot of wind that day in our area. As we were sitting there watching an episode of some show on Hulu, I happened to look over, out the window, and at this tree -- and I see it falling down completely. Apparently the wind was too much for it, and this beautiful tree was completely uprooted.





This made me think about how this could have been possible for this majestic tree. It was green, so it looked alive. But it appears that its roots were not substantial enough to withstand the wind when it came. See the parallel yet?

What does your root system look like? You can be as "green and alive looking" as you want - all for show - but if you don't have your roots planted in something stronger than yourself, you will one day come tumbling down like this tree when faced with obstacles.

I have certainly noticed this trend in myself. I have found that when I stop turning to God in prayer and spending time with Him by reading His Word, I feel weaker and more vulnerable to the enemy's snares, lies, and life's storms. My struggle with infertility becomes harder and more burdensome when I try to face it on my own.

But when I focus on growing my roots, letting them stretch out as far as possible away from myself, and implant in the heavenly kingdom, I feel God's strength holding me upright, ready to face any challenge that comes my way. I feel a renewed sense of peace and hope that one day I will be holding my children, looking back on this chapter of my life with a sense of gratitude and accomplishment.

Isaiah 40:31
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Don't Ignore Us

This week, April 22nd-29th is National Infertility Awareness Week. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected sex, or the inability to carry a child to full-term.

Infertility affects 1 in 8 couples. So whether you are struggling with infertility, or just know someone who is, I challenge you to spread the word about this suffering that is often kept too silent.

My goal for this week is to educate those around me who do not know much about infertility, so that they can be better informed and hopefully more sensitive and empathetic to people they may know who are impacted by infertility.

I have previously written a blog post specifically about sensitivity, but yesterday was the Family Planning Panel in our Sunday School class and it was so refreshing to hear from another couple who struggled with infertility for 4 years, and thankfully now have two children. Her wisdom and tips for friends of infertile couples have inspired me to re-summarize some thoughts here too.

Emotional Struggles of Infertile Couples
In this section I want to shed some light on how couples who struggle with infertility may find themselves feeling or struggling - take this moment to put yourself in their shoes. The following list is comprised of emotions that infertile couples struggle with quite often, even though deep down we know we should have a joyful and hopeful heart. The enemy loves to use the following emotions to lead us into the pit of despair.

• Forgotten - It's easy to feel forgotten and ignored. When you first learn about a couple who's struggling, you're likely to reach out to comfort them often at the beginning, but over time, as months and months pass, their struggle may slowly move to the back of your mind. Infertile couples may start to perceive that people ask them less often how they're doing or how they can be prayed for. How You Can Help: I encourage you to continue telling your infertile friend that you love them, care for them, and are praying for them. Remember that for infertile couples, this is something we struggle with monthly, weekly, daily, hourly.
• Inadequate - Because our bodies are not producing what everyone else's are so easily able to (it's not true, but appears that way), infertile couples can struggle with feelings of inadequacy. Shame and guilt also play a role here too - as if we had made better choices, or done certain things, perhaps we wouldn't be in our infertile situation. How You Can Help: Encourage your infertile friend that he/she is NOT inadequate. That their infertility is NOT a result of past sin or a failure on their part - remind him/her that this is out of their control entirely, therefore the "blame" for infertility is certainly not their own.
• Sadness/Depression -This may apply more so to the wife of an infertile couple, but each month the woman rides a roller coaster of emotion: begins with hope in the "fresh start" of her cycle, hoping and praying that intercourse is timed successfully (or procedure is successful) around ovulation, then waiting and hoping during the "two week wait" (but trying not to get your hopes too high or read too much into possible early pregnancy symptoms), and then when her period starts, it's a very sad time of mourning and crying because it's a big, red slap in the face that you are in fact not pregnant this month either. This cycle repeats this way month after month, year after year. How You Can Help: Ask your infertile girl-friend where she is in her cycle (so you know what stage of the roller coaster she's on), and encourage her to keep her chin up no matter what. Remind her that she won't be struggling with this forever. And tell her you're praying for her (and actually pray for her!) If she's really struggling with the onset of her period, take her out for a drink or some ice cream to help cheer her up. The best thing you can do is just be there for her and encourage her.
• Bitter-Sweet - When friends of the infertile couple become pregnant or have children, it's a very bitter-sweet emotion for the infertile couple. On the one hand, we are SO happy for the friend because we truly recognize and appreciate the blessing that children are. But on the other hand, we feel sad that it's not our time yet to experience pregnancy and children. Others being pregnant or having children also reminds us that we do not have that blessing yet. It can very painful as we deal with those conflicting emotions. How You Can Help: Use discretion when talking about your pregnancy or children. See my tips below in the section "When Announcing Your Pregnancy to an Infertile Couple".
• Impatience - Who likes waiting for long periods of time for something they desperately want? Not me! And certainly not other infertile couples. Although on some level we are glad that we can still go on spontaneous dates, we also really, really, really want children. Like, yesterday! With infertility there is SO MUCH WAITING! You not only wait month-to-month as each cycle proves unsuccessful in conceiving a child, but you also wait within the month's cycle for certain milestones to occur (ovulation, two week wait) - the end result is you feel almost as if each day drags slowly by. How You Can Help: Pray for your infertile friends to have more patience, and encourage them with Scripture and other words of wisdom that the waiting will not last forever and challenge them to use this time of waiting for God's glory and good, to not let this time go to waste. Do NOT say things like "Well, at least you can get a full night's sleep, have a quiet house and time to yourselves."
• Worries/Doubts/Fears - This is the biggest struggle for me personally, which the enemy frequently and most often uses to get me to lose hope. It's so easy for me to dwell on a worrisome or fearful thought. It can be as tiny as "Am I drinking enough water everyday...maybe if I drink even more water, that will help me get pregnant." So many different thoughts can trigger these emotions. The tiniest thing can trigger a mountain of emotion. And with a person averaging about 3,000 thoughts per day, it's no wonder why this is my biggest struggle! When I start to dwell on a thought like this, it can be really hard to snap myself out of it even after praying and reading the Word. The same thought can be recurring too. How You Can Help: Speak truth to your infertile friends when they express their worries/fears/doubts. If they say something like "What if I have some terrible disease that I haven't been tested for yet, and I'm sitting here trying to get pregnant and have no idea that this disease is making it difficult to, and I could be getting treatment if I only knew about it..." Speak truth that God is bigger and greater than anything and everything. If the friend is truly worried about it, you can encourage them to see a specialist, but always remind them that God is ultimately in control and that God makes the impossible possible, as He has shown us in His Word time and time again. Also pray for your infertile friends to have strength to overcome those fears and doubts and surrender them to God.
• Anger/Frustration - Infertile couples often struggle with anger and frustration. Sometimes these emotions are directed inwardly at themselves because they're just plain angry that they're stuck in the infertility situation that they're in and want answers. Now! But anger and frustration can also be directed at others who either knowingly or unknowingly say/do something to offend them. How You Can Help: Encourage them that it's okay to be angry. But don't let that anger become a stumbling block in their walk with the Lord. Remind them that the Lord is not ignoring their prayers, and to not give up. And remind them that when offended by other people, it's a wonderful opportunity to express grace and forgiveness even when an apology is not given. Also refer to the section below called "Do's and Don'ts of Comfort- and Advice-Giving" to hopefully avoid being the target of offense.

Do's and Don'ts of Comfort- and Advice-Giving

• DO tell your infertile friend you're praying for them
• DO pray for your infertile friend (it's easy to say you'll be praying, but don't just speak empty words - actually follow through!)
• DO encourage your friend through Scripture and wisdom
• DON'T tell your friend that it's all in their head, they need to relax, or to stop thinking about it
• DON'T tell the infertile couple that they should adopt or ask if they have considered adopting. Though adoption can be a beautiful journey on its own, it is NOT the same as having biological children.
• DO ask the infertile couple how they're doing and how you can help (if at all)
• DON'T ask the couple "Are you sure you really want kids?"
• DON'T say careless things like "We'll enjoy marriage for 2 years and then we'll have 3 kids" or even just "When we have kids...." - Hopefully you won't learn the hard way, but there are no certainties, and with God, sometimes your plans mean squat.
• DO empathize with the infertile couple - tell them "I'm so sorry you're going through this, that must be so incredibly hard."
• DON'T pretend to empathize by saying something like "Oh my goodness, I totally understand how you feel...it took me three whole months to get pregnant with my second child."
• DO hug your infertile friend
• DO reassure and complement your infertile friend
• DON'T "show off" your pregnancy or baby to your infertile friend (either in person or social media - consider how often you draw attention to yourself)
• DON'T complain about your pregnancy or new-found parenthood
• DON'T be offended if your infertile friend avoids going to your baby shower or meeting your baby

When Announcing Your Pregnancy to an Infertile Couple

• Tell your infertile friends in private so that they can process the news in a private setting. The BEST way to tell your infertile friends you're expecting is via email/letter because when the friend receives your joyous news, he/she can process it on their own in the moment. The next best method would be via telephone. Your LAST RESORT should be telling them in person in private. And you should NEVER tell them in person, in a public setting.
• If you plan to announce your pregnancy in a group/social setting (Sunday School, work, Facebook, Bible Study, even an email announcement sent to a group of people), you should always strive to tell the infertile friends privately beforehand via the method above. That doesn't mean you have to tell them before your family, but you should strive to avoid the "surprise" announcements in social settings by telling the infertile friends before you announce publicly in their presence or where they may quickly hear the news.
• Never avoid telling the infertile friend you're pregnant, thinking you're hiding something or sparing the pain from them (after all, seeing you with a huge belly kind of gives it away). The chances are great that they will find out through mutual friends, and it would be way more hurtful if you left them out of the loop entirely instead of being sensitive, direct, and upfront in considering their feelings.
• Try to avoid complaining about your pregnancy (or newborns/children) around your infertile friends. Here's a relevant example: Let's say you love chocolate. Really love it. But suddenly you found out that you are deathly allergic to chocolate. It would be really rude and inconsiderate of me to stand in front of you and talk and talk about the chocolate brownie I'm holding, and how good it tastes, and how gooey and warm and delicious it is. And it would be even more rude and thoughtless of me to hold said chocolate fudge brownie and complain about how it's not the right kind of chocolate, it's too warm or gooey, not enough sugar, makes me feel sick, etc.  Apply that same analogy to your pregnancy. Most infertiles, me included, would gladly throw up every day if it meant that we were carrying a child. So be careful that you do not come across as ungrateful or obnoxiously "showy". In fact, as tough as it may be, it may be most considerate for you to behave in such as way as if you were not pregnant around your infertile friends. If she wants to know how you're feeling, how your pants fit, if you've felt the baby move, know the gender, have an ultrasound picture etc. - she'll ask you. There's no need to throw any of those comments/pictures in her face.
• Ask the infertile friend privately if they even want to receive a baby shower invitation. Each couple may feel differently. For us, I like to receive the invitation, but I'm most likely going to decline and just give you a gift in private some other time. Don't be offended if your infertile friend chooses not to come. It's not that she doesn't love you or isn't happy for you, but it's because baby showers are just too painful because the focus is 100% baby. It can feel very suffocating for infertile couples.

Remember my challenge for you this week to help spread the word about Infertility Awareness. Teach others around you about this painful struggle!