Six Years of Infertility

Having a period each month instead of having to take a pregnancy test was a major source of depression for me for six years. I had a son who passed away at three months old due to sudden infant death syndrome. About six months after his death, my husband and I decided it was time to try to have another child - not to replace the one we lost but to enjoy the unending joys of raising a child.

From the time we decided we were ready for another child, I would faithfully chart my basal body temperature and keep track of my menstrual cycle. Despite following a schedule to increase the chances of conception, each month I was devastated by my menstrual cycle, or period, starting.

After four years of this regime, my husband and I decided that God just wasn't ready for us to have another baby. We decided to forego infertility treatments in favor of simply trusting in God to give us a baby when He was ready for us to have one. I stopped charting and we stopped trying so hard to have another baby. During this time, we made some major life changes. We decided to embrace life as a couple without children. We worked hard at building our careers and saved money. We bought things we wanted. We traveled and just enjoyed our freedom.

Right around the sixth year of being childless, I began to pray again for a child. Little did I know that this prayer would come true shortly. I had just changed jobs when I noticed that I was extremely tired. I attributed this fatigue to switching shifts. I was working third shift at my old job and switched to second shift for the new job for a short period before being placed back on third shift.

My next clue that something was going on was when I began to get nauseous when I smelled certain foods like pancakes. I have never been sensitive to smells. Then came the missed period. I told my husband what was going on and he said I should take a pregnancy test. I was hesitant because I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment. In the end, I took the test because if I was pregnant, I wanted to get all the necessary medical care for my child. The test was positive! I gave birth to a healthy son in 2007. I had another son in 2008 and just gave birth to another son on July 4^th of 2010.

Infertility is a horrible condition to deal with, but by putting my faith in God, I have been blessed beyond belief.