Christian ladies TTC, we can encourage one another.

[cupcakestoy]

Happy Easter ladies! Sorry to see so many struggling. I am struggling too. Getting ready for our 2nd iui this week praying Gods Will includes a blessing of a bfp for us. NY heart had been hurting with recent bfp announcements followed by questions of why not me? I guess I'm bitter over our loss still. I pray to get over these feelings & be able to be happy for others. God is good and pours his blessings on us daily, but I think they get overlooked as we wait for a baby......love to you ladies!!!

 

[No Doubt]

Happy Easter everyone!

I pray that God heals all of our hurt and pain and renews our spirits!

 

[ProfWife]

"Waiting for God" - Week 1 - Day 1

I bought the devotional book Waiting for God to Fill the Cradle a while ago. I went through it early in this journey. I've decided to go through it again and record my thoughts during it.

Week 1 - Day 1 - Focus - God is the giver of life

Today's devotional hinges on the idea that God is the only one who ordains life. Apart from Him, life doesn't and cannot exist. Even Adam acknowledged this with the birth of Cain. In reality, there is nothing we can do. Timing, temping, medications, IUI, IVF...all of it will fail apart from God's blessing and miracle.

A sweet, dear friend of mine revealed she was pregnant to me this weekend. Even though the tears were falling because I wish it was me with good news, I was rejoicing that she will not know the pain of even one month of longing for a child without that being fulfilled. Her plan included an immediate miracle. If/when I get the call from the doctor with good news or see those two precious lines, it will be no less a miracle. It will be entirely God's doing. How does this free me? Can this possibly give me hope?

Of course! One of my major issues is that I feel I've failed my husband every month. I feel like I wasn't worthy enough to be a mother. That those who are blessed with it have found the secret key, action, or prayer that I haven't. That they are somehow more worthy, that they would make better mothers. While I'm sure anyone who is human and has battled this had these thoughts...they are all wrong.

It's not about whether I would be a good mother or whether I'd said enough prayers or the right words. It's about whether or not the timing was right in God's economy and plan for the child to exist. It's about whether the plan for that child to be brought into the world to (hopefully) bring God glory from conception through the rest of his or her life was supposed to start or not.

God says through his word that before any of us ever drew our first breath or had the first cell exist, He knew exactly what would happen for the duration of our days (Psalm 139:16). There are works He prepared in advance for us (Ephesians 2:10). If any of us were to be born at different times or locations, we wouldn't be in a position to touch the specific people in our current world. The same has to be true for any new children born.

So, it would be wrong for me to heap blame on myself or on us as a couple for "failing" to get pregnant. We did what we were supposed to, and we trusted God for the rest. It's just that it wasn't the right time yet. Does it hurt? Of course! I wanted this time to be right. Whenever our plans aren't God's plans, there will be hurt. It's the same hurt that made Hannah cry in the temple for a child or else she felt she'd die. It's a pain that comes from the depth of the soul. But it's a pain that, I have to believe, will be replaced when God's timing leads to joy. This is my night...joy will come in the morning when I see those beautiful lines or get the call from the doctor that we are finally carrying His miracle. May we never forget that it is nothing short of His miracle in His timing.

 

[Kuawen]

Not entirely sure I should post this here...I've been mostly absent from bnb since the last MC. AF arrived yesterday and I was relieved, since O wasn't detected this last cycle. Been going to acupuncture and waiting until our consultation with the RE. I was feeling happy about everything until I caught DH crying at his computer. It turns out he was looking for a Mother's day gift for me. I'd completely forgotten that this AF guarantees that I won't have a rainbow in time for Mother's day. Then DH admitted that he thinks he's going to feel sad even when/if we ever get our good news or hold our baby. That we're both going to just feel too afraid to hope until we're on the other side.

My heart is breaking that he's lost so much hope.

We went to a beautiful church service. Mary Magdalene's experience the morning of the Resurrection was the message. Everyone was given a yellow daffodil to place at the foot of the cross. We got two extra to remember our four angels (three lost together and one loss with my previous husband). I lost control of my emotions twice on the way up to the cross, I couldn't stop crying. I had to keep reminding myself that His sacrifice covers even my children, and that they will return to life though their bodies only consisted of a few cells.

I cannot make myself believe that it was 'not His plan' for them to be conceived. That their brief lives and deaths were because God was correcting a mistake He'd made. God doesn't make mistakes. It makes more sense to me that, if anyone is to blame, then it is the enemy and the fallen world we live in.

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone.

 

[phaedypants]

Thank you for sharing, Kuawen. Reading this after reading the hopeful and encouraging words from ProfWife has me reflecting on these two things: Gods perfect plan, and the burden of sin upon the world. We know that both are effecting our experiences in this life, but who is in control? We know it's God. We know that good triumphs over evil, and sickness of body is for certain a product of sin, so we know that God triumphs over that. But when? Will it be for us? Or is it an age-old controversy and we are bit-players?

Don't ever feel bad about sharing your fears, no matter how they sound. God doesn't want us to say the right things when our hearts are desperate and confused... We need to speak our truth. Obey, and then question. This was great advice from a friend I really admire.

I'm so sorry for the pain you and your husband are going through. I pray that you will find the strength to live out the whole story in faith.

 

[hollydazzles]

Dear sisters, just wanted to share a bit of encouragement. I know we all have struggles in so many areas, but I have been reminded during this resurrection season that God is always in control and He always fulfills His purpose. We can trust Him even in this. Love to you all!

 

[ProfWife]

"Waiting for God" - Week 1 - Day 3
Today's message: God gives children in His time.

Oh how I hate that, but find solace in it at the same time. Yes, that's possible.

This all goes back into the fact that I'm not in control. I've never been in control. I thought I was. I thought if I did everything right, biologically speaking, then pregnancy would be inevitable. After all, isn't that what they taught in middle school health? That it was SO easy to get pregnant.

I did my research. I knew how to track my bbt, my biological markers, use opks...I knew all the terms. Prenatals for months before we started to try for a child. Extra supplements that were supposed to help us. Yet, month after horrible month we've been waiting. I find myself often crying and asking why. That's the answer though - it was never in my control anyway. So, how did I fail? I feel awful, I feel like I'm a failure...but that's just Satan talking.

God's timing is perfect. I have to convince myself of this when I'm hurting and my mind knows what my heart cannot understand. I have to do what I'm supposed to do...we have to do what is necessary (I doubt there are any immaculate conceptions anymore). God has to do the rest of it. That's the long and short of it.

My sweet husband and I frequently talk about whether or not we'll use medical assistance. Even if we decide to do that, it's still going to be the issue with God's timing. When it's His time for us - He will come through. He will remember. He will cause us to become parents. His path - His time. If we use medical assistance - it will fail until it's His time.

His Glory is the only thing that we were put here for. A friend of mine who has been on this journey before and is on it again reminded me of that. Every step of it is about Him, not about me. If he allows us to conceive, it will be to display His power and glory. If His plan is adoption instead, it will be to display His power and glory. There is nothing else.

While I still pray it will be soon...I know I'm dependent on Him. I can't do it. My husband can't do it. It's God. It's only God.

As was said in Job, the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

 

[Godsjewel]

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you...
Psalm 55:22

You’ll never believe the email I’m going to share with you. What would your response be to this woman?

Dear Beth,

I just thought I’d check in with you and let you know how I’ve been doing. I have been in an accident. My friend and I were both injured. I broke my left leg and she broke her right arm, and her left wrist. It was quite upsetting, as you can imagine. Before long, there was a crowd of people standing around staring at us, and soon we could hear the sound of sirens signaling the arrival of the ambulance.

Apparently when an on-looker called for help, they didn’t realize we were both hurt, and only one ambulance came. The paramedics jumped out and began their assessments of us both. Of course, as any good friend would do, I refused treatment. My friend was hurting and I wanted to be sure that she got the help she needed. I was in pain, too, but I didn’t want to take the time or attention of the paramedics when I knew she needed help. It was apparent that her injury was more severe than mine, so I decided that I would tend to my own wounds myself. I figured I could survive with my leg broken easier than she could function with a badly broken arm. I am walking with a limp now, but I’ll survive.

Ridiculous? Of course it is. What would you say to her? Why in this world would someone refuse the help they needed just because their friend was also hurt and possibly had more severe injuries? Why would she ignore her own pain simply because her friend experienced more pain?

Why would you apologize for the frustration of infertility simply due to the fact that someone else has struggled longer? Your friend has not only suffered through infertility but also struggles to survive the loss of her baby. Why should this mean that you ignore the pain of your own infertility? When someone else experiences great pain, it does not diminish your own.

Obviously, this is not a true email. It would be unheard of for someone to refuse help if they were hurt in a car accident. Doesn’t infertility seem to make your life an emotional wreck? Even if infertility is a new battle in your life, it hurts. It’s frustrating. Some women almost feel guilty for feeling upset when they hear the heartbreaking stories of those who have been walking infertility’s road for a long time. I’ve heard so many women say, “I guess I shouldn’t feel this way. It’s only been a few months since I was diagnosed. A woman at work has had four miscarriages. What’s wrong with me? Why am I so self-centered?”

If you are hurt or frustrated over your own infertility, don’t compare yourself with someone who has been in the fight to conceive longer than you, or who has suffered the crushing blow of miscarriage. Don’t be afraid to join support groups or seek godly counsel for this period in your life, even if others involved have “better stories” than you. There is no doubt that others battles are hard. Chances are, even if you have faced infertility for several years, you will find someone who has struggled longer than you or has had more situations to deal with than you have. But your hurt is still real. Your hurt is still important. And if it’s important to you, it’s important to God.

Psalm 55:22 exhorts us to cast our burdens on the Lord, and He will sustain us. It doesn’t say that you need to wait until the load you bear outweighs all the burdens of those around you before you call on the Name of the Lord to help you. It simply invites you to cast your burdens on the Lord and He’ll sustain you. He’ll sustain you through each period. He’ll sustain you through each test. He’ll sustain you. Period.

-Beth Forbus

 

[ByHisGrace08]

Good Morning Ladies,

All I can say is Wow! How can Ladies I have never met from all around the world be facing/talking/praying their way through some of the same things I am! It gives me hope and reassurance God has me in the palm of His hand!

Amanda-I have been dealing with work stress to and it is so hard! The little deli I use to work for is being relentless is trying to hire me back, I keep saying no due to it being a toxic work enviorment. Since I wont go back the boss wont hire anyone else and it is making a heavy and unbearable work load for the other two ladies still employed there. It is so hard to see that as I do love those two ladies very much!

Cupcaketoys-I have been praying for God to have His hand upon you this week during your second IUI, how did it go? I am also struggling with why this person and that person but not me? I am struggling to not let the bitterness take root....may God's grace and love flourish instead!

No Doubt-God is renewing my spirit!!!

Profwife-I am purchasing a copy of this book, Thank you for sharing your struggles with us, it make me feel not so alone!

Kuawen-You have not offended me-you reminded me that God always has a plan and to just cling tighter to Him.

Phaedypants-Yes your friends advice is good!

Holly-Yes God is always in control, and He will fulfill his purpose! He also revealed this to me (again!) during the Easter Season.

Godjewels-Praying for you and your three bundles of joy!! How is the ms....gone I pray!

Thank you Ladies for always sharing, encouraging and sending forth God's Love, this thread has become a source of comfort and joy in my life!

Blessings,

Sarah

 

[cupcakestoy]

Good Morning Ladies,

All I can say is Wow! How can Ladies I have never met from all around the world be facing/talking/praying their way through some of the same things I am! It gives me hope and reassurance God has me in the palm of His hand!

Amanda-I have been dealing with work stress to and it is so hard! The little deli I use to work for is being relentless is trying to hire me back, I keep saying no due to it being a toxic work enviorment. Since I wont go back the boss wont hire anyone else and it is making a heavy and unbearable work load for the other two ladies still employed there. It is so hard to see that as I do love those two ladies very much!

Cupcaketoys-I have been praying for God to have His hand upon you this week during your second IUI, how did it go? I am also struggling with why this person and that person but not me? I am struggling to not let the bitterness take root....may God's grace and love flourish instead!

No Doubt-God is renewing my spirit!!!

Profwife-I am purchasing a copy of this book, Thank you for sharing your struggles with us, it make me feel not so alone!

Kuawen-You have not offended me-you reminded me that God always has a plan and to just cling tighter to Him.

Phaedypants-Yes your friends advice is good!

Holly-Yes God is always in control, and He will fulfill his purpose! He also revealed this to me (again!) during the Easter Season.

Godjewels-Praying for you and your three bundles of joy!! How is the ms....gone I pray!

Thank you Ladies for always sharing, encouraging and sending forth God's Love, this thread has become a source of comfort and joy in my life!

Blessings,

Sarah

Thanks for your prayers! Still waiting for my + Opk here....Will update as soon as I know! lol I seem to give it to God then take it back :/ So far this week has been so busy that He still has it & has blessed me with not having to deal with more issues..... Prayers for you my Sister!

 

[cupcakestoy]

Prayer request ladies! My dh is having elevated BP levels, which are very scary at 35! Praying for God to touch him with healing & to touch us both with our jobs, which have both turned into high stress situations lately. Praying for guidance in possible job changes, as well as strength to make some much needed lifestyle changes! Going to go ahead with this IUI, but not sure about our TTC future just yet :/

 

[Aims13h]

Prayers being said Cupcake!

 

[Godsjewel]

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." (Genesis 9:12-16)

After a storm the other day, I was driving around town when I saw the most beautiful sight. A gorgeous rainbow graced the sky, stretching from one end of the sky to the other. It seemed to reach as far to the left as I could see and as far to the right as my eyes could search. It was beautiful! I stopped my car and just sat there for a few minutes drinking in the colors and reminding myself of the significance of this natural phenomenon and supernatural reminder of the faithfulness of God.

But guess what happened the day after I sat teary-eyed in the Wal-Mart parking lot staring at a rainbow. It stormed again. Lightening ripped across the sky and thunder shook the walls of my home so violently that it felt like they would fall down around me. However, I didn’t panic. I knew I didn’t have to. I know God’s promises remain even when new storms come. I also know that with every new storm, God places a new rainbow in the clouds. A new reminder of His faithfulness to keep His promises.

In Genesis 6-8, we read the true account of Noah and the great flood that most of us have heard in Sunday School since we were knee high to a grasshopper. After Noah and his family lived in a floating zoo for a year and therefore escaped certain death by drowning, God promised Noah that the entire earth would never again be destroyed by a flood. As a reminder of His promise, God set a rainbow in the sky so that every time Noah felt raindrops on his head, there was no need for panic. After every thunderstorm for the rest of his life, all Noah had to do was look up and see the rainbow. It was God’s way of reminding him that He was faithful to keep his promises. Don’t go build another ark. Don’t look for animals to start lining up two by two. The world will never float away again. God keeps His promises. Always has. Always will. As long as rainbows grace the sky, you can rest assured that God is faithful and He will keep His promises.

Your season of infertility may cause you to question God’s faithfulness to you. Your period starts again and a storm of emotion rages, causing you to wonder. You wonder if He really does love you like the Bible says, and doubt thunders through your heart. Has He truly been God Emmanuel--God with you--or has He left you to navigate the confusion of infertility alone? Tears fall like raindrops and soak your pillow at night. You cannot see a rainbow during the storm. Is God faithful now?

The answer, hurting friend, is a resounding YES. There is a reason for the storm and trial you face. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow. Without the storms in your life, you would not be able to fully see the faithfulness of God through trials. When the storm of emotion passes, look outside. The sun will shine again and when it does, you’ll see your rainbow, that magnificent reminder of God’s faithfulness to you. Your rainbow may be unique to you. It may come in a deep, settled peace that wasn’t there before--God’s faithfulness proven to you through the storms. Your rainbow may be a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God that you ever dreamed possible--a treasure worth more than any pot of gold. And who knows? Your rainbow may have curly brown hair and love ballet. God is faithful in all of His promises. He is faithful through infertility. He is faithful through the heartache of loss. He is faithful to never leave you or forsake you. He is faithful in all of His promises. He is faithful.

-Beth Forbus

 

[sportysgirl]

Saying prayers cupcake x

 

[Godsjewel]

Good Morning Ladies,


Godjewels-Praying for you and your three bundles of joy!! How is the ms....gone I pray!

Thank you for your prayers

I have my moments. There are days when I just feel completely exhausted, but no sickness and once in awhile the nausea will hit and make me sick. All in all, I'm super blessed!

Praying all is well with you

 

[Godsjewel]

Prayer request ladies! My dh is having elevated BP levels, which are very scary at 35! Praying for God to touch him with healing & to touch us both with our jobs, which have both turned into high stress situations lately. Praying for guidance in possible job changes, as well as strength to make some much needed lifestyle changes! Going to go ahead with this IUI, but not sure about our TTC future just yet :/

Praying that God will direct your paths in your career and in your TTC. Looking forward to hearing some praise reports soon

 

[Godsjewel]

“Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength;”

Isaiah 40:31

“A straining of the mind in a certain direction with an expectant

attitude…a forward look with assurance.”

…with an expectant attitude…When you have a problem like infertility or grief over the loss of your baby, your mindset can be depressed. Satan can begin to convince you that God has forgotten you and that you will live in heartache for the rest of your life. Your view of your future is dim. That makes the waiting portion of this season very heavy.

Rather than focusing on what God has not placed in your life at this time, decide to look forward to the plan He has lovingly designed for you. Determine in your heart to develop an expectant attitude! God is working through this season in your life! Expect that His plan for you is good! Expect to grow closer to God through this. Even if your heart cannot keep time with an expectant attitude, try to develop one anyway. Eventually your heart will catch up to your head!

Here are a couple of Scriptures to back this up:

Jeremiah 29:11 ‘“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”’

My favorite verse! If the Lord has a plan for you, you can expect that He will bring it to pass!

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Guess what the word “hoped” literally means?!? That’s right! The literal translation for the word “hoped” is “expect”! Faith is the assurance of things we expect!

Are you praying for something? Of course you are! Do you believe God hears you? Do you believe He has a plan for your life? Then expect an answer!

-Beth Forbus

 

[cupcakestoy]

Praise report! Dr. Feels dh high bp may be related to the GI virus he has. Gave him meds for n/v & a steroid shot to settle stomach. Also got a +opk yesterday & we will do our 2nd iui today!!! Please say a little prayer for healing & success for us today!

 

[No Doubt]

Praying for a quick healing for your hubbs and a successful iui for you guys!

 

[xxx_faithful]

Definitely ok to be sad hun. God is a big boy, He can handle your feelings and wants to be there to comfort you. It doesn't mean you're separating yourself from him. It just means you're human.

Your words are like gold to me today... I've been a little quiet.



xxx_faithful