Category: infertility cures

overcoming infertility

Rosie’s Story of Overcoming Infertility

Overcoming infertility can feel like an impossibility. But it’s not. Even though it is very discouraging and difficult to get through, it is possible to overcome it. Hearing the stories of others who have done just that can spur us on to persevere to victory.

I met Rosie through the A Seed of Hope Fertility Support Group that I started on Facebook. Her season of infertility was very similar to that of so many women today. I’m thrilled that Rosie shares her story as an overcomer of infertility… as an encouragement to YOU. Remember that nothing, not even infertility, is too hard for God (Genesis 18:14)!


Our journey started off like most married couples. My husband and I got married in 2012 and right away we talked about having a family. Soon after, we realized that God had other plans. We spent many nights praying and thanking Jesus (in advance) for our little miracle.

Our months were filled with tears, disappointment, depression and going to counseling.

Infertility had become very draining on our marriage. I quickly realized that we needed help. In the midst of it all, we seemed to always keep God first. It wasn’t easy. For 3.5 years we struggled to conceive. We began to go through infertility treatments.

Infertility Treatments

Our journey became very much a financial strain on our marriage. I went through three surgeries and 4 failed IUI’s. While walking this journey, I grew very weak and distant from so many. I continued to just seek God’s face and thank him for our miracle.

After our last failed IUI, we prayed about In Vitro Fertilization (“IVF”).  We were told by our specialist that IVF was our only option and learned it was going to cost us over $12,000.00. We didn’t have this kind of money. For several months, we began to seek God and pray about it.  We felt moved by God to proceed. We began to raise money in May of 2015 — started a GoFundMe account and hosted a golf outing. By August of 2015, we had raised $9,000 with God’s help (we knew this was God). We never thought it would be possible! But, GOD MADE A WAY!!! By October of 2015, we began our IVF treatments.

Overcoming Infertility!

In November of 2015, we learned that we were pregnant, not with one, but two babies!! Wow, what a blessing it’s been from God! Our little twin boys are now a few months old. We are so excited about our little miracles and feel so blessed to be where we are!!

To those still struggling, please don’t lose hope. God will make a way!!! Everything is in his timing. Just when you think that there is no way, He will make a way!!

-Rosie Marlatt


Request to join A Seed of Hope Facebook group so that you are encouraged through connecting with other like-minded women!

victory over infertility

3 Reasons to Believe You Will Get Pregnant

Has it been difficult to believe you will get pregnant because you’ve been trying for a while and nothing has happened?

It’s so easy to believe all the negative reports about infertility. We humans are trained through our normal, everyday situations to focus on and remember the negative circumstances of life. But what if there were powerful reasons to believe something radically different from the medical reports and the advice/counsel you get from friends and family? Would you believe?

Believe What God Said

Here are three reasons to believe that you’ll get pregnant and that you are already blessed and empowered to overcome infertility:

  1. God said none should be barren/infertile, not male or female [Deuteronomy 7:14].
  2. God said ALL things are possible with Him [Luke 1:37] and impossible without Him[John 15:5].
  3. God said He is always with you and His Spirit bears witness to the Truth (what God has said) because His Word is truth[ 1 John 5:6; John 17:17].

We’re told in 1 Kings 8:56 that “not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises He gave.” God is truly a promise keeper. Believe what He has said.

Questions

It’s time to be honest with yourself:

Do you believe that God loves you the same way He loves Jesus (John 17:23b)?

  • Yes or No

Are you making requests based on His promises and then expecting Him to do what He promised (1 John 5:14-15)?

  • Yes or No

Are you speaking His Word out loud because He said that it is medicine to your body (Proverbs 4:20-22)?

  • Yes or No

Will you continue to praise Him in advance of seeing your desire come to fruition, trusting that His answer is always YES to anything He has promised (1 Corinthians 1:20)?

  • Yes or No

I hope you answered YES to each of these questions. If not, it’s okay. That just means you’ve got some spiritual homework to do! 🙂

Take time to read all the Scriptures included in this post. Read them out loud to yourself more than once. Read them repeatedly and frequently over the next few days so that they begin to resonate within you. Look for other scriptures that speak specifically to your situation.

Then ask God to show you how to trust Him more. He’ll be sure to say YES.

To help you get started, download my special report, 12 Affirmations of Faith for Fertility. It’s available to you when you request to join our private Facebook group, A Seed of Hope.  It’s a support group of like-minded women, looking to walk this season of infertility with a perspective of faith and hope. I’d love to see you there!

 

 

overcoming infertility

Overcoming Infertility: A Real-Life Story (Part 1)

Overcoming infertility…sometimes it seems impossible. But, with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). I’m a living witness that it is possible and I know others who have done so. Some of the ladies in my Facebook Group requested that I share more stories of women who have overcome infertility.

I’m T-H-R-I-L-L-E-D to share Amanda’s story.

Amanda and I met when she attended my very first iHope Fertility Retreat in May 2014. She flew to Phoenix and participated whole-heartedly the entire weekend. She and I have kept in touch since then and I am honored that she keeps me posted on the development and growth of her family. Amanda has given me permission to share the details of her season of infertility and how she experienced breakthrough despite multiple miscarriages. I know her story will bless you!


Overcoming Infertility: Amanda’s Story

My name is Amanda Roberts.  I’m 35 years old and I have battled the lie of infertility. Many of you have been blessed by Evangeline stepping out in her calling to walk with women who are in this battle for creation.  I am one of them.  Two years ago I was crawling out of a very dark place. Finding the words that the Lord lead her to write, and later meeting her in person, was life changing.  She has asked me to write a “short” recap of my story in hopes of encouraging you where you are at now.  I love words and I verbally process everything, so this will likely not be short, but I pray that it is encouraging.

So, I guess I’ll start with sharing where I believe this story really began.  I gave my life to Christ in February 2004.  There was a lot that happened really quickly after that, including moving away from the only home I had known in Minnesota and settling in Washington State.  By the time I had married my husband Chris in February 2009, I thought the Lord had cleaned my closets bare of all of my old “stuff”, but like for many, marriage uprooted a lot of fear I thought I had overcome.  The way it took ground the strongest was being terrified to be a mother.  Filled with self-hatred, I was confident “I’d screw them up” and I spoke this over myself quite regularly.  My husband on the other hand, had a way with children I had never seen before.  He was truly born to be a father.  Like Jesus does though, He pursued me, encouraged me and softened my heart to my true heart’s desire, which was undeniably a desire to be a mom.

Trying to Start a Family

Chris and I truly started trying for a baby in April of 2011.  Month after month I had the evidence of our failed attempts.  My family doctor recommended we see a fertility specialist if we were not pregnant after 1 year, but almost like clockwork in April of 2012 I tested positive.  We were so excited.  I almost instantly headed to my first consignment show, bought a changing table, a bottle warmer, books and clothes.  We sent cute notices to the grandparents out-of-state and announced it to our friends. 

A week later (5 ½ weeks in) I found black blood in my underwear and soon after had a negative pregnancy test at the doctor’s office.  They called it a “spontaneous abortion”.  The next month, I started having similar symptoms and went in.  The blood work confirmed a pregnancy, but this time the levels started dropping before I had a missed period.  We prayed about going through with infertility testing and it wasn’t until after I met Evangeline that I remembered what the Lord said….”all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial.”  I wanted answers so bad though, that I disregarded what God was hinting at and dived in head first. 

Overcoming Infertility Didn’t Seem Possible

We had the full workup and long story short, we were told I had more bad eggs than good eggs.  We spent the next 9 months doing everything the doctor recommended, including agreeing with the “diagnosis”.  That is the one thing about worldly knowledge–it can distract you from what God said. The blood work confirmed a problem, but NOTHING is above the Word of God.  Of course, you have to choose to agree with Him. When you are handed knowledge that contradicts His truth, it’s easy to get sucked in to speaking what feels tangible.  It was easier to take pills, give myself shots and tell people I had “bad eggs” when they asked me why we hadn’t had kids yet. 

We’re pretty sure we miscarried again in October, but only based on similar symptoms as before.  My body didn’t respond to the drugs the way they were supposed to except for making me “crazy” and when I didn’t ovulate at all with our second IUI treatment, I came off the drugs and found my mind clear again.  That was enough for us to decide to put treatments on the top shelf.

A Clearer Mind

I wish I could say that with a clearer mind, God’s truth overpowered the lies of the enemy, but unfortunately I continued to accept the “bad egg diagnosis” as truth and speak it regularly.  As Mother’s Day usually is for those battling infertility, 2013 wasn’t any different, until the test taken later in the day came back positive.  I was pregnant without help. The blood work at the infertility clinic proved it and I thought my dry season was finally over. 

As the weeks progressed, my blood work was climbing too slowly.  They suspected a tubal pregnancy until there was a sack spotted on the ultrasound.  That was all it was to become though and eventually I allowed my body to abort what I believe was my 4th child.  It took 2 months from the time I tested positive until my body finally let it go, so it was very much like a roller coaster of emotions and repeated submission.  We both leaned hard on God during that time.  I read a book on the God of Job, which opened my eyes to a new perspective and though we both fell into a hole for several months after that miscarriage, God was faithful to bring us back to solid ground.

We eventually decided to try again and got pregnant in September.  I had real pregnancy symptoms, my blood levels were climbing and we were sent home to wait for the 8 week ultrasound.  At 6 weeks the symptoms stopped, but we held on to hope.  We cried out to God, we believed and had faith, while my body was screaming “IT’S OVER”.  At 8 weeks there was more than a sack, but no heartbeat and at 9 weeks it was the same. 

Identifying with Infertility

Overcoming infertility began to appear impossible. We both entered into a dark place after that.  My body aborted as it should and I lost my way.  I honestly can’t remember much except I cried a lot.  I had lighter days followed by pure depression.  I stopped going to church, I pulled away from friends and I lost hope.  My only real attachment to God was through music. Songs like “I’m Worn” and “Hope Is What We Crave” kept me holding on to the possibility that God was still there and hadn’t forsaken me.  By the beginning of 2014, I knew Jesus was the answer, but I had no idea how he was going to fix what now felt like an identity.  Infertility was what I had become. 

A few months later, I was shown a verse, Exodus 23:25-26:

You shall serve [only] the Lord your God, and He shall bless your bread and water. I will also remove sickness from among you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

At this point I didn’t “get it”, but it made me want to know more about what God had to say on infertility.  With a prompting to google search it, I found Evangeline’s book “A Seed of Hope – God’s Promises of Fertility”.  God started talking and/or I started listening.  He talked to me through the pages of this book. He also spoke to me through an encounter during a baby dedication (which I had been avoiding quite faithfully for over 2 years), through friends, and through His Word.

[Read the rest of Amanda’s story here next week. Don’t miss it! Get it delivered to your inbox by providing your email address at the top right of this site.]

Infertility battle -STAND

The Infertility Battle – You are NOT Condemned to Lose

The infertility battle is not one that you are condemned to lose. Even though month after month the challenge at hand may feel like you’ll never see the end of it, when you look at what God has said about it, you’ll see that things are not as He would have them to be.

How can you win the infertility battle when it feels like it will never end?

Here are some tips to put you on the path to experience victory:

  1. Discover, remember, and speak God’s promises of fertility (Joshua 1:8).
  2. God’s Word says that nothing is too hard for Him so infertility is not too hard for Him (Genesis 18:14).
  3. Worship the Lord, keeping your mind focused on Jesus’ love so that you can enjoy His soothing peace (Isaiah 26:3).
  4. Believe God. God does not lie, His promises are true. Not one word of God’s promises will ever fail you (1 Kings 8:56).
  5. Persevere; use the Word like Jesus did (Matthew 4:4).
  6. Choose to use your words to speak Life to your life. Speak (out loud) God’s Word to your circumstances (Proverbs 18:21).
  7. Anchor your hope in the truth of God’s Word. He has a plan for you and it is all good (Jeremiah 29:11)!
  8. Resist the devil’s attempt to make you doubt God’s integrity (James 4:7).
  9. Speak to the mountain and tell it to move out of your life (Mark 11:23).
  10. Allow God’s Word to be THE source of life in everything you do. His words are health to all your flesh (Proverbs 4:20-22).

Surrender your fertility to God.

I recently heard Minister Erica Moore teach about how Hannah, an infertile woman in Bible, gave her child to God even before she got pregnant (1 Samuel 1). Her surrender of what she deeply desired was an act of trust in God. Hannah did not allow that desire to become an idol; it would not be something that displaced God from first place in her mind and heart. She chose focus on God more than she focused on having a baby. This act of surrender was an act of generosity as well as an act of worship.

“I give you my fertility as a gift of generosity.” ~ Erica Moore, as she prayed to have a child in 2014

Erica prayed that prayer because she desired to have another child. Circumstances didn’t appear that it would likely happen. However, months later, Erica was pregnant! She has since given birth to a beautiful baby girl.

Victory was found in the surrendering!


Reign in Life

You’ve been graced to reign in life (Romans 5:17). You can face this infertility battle with confidence, knowing that God is there with you. You are NOT condemned to lose. Stand your ground speaking and believing His Word, knowing that He’s fighting your battle so that you can be victorious.

When you get in synch with God’s Word, you experience a higher frequency and higher level of victory!

For more about how to have a victorious mindset and experience victory in all areas of life, get my book, Live to Win.

 

5 Bible Verses Every Infertile Woman Needs To Know

Infertile woman addresses the spiritual aspect of infertility
Photo courtesy of Microsoft Images

Shouldn’t every infertile woman address the spiritual aspect of infertility?

If you are struggling with infertility, you know what a hopeless situation it can become, if  you let it. When I dealt with it, I found the best source of hope was the Bible. It contains numerous scriptures that pertain directly to infertility. It also gives many accounts of women who were once barren/infertile/childless but became a mother, all because they trusted God to be true to His Word.

I’ve said it before, Infertility Sucks! But I know firsthand that it can be overcome. Here are five verses that I meditated on and repeatedly used as verbal affirmations, putting my name in each scripture. I think you’ll find them to be great sources of HOPE.

Deuteronomy 7:14 [NKJV] ~ “You shall be blessed above all people; there shall not be male or female barren among you.”

Isaiah 50:7 [NKJV] ~ “For the Lord God will help me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.”

Leviticus 26:9 [Amplified Bible] ~ “For I will be leaning toward you with favor and regard for you, rendering you fruitful, multiplying you and establishing and ratifying my covenant with you.”

Hebrews 11:11 [NLT] ~ “It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.”

Luke 1:37 ~ “For with God NOTHING shall be impossible.”

Are there other scriptures in which you find hope? Please share them below so that others can be encouraged.

Positive Thoughts

Image courtesy of Archipoch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Archipoch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sometimes it’s hard to think positive thoughts, especially in the midst of trying circumstances!

But when we are faced with what seems an insurmountable problem or even sure defeat, that is the most crucial time to think positively. Psalm 8:2 tells us that praise is what silences the enemy so it’s an important part of our strategy in the battles and hardships that we face. It’s not always easy to implement that strategy, especially in the struggle of infertility, but it’s critical to do so in order maintain hope.

Philippians 4:8 [NLT] says, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

How will you maintain positive thoughts throughout the rest of your day?

Would You Say He’s Your Fertilizer?

Matthew 16:13 tells us of the time when Jesus had a discussion with His disciples about their beliefs and how they verbally expressed those beliefs. The scripture reads, “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Some disciples only said what they had heard other people say. But when Peter answered that  Jesus was the Son of God, the Anointed One, Jesus applauded him. Peter had let the right words come out of his mouth!

If you’re dealing with infertility right now, who do you say Jesus is in your situation? Would you say He’s not listening or that He’s a distant, unwilling healer? Would you say He’s being judgmental and imposing infertility on you as a punishment? Well, this may sound weird but, I want to encourage you to say that He is your “fertilizer”.

Hold on…I’m not being disrespectful to His divinity. I am honoring His ability to be whatever you need in the moment of your need. If your womb has been declared infertile by doctors, then why not make your own declaration that Jesus is the one Who can make it fertile? In fact, because of His complete work on the cross on our behalf, He has already addressed this issue [2Peter 2:24] and made complete healing available for you to receive! He really is the Fertilizer of your womb.

Believe in His love for you.

Look to Him to fulfill every need you have.

Trust in His grace and favor that He pours out for you.

Let the right words come out of your mouth by declaring that Jesus is whatever you need Him to be!

Will you believe and say that He is your Fertilizer?

 

One Heart, One Way

One Way sign jpgPhoto courtesy of Microsoft Images

This past week, a friend dealt with circumstances that were a real struggle in her marriage. It was a time when many choices could have been made that would have caused deep regret for years to come. Fortunately, she is a believer in Jesus and sought God for wisdom FIRST and made difficult choices that were in line with His will for her marriage to heal and prosper.

When I’m faced with a struggle or have friends dealing with a challenge, my tendency is to find and pray a scripture that addresses it with a promise from God. In this case, I prayed Jeremiah 32:39  [NLT], “And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants.”

This was a promise we needed as my husband and I dealt with infertility. Having one heart and one way in facing infertility is key if a marriage is to survive the emotional, physical and financial strains. It’s so easy to get so involved and pre-occupied in the struggle that you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Being surrounded by darkness and not seeing where you can go means that you’ll go in any direction in the search for a way out. If a husband and wife can’t agree on what to do, where to go, and how to get there, it’s easier to go in separate ways and therefore experience increasing distance between them. But what if the decision is made FIRST to only go in one direction together, giving each other encouragement and keeping in mind the same goal?

God’s promise in Jeremiah 32:39 was that the result of having one heart and one way would be good not only for the husband and wife but also for their children! Putting God first means that He will give wisdom so that you know what to do and where to go together to get out of the seemingly endless dark situation.

Looking to Jesus and therefore going in one direction together will increase the likelihood of reaching the light at the end of the tunnel much sooner and happier and make the outcome of the struggle much more rewarding.

Thankful in the Midst of Infertility?

When you’re facing the difficult struggle of infertility, what is there to be thankful for?

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com | Ctulu8

It’s so easy to get caught up in all that’s going wrong, the disappointment that comes month after month, the emotional drain of it all, the possible health scares, the financial toll and the marital problems that tend to stealthily creep in. But this Thanksgiving week, make a DECISION to look for the things in life you can be thankful for.

Start by remembering that God is with you. If you’ve asked Jesus into your heart, He has promised to never leave you and to bless you with his unfailing grace. Continue to rest in knowing that God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31). Be thankful that He has given so many examples of women who overcame infertility along with promises in the Bible that relate to your fertility. Thank Him that you can count on Him to make good on those promises (Isaiah 55:11).  Even during the moments when you doubt  His ability, willingness, and timing, stand firm in being thankful that  He still loves you. Believe that He loves you unconditionally, just as much as He loves Jesus (John 17:23).

Be thankful that there is nothing too hard for God, not even infertility (Genesis 18:14)!

What is Hope?

Hope is not just thinking or wishing that something will happen or thinking, “Maybe it will happen, maybe it won’t ; I sure do hope it will.” The Bible definition of hope is different from that “wishy-washy” point of view.

HOPE = THE CONFIDENT EXPECTATION OF SOMETHING GOOD

This confident point of view of God’s willingness to come through in any situation is what gives us the assurance to believe in His love for us and have faith in His Word.

If you’re struggling with infertility, I encourage you to find resources and activities that will promote and strengthen your hope in God. The spiritual aspect of infertility should not be ignored. Having a confident expectation based on the promises of God is what you’ll find in my ebook,  A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility. After many requests to have it in print format, I’m pleased to announce that it will soon be available to purchase as a paperback!

This devotional will inspire you to strengthen your hope for a child and to not give up! Each devotional reading in A Seed of Hope will encourage you because it is a product of my struggle and God-given victory over infertility.

To reserve your paperback copy and to receive an additional bonus with it, please fill in the information below.

Paperback Edition