I am very pleased to be joined by my first male guest this week!

John Van Regenmorter from Stepping Stones Ministry shares his story of infertility and how it affected him and his wife, Sylvia, differently. He describes his confusion at why his wife would feel the need to see an infertility doctor and he talks about how his male ego was bruised when they found out his low sperm count was part of their infertility problem.

It was only after Sylvia wrote an article about infertility that John fully understood just how hurt she was during this ordeal and he describes his guilt about not being more supportive of her.

You will realize while listening to John that infertility is not just a woman’s problem. Nearly 40% of infertility problems involve male infertility. It’s very important for men to get checked as well so the doctors can have a full picture of what obstacles a couple needs to overcome to get pregnant. 

Thank you, John, for sharing the male perspective of infertility!

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Welcome to Show #36!

This week I am pleased to continue my conversation with Jodi Panayotov, the author of Invitro Fertility Goddess and a sister from Australia. I am still amazed at her ability to find humor while longing for a child and we share some very special passages from her book. Each passage touched my heart and I could relate to everything she has described.

Jodi shares her invitro (IVF) experiences, some of which might surprise you. She even managed to overcome her fear of needles and found a way to laugh when faced with taking so many different drugs. No matter what stage you are at in your journey to your child, Jodi can help lighten your mood and your heart!

Also, if you live in the Pittsburgh, PA area and are contemplating adoption, our founding sponsor, Tina Tyra from A Labor of Love Adoptions, is hosting two workshops at the end of March.

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When I was reading Jodi Panayotov’s book, InVitro Fertility Goddess, there were certain excerpts that I completely related to.  Actually, quite a few.  And there were some that made me laugh outloud.  Actually, quite a few.  And I want to share one of those with you here.

“Suffered much indignity on Saturday when I had to take freezer/picnic bag of syringes and injectables on drive to the mountains for my husband’s birthday lunch, then along the way had to find a place to be injected.  Pulled over at an idyllic country lane roadside and my brother and his wife went for a walk while we fiddled with syringes, swabs, etc. like a pair of junkies.  Had to pull my pants down and lie face down on the back seat while my husband crouched outside and injected me in each cheek.  It is instances like these that I cannot remotely connect with having a baby, so at least I’m not obsessing, as I feel more like I am in a strange scientific governmental experiment that is more likely to give information on effects of radioactive solution on the human body or a cure for cancer.  I will be very happily surprised if it results in a baby.” 

Any of you who have gone through invitro, and had tried to maintain some sort of normalcy in a social aspect, can probably relate to a time or two (or more) when you found yourself in awkward situations at ‘injection time’.  And for those of you who are in the midst of a cycle, contemplating how to continue on with normal activities, don’t feel like you’re alone when you have to ’shoot up’ in semi-public places.  It’s part of the crazy adventure of invitro that you might find yourself in.  Just do what you gotta do, and think of all of us other ’sisters’ who did the same thing in the quest for baby!  You just might find yourself in the successful percentage, as did Jodi. 

I have been asked by some about the e-book I had spoken of a while back by Shola Oslo, and how to reach her.  This is the only way I know of in regard to getting her information.  Go to NaturalFertilityCures.com.  You can sign up there for her e-mails.  Not to fear, however.  It isn’t that you will be bombarded with e-mail from her and her company.  And some of the emails will have links to videos that pertain to different aspects of infertility.  But if you open the additional page that comes up on her site, you will be able to read quite a bit of information.  That is where you can order her ebook(s).  There’s some eye-opening information in the ebook I had downloaded, and so I would therefore recommend her and her nutritionist’s book, as it is quite interesting and thought provoking.  It has helped educate me in the effect our everyday world has on us when it comes to our fertility.  It has also resulted in some changes in my everyday life that I would have never thought of prior, that have led to a healthier me.  I hope this helps for those of you wondering about Shola. 

And coming a little later, some amazing thoughts and excerpts from my current guest’s book.  Of course I’m speaking of Jodi Panayotov and her book, InVitro Fertility Goddess.  So check that out later today.

When a couple is faced with infertility problems, the common reaction is to be angry, upset, and confused. Very often women will ask, “Why me?” and question why it seems so easy for other women to bear children when it’s not easy for them.

Getting pregnant and giving birth are supposed to be “natural” and easy, so the idea of months or years of treatments can be overwhelming or depressing. Many women wallow in despair if the infertility lasts a considerable length of time.

My guest this week is Jodi Panayotov who is the author of Invitro Fertility Goddess. She is a fellow sister in the world of infertility and she reminds us that it’s alright to laugh in the midst of our problems.

Jodi managed to take the difficult subject of infertility and turn it into a comedic book. She tells about her adventures as a flight attendant, some good scoops about celebrity pregnancies, and her very own “Alien Theory.”

Rather than travel the path to depression, Jodi courageously transformed her own experiences into funny stories that will hopefully boost the spirits of other women faced with their own fertility problems.

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After seven years of infertility treatments and multiple failed adoptions, Colleen Geyer tells us how her strong faith carried her and her husband through those disappointing years. With the support of familiy, friends and church, they were able to stay positive and know in their hearts that their baby would come to them.

Colleen’s story does have a happy ending with the adoption of her son, Noah, and she shares how they were blessed with a second child, daughter Addison. But she also tells us about the emotional journal she kept during those discouraging years, her feelings of anguish while attending Mother’s Day services at church, and how important it is to voice your feelings of despair if you are experiencing infertility.

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I’ve recently encountered a woman that spoke to me of her continuous fear in going forward with her infertility issues.  She told me that everywhere she turns, every option she looks at, whether it be invitro, surrogacy or adoption, she feels paralyzed with fear.  I had spoken before about this being a situation that takes us out of our comfort zone into places we’ve never imagined going before.  But what ALSO gave her great fear, was finding herself at the end of her life, looking back at never having the courage to move onward so that she could experience motherhood, which she so deeply desired. 

One (of many) affirmations I had to keep repeating to myself when I was going through the battle of infertility was this, (and I shared it with her).  Just remember If you want something you’ve never had, you’ve got to do something you’ve never done.  It is a mantra we can apply to every aspect of life, but it seemed especially apropos in my journey to motherhood….as I found myself continuously doing things I had never done before…ALL of which were out of my comfort zone.  The fact that many of us had to enter into these uncomfortable places, and have come out victoriously, will hopefully give her and others a sense of peace and sisterhood…knowing they aren’t alone. 

Colleen will infect you with her spirit of enthusiasm.  She’ll inspire and encourage you, being the quintessential example of the woman who refused to be denied…while keeping her faith intact, a smile on her face and an undying hope in her heart.  Listen, and get jazzed about this courage and hope we can ALL have in our lives…this is Part 2 of the story of Colleen Geyer.

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This is our 32nd show of Journeys To Motherhood, and we welcome you with open arms!  Today we have a guest that WAS just another trooper in the battlefield of infertility.  And yes, I emphasis the word ‘was’.  Colleen Geyer was tenacious in her quest for motherhood.  She had faced numerous setbacks in the adoption arena, yet she never let it stop her forging onward.

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I would be delighted to have you join me as I guest co-host the Mom’s Morning Show on Blog Talk Radio on Wednesday, January 16th and Wednesday January 23rd!  I always have lots to chat about and the show is an awesome daily event that runs from 10:30am to 11:30am EST.  This is Kelly and Tishia’s show, and I’m thrilled that they’ve asked me to join them!  It’s great fun, and quite easy!  Go to the show page (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/momsradio) at show time and click to listen live.  It will launch a page with the audio and chat room.  Or call in at 646-915-8854 to listen and/or chat with us!  We hope to have you there!

Also, I wanted to respond to a question someone had sent me regarding my recommendation of Shola Oslo’s ebook ‘Endo Remedy’.  I love anything and everything I’ve ever received from Shola, and I WOULD highly recommend her ebooks (though I can’t say I’ve been through them all), as I would ALSO recommend The Whole Person Fertility Program by Niravi Payne.  I must have had a brain cloud when I didn’t mention them on my brief list of books as great gift ideas!  But, I suppose we are always needing to buy gifts for our loved ones throughout the year for many reasons….or for no reason at all!…so, those are more for you to consider.  Thank you kindly for the comments and postings you’ve sent my way.  Please keep them coming.  Love to you all!