Real Reproductive Age (link)

One of the blogs I'm keeping up with posted this very interesting and thought-provoking article on how lifestyle and environmental factors actually affect the aging of our reproductive systems.

It does make me wonder. If the average woman in a developed country (such as the U.S. or Great Britain) ages chronologically a bit faster than she does biologically, it makes sense that fertility is the first thing to take a hit - the canary in the coal mine, if you will.

Obviously, I don't think it's that simple. Every body is different and there are many, many reasons why someone would suffer infertility. In my case, the specialist told me I had an "egg quality issue" two years ago. And while ultimately I believe God chose to heal my body and heart, I certainly did pursue health as a means of improving my chances of conceiving successfully (I was a Weight Watchers lifetime member before I got pregnant, and am back on the program now). That was a pretty short time frame, though, and not likely long enough to really turn things around if, in fact, that was the problem (and I have reason to believe that wasn't the whole picture).

The question I ask myself now is, How old am I really? Am I too old for anything? I once thought 42 was horrifically old to be giving birth. Now I kind of laugh at that idea and wonder what the future holds. I sincerely hope to be healthy enough to live long enough to see my own grandchildren.

link: mother and child linked at cellular level

wow. this is just the coolest.
Mother & Child Are Linked At The Cellular Level

what exactly was Eve's curse – pain or sorrow?

This is a question I've been turning over in my mind. Last weekend I talked to a friend at church about it, and she mentioned that Genesis 3:16 NIV says "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children." That would seem to sum it up, but I asked her whether she thought that specific sentence was for all women to come throughout human history or just her? We were befuddled together.

I decided to do some research, as I suspected that there was more to this curse than a painful childbirth. It just felt a little too simple. I mean, why is childbirth painful in the first place? Well, every contraction is the muscles moving the baby down through the birth canal – it's a top-to-bottom squeeze, if you will. So every contraction is one step closer to the birth. They're progressive.

Ironically, when women react fearfully toward - or tense up against - the pain & pressure, it can make the process take longer and can lead to interventions. In a normal situation, the key is to embrace it and not fight it so that the body can do what it was built to do. Epidurals can make that process easier by relaxing mom's muscles (and if they're used very early can also extend labor time), but so can various relaxation and focusing techniques.

Okay, enough background.

After the fall of Adam and Eve, God tells them what live is going to be like from that point on. What I find interesting about what he tells Eve is the difference between the KJV and NIV versions. The KJV says "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children…" That sounds different from the term "pain" that NIV uses. Obviously, a closer study of the original Hebrew version is in order.

The interesting thing about Hebrew text is that it is layered. Each character often has more than one meaning, and in context can mean different things. This is very much unlike English which – except for all our duplicate words that can mean totally different things depending on pronunciation – are generally single-purpose and not multi-faceted.

All this is to say that I found a fascinating biblical study about just this subject which I found very revealing. In a two-part series, Jack Ke.lley of gracet.hru.faith asks and presents plausible answers to some key questions about this:

- Why would God command Adam and Eve to populate the world and then make childbirth so painful? Is that really His intention?
- Do the terms "increase" (NIV) and "multiply" (KJV) necessarily mean the same thing?
- What does the verse really mean and to whom does it apply?

What I like about Jack's study is his honest search for the truth. But now I'm at a stopping point, as his is the only one I've found so far. I'm not one to stop with one study and declare "ah-hah! I knew it!" My search is incomplete. But I'm fairly convinced that the NIV translation isn't providing the whole picture.

Anyone know of any resources that actually pay attention to this scripture? If so, please share!

To herb or not to herb?

Since there is no western medicine treatment for my condition (egg quality), I embarked on a mission a few months ago to see if there were any natural treatments I could do. If you've read past posts, you know I've tried acupuncture - it was nice and all, but didn't seem to be a good fit for me and my wallet. I have looked through several volumes of supplement books to see what they recommend, and have been dismayed to find that they are almost all completely different.

What does this mean? That all of them are true? Or none? Or... it depends?

Hell if I know. I read and look for patterns or similarities. I think and pray and do research. Is this enough? I'm not sure what to do, how long to do it, how to take it or for how long...

I found one supplement, Female Reproductive Factors from Michael's Naturopathics, that contains many of the herbs that support the female system. So I started taking those a week ago. I know, it takes months for herbs to be effective. So far my body has responded by making me super bloated and giving me hormonal facial acne - you know, the stubborn things that leave scars - so I'm not sure I should be taking these.

It's so frustrating. I want to be proactive and do good things for my body in the hopes that maybe we can try again, but I'm never sure that I'm doing the right thing. I feel so lost sometimes.

What do I Know for Sure?

The day I got the news from the specialist, I was completely leveled. Everything came crashing to a halt. Four weeks later I started weekly counseling because I couldn't see through the clouds of my own misery. I have now been seeing my therapist for about six weeks. I do feel better, in case you're wondering. But it's a matter of degrees, because infertility doesn't let go until it gets resolved. It's the very visible gorilla in the room. And even when it does get resolved.. well, who knows.

I also took some time to do a bit of homework. I have been interested in seeing how others deal with this sort of thing (which is what brought me to the blogosphere and eventual decision to start this one). Did they move right into IVF or adoption? After finding out the price tags for these, and knowing that right now we need to sell our condo and get into a house (which will cost big $ since we're underwater along with most of the nation), we decided not to decide. I asked God to show me what to do, to lead the way.

Funny thing, prayer. My pastor once told me that He always answers the prayers of those who follow Him. And the answer is generally either Yes or Not Yet.

Anyway, I was looking over a bookstore shelf and came across Julia Indichova's book, Inconceivable. She chronicled her story from diagnosis to exploration to healing and, eventually, to a successful pregnancy. What did I learn? That the specialist doesn't have all the answers. She doesn't hold all the cards. And her answer may or may not be God's answer for me.

And so I keep searching. I'm pursuing natural medicine, starting yoga again, eating organic as much as possible, and taking better care of myself. All of this makes sense to me right now.

So what about my pursuit of God's will? Well, this I prioritize above everything else. So even while I'm learning about Chinese medicine, I am Seeking First the Kingdom of God. I am staying in contact with Him, always checking, always knocking, always seeking. Only through His wisdom can I discern what's appropriate for me to pursue.