Multiple births due to fertility treatments

[JoyG]

I see God cited a few times here.

But if God made you infertile in the first place, isn't that God's will?

Interesting that many see using fertility medicine to conceive as "God's gift", yet they do not see the opposite of conception (abortion) as anything to do with God.

I see the available option for abortion and those who provide it as God's gift. I am sure MANY would disagree....

I'm sure many people would disagree with my views on this as well, but I wanted to point out I see a huge difference btwn using fertility medicine/intervention to get pregnant and having an abortion in terms of my faith.

I think that if it was God's will that I didn't have children, we would not have been successful in any of our attempts using a reproductive endocrinologist.

The Bible says, "before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart..."

I believe that God has a plan for everyone, I believe he knows us before we're even conceived. Since I believe that, there is no way anyone who's not "supposed" to get pregnant according to God's plans will. If it was his will that I be infertile forvever, no modern medicine would help me.

It's possible it was His will that I experience infertility for a season. I know that was a time of tremendous spiritual growth in my life and since then I have felt empathy for others in that situation.

Abortion is a whole different matter. Since I believe that God formed us in the womb and knows us before conception, I believe that life growing there is sacred and I don't believe it's our job to decide to end it.

Anyway, hope that explains how someone could be pro-infertility treatments and anti-abortion at the same time.

Joy

 

[minniecarousel]

Well, while not IVF, my brother & SIL wnated "just one more" (they had a 5 year old son and he had a 21 year DD from his first marriage). Well, old eggs and all, they found out that she was carrying triplets. They were also given the option of reducing one to give two a better chance. They declined NOT to do that - and I thank God everyday that they didn't. Maybe they're lucky - but they are the cutest, brightest 8 year-old triplets! They are each so different from each other! (2 boys and 1 girl) We had just my niece here for the night once recently, and I told her "not to tell her brothers" but I enjoyed just having her here! Their Mom said that the boys got along much better without the third one there!

 

[AllyandJack]

Joy, what you said really struck a nerve with me. I completely feel the same way. What you said that hit me was that you felt it was somehow in the plan for you to experience infertility and I relate to that. For one, I have learned so much about myself. I am my own hero at this point. I've endured injections and testing and pain that I never thought I could handle. I've shown up to surgical procedures bearing donuts for the nurses and making them laugh with jokes. I look back on the last 2 years and can say with honesty that I wouldn't change most of it (I would change the miscarriage, of course). I feel so blessed to have met my doctor. My life wouldn't be the same without her in it because we have formed such a special bond. I feel blessed to have been given the gift of strength that I never thought I had (a year ago, I never would have imagined me in searing pain and refusing morphine because I was afraid I was still pregnant). I really think I had a lot of growing to do as a person and a lot of learning about myself. I'm not really religious and I am pro-choice for the most part, but I agree with you that in a lot of cases infertility isn't God's way of not wanting you to have children, but God's way of teaching you lessons that you wouldn't have otherwise learned. If I'm meant to have children - whether it's God's choice or simply nature's choice, I will. I'm willing to give it everything I have....but, no matter what I do, if it's not going to happen, it's not going to happen. Simple as that. My doctor and I aren't out to create as many embryos as possible. This is a problem in some respects since I can't do frozen cycles, I have to start from the beginning. This is partially a health reason for me (I am a super-responder), but partially because I am not comfortable with having dozens of embryos sitting in a cryo-freezer. That's just my personal choice and my doctor respects that.

As for SR, sometimes, they give the patient the choice. My doctor had a patient who wanted to SR. She was carrying triplets - a set of IDs and a frat triplet. She wanted to SR one of the IDs. She ended up losing the frat twin and was ticked off because she was "looking forward to twins". Sad, but it happens.

 

[chobie]

I'm sure many people would disagree with my views on this as well, but I wanted to point out I see a huge difference btwn using fertility medicine/intervention to get pregnant and having an abortion in terms of my faith.

I think that if it was God's will that I didn't have children, we would not have been successful in any of our attempts using a reproductive endocrinologist.

The Bible says, "before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart..."

I believe that God has a plan for everyone, I believe he knows us before we're even conceived. Since I believe that, there is no way anyone who's not "supposed" to get pregnant according to God's plans will. If it was his will that I be infertile forvever, no modern medicine would help me.

It's possible it was His will that I experience infertility for a season. I know that was a time of tremendous spiritual growth in my life and since then I have felt empathy for others in that situation.

Abortion is a whole different matter. Since I believe that God formed us in the womb and knows us before conception, I believe that life growing there is sacred and I don't believe it's our job to decide to end it.

Anyway, hope that explains how someone could be pro-infertility treatments and anti-abortion at the same time.

Joy

Not, really. Sorry, but it just demostrates to me how people can use the Bible to justify whatever they want to do, while at the same time condemning what other people choose to do. I guess that is what makes religion so appealing to people.

 

[kdibattista]

Joy, what you said really struck a nerve with me. I completely feel the same way. What you said that hit me was that you felt it was somehow in the plan for you to experience infertility and I relate to that. For one, I have learned so much about myself. I am my own hero at this point. I've endured injections and testing and pain that I never thought I could handle. I've shown up to surgical procedures bearing donuts for the nurses and making them laugh with jokes. I look back on the last 2 years and can say with honesty that I wouldn't change most of it (I would change the miscarriage, of course). I feel so blessed to have met my doctor. My life wouldn't be the same without her in it because we have formed such a special bond. I feel blessed to have been given the gift of strength that I never thought I had (a year ago, I never would have imagined me in searing pain and refusing morphine because I was afraid I was still pregnant). I really think I had a lot of growing to do as a person and a lot of learning about myself. I'm not really religious and I am pro-choice for the most part, but I agree with you that in a lot of cases infertility isn't God's way of not wanting you to have children, but God's way of teaching you lessons that you wouldn't have otherwise learned. If I'm meant to have children - whether it's God's choice or simply nature's choice, I will. I'm willing to give it everything I have....but, no matter what I do, if it's not going to happen, it's not going to happen. Simple as that. My doctor and I aren't out to create as many embryos as possible. This is a problem in some respects since I can't do frozen cycles, I have to start from the beginning. This is partially a health reason for me (I am a super-responder), but partially because I am not comfortable with having dozens of embryos sitting in a cryo-freezer. That's just my personal choice and my doctor respects that.

Wow... beautifully said.