We started trying over a year ago. I got pregnant right away but miscarried at 7 or 8 weeks. After taking about 6 weeks to heal both physically and emotionally, we started trying again but it just hasn't happened for us. After the miscarriage I started putting on weight, which at first I thought was perfectly fine and normal because I was somewhat depressed and it was also in the midst of the holiday season so there was lots of delicious grub to munch on, but I continued to put on weight for months. My lifestyle hadn't changed though. I wasn't eating more than I had been or eating any less healthy. If anything, I should have gained a few pounds at first then stayed the same with the small amount of physical activity I got at the time. But the weight just kept coming. I was also EXHAUSTED all the time. And I don't just mean work made me tired. It didn't matter how much sleep I got, 8 hours or 4 hours, I was always so tired! Any physical activity knocked me out for days. I thought it was just because I was overweight and I would try to ignore it and just go on about my business but it really started to bring me down. I was getting headaches almost daily and I was also getting more and more forgetful and finding it difficult for things to compute in my mind. I remember asking Sonny if it was possible that I was showing early signs of Alzheimer's. I finally went to the doctor when my cycle suddenly changed and went from a long 40 days and extremely heavy to 26 days and light enough to be considered spotting. I had a myriad of tests done and it turned out that my thyroid was low.
For those who don't know, the thyroid gland is, "a two-lobed endocrine gland, located at the base of the neck that secretes two hormones that regulate the rates of metabolism, growth, and development," according to Dictionary.com. It just so happens that any problem with the thyroid gland affects almost all parts of the body in some way. It makes you tired, gain weight, causes depression, the inability to think clearly, forgetfulness, and many other things that seem unrelated, including difficulty getting pregnant.
There are a lot of women at my old church in Blacksburg who were also having thyroid issues and they all seemed to deal with it in different ways. Some did exactly what the doctor prescribed while some went a more natural route. After receiving a lot of advice and seeking out a lot of information from both sides, I decided that I fell somewhere in the middle and that I would start taking Synthroid and see how my body reacted and if I would start to notice a difference then try some herbs and special diets if it didn't seem to be working. So far I have definitely seen a difference in how much more energy I have in general (although I still have REALLY sluggish days but they don't happen as often) and I have had far fewer headaches. I will be getting tested again in a few weeks and we'll see where I stand.
One of the ways that I know I can help myself along is by eating better and getting more exercise. I feel that if I can lose some weight and get into a better, healthier lifestyle, it will be easier to get pregnant. It was so easy to get pregnant the first two times but now I feel like I'm having this epic battle with my body and I am losing. I know that God is sovereign and only He decides when it is time for us to have another child, but my desire is so strong and perhaps the reason it is so strong is to give me motivation to get myself healthy. God will give us another baby in His timing and I must be patient (which is so hard, especially when everyone around me is having babies) but He knows what is best for me and for my family. All I can do for my part is to pray the prayer that never fails: "Lord, Your will be done," and to prepare my body to receive the precious gift that I hope someday God will give us.
Speaking of precious gifts, my sister-in-law had her baby today! She is a healthy 5 lb 10 oz and 18 3/4 inches long. Congratulations Eleanor and Peter!
