I finished
Hannah's Hope by Jennifer Saake while we were in Puerto Rico. The book comes highly recommended in Christian circles and is, by far, the best book I have read on infertility (she also covers miscarriage and adoption loss). Her book title refers to Biblical Hannah who spent many years barren before conceiving Samuel and his siblings. (While we are explaining titles, mine refers to the Jewish matriarchs married, respectively, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Each struggled with infertility before having their sons of promise).
Saake organizes the book to chronicle Hannah's story, but also interweaves on her own throughout. While it is always interesting to hear about other's journeys through infertility neither Hannah's story nor Saake's moves me to recommend this book. The reason I loved it is that Saake boldly confronts the emotions present with struggling with infertility and loss. So often, religion tells people that they need to surrender all and rebukes people for feeling grief. Saake takes the time to talk about why common emotions evoked by infertility are present and why it is human and acceptable to feel them. Then she refocuses the discussion so that it is about a loving God rather than our own struggle with infertility. And rather than ordering her reader to give up the negative emotions, she guides the reader through steps to help them surrender. She also spends a moment in each chapter giving advice to friends, family, and counselors for guarding the feelings of the infertile couples in their lives.
For anyone looking for a Christian resource on the topic of infertility, I highly recommend this book.
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I had a random T-TTC thought yesterday. I realized that the cycle I had my progesterone checked (and my
levels were good ) I didn't spot before my period. I wonder if my spotting cycles had lower p4 levels? Definitely something to keep in mind as we move forward, especially since I really think I may have some level of luteal phase defect.
-- Mya
Saake organizes the book to chronicle Hannah's story, but also interweaves on her own throughout. While it is always interesting to hear about other's journeys through infertility neither Hannah's story nor Saake's moves me to recommend this book. The reason I loved it is that Saake boldly confronts the emotions present with struggling with infertility and loss. So often, religion tells people that they need to surrender all and rebukes people for feeling grief. Saake takes the time to talk about why common emotions evoked by infertility are present and why it is human and acceptable to feel them. Then she refocuses the discussion so that it is about a loving God rather than our own struggle with infertility. And rather than ordering her reader to give up the negative emotions, she guides the reader through steps to help them surrender. She also spends a moment in each chapter giving advice to friends, family, and counselors for guarding the feelings of the infertile couples in their lives.
For anyone looking for a Christian resource on the topic of infertility, I highly recommend this book.
**********
I had a random T-TTC thought yesterday. I realized that the cycle I had my progesterone checked (and my levels were good ) I didn't spot before my period. I wonder if my spotting cycles had lower p4 levels? Definitely something to keep in mind as we move forward, especially since I really think I may have some level of luteal phase defect.
-- Mya