conceive

Hello friends and welcome to Episode 7 of The Stained Glass Podcast.  I’m your host, Jessica Spurlock.  On today’s episode, I’m excited to have a special guest on the podcast, fellow podcaster Wren Robbins.  

If you listened to my infertility story on Episode 6 of The Stained Glass Podcast, you probably recognized several parallels in my story with Wren’s.  We both had a set plan for our lives (then God laughed, crumpled it up, tossed it aside, and then did things His way - which is always better).  We both struggled with infertility for a few years.  It was during the same period of time in two different states of the US.  We both had stage 3 endometriosis as a probable cause.   We both dealt with the pain in everyday life of encountering babies or baby themed parties or aisles in stores.  We both got over it by making the knowledge of the God and digging into His Word the object of our heart’s desire.  And even though we both felt alone during that timeframe, the same timeframe, then ten years after this trial in our lives the Lord would orchestrate my introduction to Wren for another purpose and then she would come on my podcast to share her story.  By doing this, we can feel a little less alone, a little less broken.

So with this in mind, I would like you to think of a difficult circumstance in your life.  One where God may or may not have revealed to you the purpose for that circumstance.  If you would like to share that with me, I would love to hear from you.  I can read that story on the podcast if you’d like to remain anonymous or, just like Wren, you can even come on The Stained Glass Podcast as a guest if you feel the Lord’s leading.  Your story, though it may seem broken, can reveal God’s glory just by sharing it with someone else who needs to hear it.  You can message that story to me on social media.  You can find me on Instagram @thestainedglasspodcast and on Facebook in The Stained Glass Podcast group.  

Where to find Wren Robbins:

Instagram @wrenrobbinscoach

Friends of a Feather Podcast

Don’t Wing It Podcast

In the next episode, we’ll do a deeper dive into a topic introduced in the premiere episode for your encouragement.  It drops in two weeks.  Until then, this has been Jessica Spurlock with The Stained Glass Podcast. Go be a blessing!

Hello friends and welcome to episode 6 of The Stained Glass Podcast.  I’m your host, Jessica Spurlock.  On today’s episode, I’ll talk about how God revealed the fruits of His spirit through the difficulty of getting pregnant.  

We all have a plan for our own lives.  I had a mental list of what I wanted to accomplish before I was thirty years old, and the order I wanted to do it.  Listen to how the actual events went down.  Let’s just say…it didn’t go according to plan!  It took much longer and was a difficult journey.

During this time, I decided to look for a devotional for women who are trying to conceive, but came up empty.  There were some for infertility, but I didn’t feel I was quite there yet.  During the search for this devotional, I could feel God whisper to me, “why not write your own?”.  So…even though I’m not really a writer, I followed God’s leading and wrote a devotional.  Over the course of that three month period, while waiting for this infertility appointment, I researched, I studied, and I prayed.  I really dug deep into God’s word.  The name of the devotional was called Redefining TTC.  TTC is the acronym for “trying to conceive”.  The title, Redefining TTC means transitioning from “trying to conceive” to “trusting totally in Christ” to conceive.  In this episode, I share a bit from Redefining TTC and how God used the difficulty getting pregnant to reveal the fruits of His spirit.  They may not exactly align with the list given in Galatians, but they are fruits nonetheless (joy, faith, patience, peace, and trust).

I am offering an electronic version of Redefining TTC to my The Stained Glass Podcast audience absolutely free.  My email address is thestainedglasspodcast@gmail.com.  All you need to do is send me an email and put in the subject line of the email the letters TTC.  I will reply back with a PDF copy of the book.  And that’s it!  

(And don’t worry, sending me an email will not subscribe you to some mailing list that you need to click unsubscribe a million times to stop getting spammed…I won’t do that to you all!)

In the next episode, we are going to keep the infertility discussion going with one of my favorite podcast hosts, Wren Robbins, and how God used that broken piece of Wren’s story to bring Him glory.  It drops in two weeks.  Until then, this has been Jessica Spurlock with The Stained Glass Podcast. Go be a blessing!

Have you ever desired something that you knew God could grant but gave up hope after waiting and praying? Pastor Marc shared that his desire every Christmas from the time he was six was a go-cart that he never received. Zechariah wanted a child and had pursued God for all of his life trusting that God would provide. However, when Gabriel appeared to him to share that he and Elizabeth would conceive a son, Zechariah questioned. Join us as we study Hope, Peace, Love and Joy in todays sermon.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? Genesis 17:17 (KJV)

When God makes a promise we can depend on it no matter how long it takes. Abraham and Sarah waited years for their son, Isaac but God kept his Word.  He will also keep His Word to us. . God has spoken destiny into our lives. Hold on to it and He will bring it to pass.

How did pineapples — once a way of displaying one's wealth — become a symbol of infertility?

In this first episode of The Whole Pineapple, Nurse Practitioners, fertility experts, and podcast hosts Ruby Booras and Anne Judge talk about how pineapples and fertility came to be associated, and whether or not you have to eat the chewy pineapple core to help IVF be more successful.

About one in eight women or couples will experience infertility in their lives, making difficulty conceiving much more common than many believe.

The Whole Pineapple is about helping couples and those with uteruses optimize their health and wellness, both for themselves and for the family they hope to build.

Hear the history and the science, then visit TheWholePineapple.com to learn more!

We've missed you!  Thanks for tuning back in for our update.  The last few months have been busy so it was great to finally get back to the podcast.  In this episode we chat about how our most recent transfer went in Bulgaria.  This was our 7th transfer and our 8th embryo.  Thanks for sticking with us!  We really appreciate it!

Check out our Vlogs on Youtube.  They are released weekly every Friday.  If you enjoy them please subscribe to our channel 'Romana and Ewan'. You can watch all the vlogs here

Thank you to everyone who has bought us a coffee and donated to the podcast.  If you'd like to help support our creative endeavours please visit www.buymeacoffee.com/romanaandewan

You can also donate directly through Paypal by clicking here

www.fortryingoutloud.com

@fortryingoutloud

@romanaandewan

It's the final episode of Season 3 and in this weeks bumper episode we answer some listener questions.  

Romana also chats to fellow IVF warrior Saira (@ivfmyeggshatesperm).  Saira has been a great support buddy (something everyone going through IVF needs) over the last 18 months so it seemed fitting to chat to her for this final episode.  Plus, Saira's an avid researcher and after being on a mega long journey herself, her IVF knowledge is on point.  We chat about lots of things including chemical pregnancies, embryo grading, miscarriage and travelling abroad for IVF.    

Check out our Vlogs on Youtube.  They are released weekly every Friday.  If you enjoy them please subscribe to the channel Romana and Ewan. You can watch all the vlogs here

Thank you to everyone who has bought us a coffee and donated to the podcast.  If you'd like to help support our creative endeavours and keep this podcast running please visit www.buymeacoffee.com/romanaandewan

You can also donate directly through Paypal by clicking here

www.fortryingoutloud.com

@fortryingoutloud

@romanaandewan

We're going solo this week as we reflect on the past 5 years.  It's not been an easy few years so we thought it was time to take stock and ponder on some of the highs and lows.  We ask each other some thought provoking questions and as always, we answer with complete honesty and hope in doing so it is helpful to you, the listener.  

Check out our Vlogs on Youtube.  They are released weekly every Friday.  If you enjoy them please subscribe to the channel Romana and Ewan. You can watch all the vlogs here

Thank you to everyone who has bought us a coffee and donated to the podcast.  If you'd like to help support our creative endeavours and keep this podcast running please visit www.buymeacoffee.com/romanaandewan

You can also donate directly through Paypal by clicking here

www.fortryingoutloud.com

@fortryingoutloud

@romanaandewan

After an epic four and a half months away we're back on home turf. Today we discuss how our follow up went at our clinic in Bulgaria and what the plan is moving forward.  

Romana also chats to Anita Beckwith (@anitab_rd and @fertility.hormone.dietitian).  Anita is a UK Clinical Lead Dietitian specialising in diabetes and fertility, practising in both the NHS and her own private practice.

Anita qualified as a dietitian over two decades ago, of which 17 of those years she has specialised in diabetes, regularly consulting with people with type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. It was during this time working with women and couples living with diabetes who were planning to have families, that Anita’s interest grew in fertility, and she now sees people with and without diabetes. Whereas, traditionally diabetes preconception care is glucose focused, Anita bridges the gap and provides a more holistic approach supporting diabetes management, overall nutrition and lifestyle.

Anita supports many women, men and couples through their fertility journey, with the goal of providing a clear roadmap and the tools and confidence to advocate through their journeys.  She works in all areas of fertility with particular interest in the over 35s, miscarriage, IVF, diabetes and PCOS.

Check out our Vlogs on Youtube.  They are released weekly every Friday.  If you enjoy them please subscribe to the channel Romana and Ewan. You can watch all the vlogs here

Thank you to everyone who has bought us a coffee and donated to the podcast.  If you'd like to help support our creative endeavours and keep this podcast running please visit www.buymeacoffee.com/romanaandewan

You can also donate directly through Paypal by clicking here

www.fortryingoutloud.com

@fortryingoutloud

@romanaandewan

We're back in Sofia and back at the clinic.  This time for a Hysteroscopy. Find out why Romana really enjoyed it!!

Ewan also chats to Tony aka @thehopefulfather.  Tony is a big advocate for raising awareness around male infertility and in this chat he opens up about his own personal journey.  It's an extremely moving but also funny discussion.  The Wank Room being one such topic covered!!  You can find Tony's vlog at www.infertilitysucks.net To support Tony's Everest Base Camp trek for Fertility Network UK click here

Check out our Vlogs on Youtube.  They are released weekly every Friday.  If you enjoy them please subscribe to the channel Romana and Ewan. You can watch all the vlogs here

Thank you to everyone who has bought us a coffee and donated to the podcast.  If you'd like to help support our creative endeavours and keep this podcast running please visit www.buymeacoffee.com/romanaandewan

You can also donate directly through Paypal by clicking here

www.fortryingoutloud.com

@fortryingoutloud

@romanaandewan

Premature ovarian failure/ diminished ovarian reserve left Ray and Kat Gade's road to parenthood in limbo. Now, as they get ready to select their embryos, Ray and Kat walk through their long infertility journey, sharing why open embryo adoption was their perfect choice. They also describe what their process with the National Embryo Donation Center has been like so far.

In this episode, you'll meet 18-year-old AJ Hammaker. His parents will soon be delivering AJ's fifth sister, but his first through embryo adoption. Find out how AJ's parents told him about embryo adoption and why he developed such a passion for it, he had to put pen to paper.

Whitney Williams and her husband learned, upon the birth of their son, that they could pass along a painful genetic condition to any future children. Instead of losing hope of having any more children, they turned to embryo adoption.

Tate and Phillip struggled with infertility for years. In this episode, they explain how they came to learn about embryo adoption, an option that allowed Tate to carry their "adopted" child.

3 back to back rounds of IVF is bound to have an impact and in this episode we discuss how it has affected us both individually.  

Romana also chats to Tracy Weiss, Executive Director of The Chick Mission @chickmission. Tracy is a cancer survivor who was diagnosed with cervical cancer at age 30. She definitely knew what the cervix did, no matter what anyone tells you. Tracy was pretty annoyed when her insurance company denied her claim to preserve her fertility under it being ‘elective’ -- as if having a tumor was something anyone would choose. She remained angry until The Chick Mission was founded to help women standing in her shoes -- now she gets her revenge every time another woman receives assistance from the organization.  To find out more about The Chick Mission visit www.thechickmission.org

Check out our Vlogs on Youtube.  They are released weekly every Friday.  If you enjoy them please subscribe to the channel Romana and Ewan. You can watch all the vlogs here

Thank you to everyone who has bought us a coffee and donated to the podcast.  If you'd like to help support our creative endeavours and keep this podcast running please visit www.buymeacoffee.com/romanaandewan

You can also donate directly through Paypal by clicking here

Don't forget that we have teamed up with Screen and Shield to offer you 10% discount on all of their products including masks and hand sanitiser.  Visit www.screenandshield.co.uk/trying and enter code TRYING10 at checkout.

To claim £25 off a Mira Starter Kit visit www.miracare.com and enter code TRYING25 at checkout.  

www.fortryingoutloud.com

@fortryingoutloud

@romanaandewan

This is it!  The results of our 7th and final IVF round are in!  Do we have any normal embryos?  Tune in to find out.  

Romana also chats to Hayley @hayleybanxy  Hayley has been trying to conceive for a few years and has had multiple rounds of IVF.  She shares everything she has learnt so far.  Like us, she is a big believer in advocating for yourself.  We discuss PCOS, Adenomyosis, travelling abroad for IVF, coping with failed IVF cycles and loads more.  

Here's a link to the podcast Ewan mentioned https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/why-have-sperm-counts-more-than-halved-in-the-past-40-years/id1440133626?i=1000519794942

Check out our Vlogs on Youtube.  They are released weekly every Friday.  If you enjoy them please subscribe to the channel Romana and Ewan. You can watch all the vlogs here

Thank you to everyone who has bought us a coffee and donated to the podcast.  If you'd like to help support our creative endeavours and keep this podcast running please visit www.buymeacoffee.com/romanaandewan

You can also donate directly through Paypal by clicking here

Don't forget that we have teamed up with Screen and Shield to offer you 10% discount on all of their products including masks and hand sanitiser.  Visit www.screenandshield.co.uk/trying and enter code TRYING10 at checkout.

To claim £25 off a Mira Starter Kit visit www.miracare.com and enter code TRYING25 at checkout.  

www.fortryingoutloud.com

@fortryingoutloud

@romanaandewan

In this episode of Authentic Sex Juliet and her partner Nick share openly about their personal experience preparing to conceive. This episode covers emotional and spiritual prep, physical body prep, relationship challenges and dynamics leading up to trying to conceive, soul babies, food choices, supplements taken, the importance of seeking outside support, plus so much more.

This week we update you on our 7th and FINAL round of IVF.

Romana also chats to Ravid Israel (@embie2baby) founder of Embie, the first app exclusively designed for women going through fertility treatments.

The results are in from IVF cycle #6  We discuss the implications of our Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening and the Natural Killer Cell Test.  

Romana also chats to Sylvia Kang.  Sylvia is the co-founder and CEO of Mira www.miracare.com Mira (@mirafertility) is the first FDA and CE registered comprehensive women’s health monitoring platform with 99% of accuracy in clinical trials. Mira allows users to see the numeric fertility hormone concentrations and uses AI learning to provide personalised insights based on this quantitative data. Mira tracks cycles, predicts ovulation at home, with expandability into monitoring fetal health, measuring ovarian reserve, and detecting menopause chronic disease using the hospital-levelled technology within a palm-sized device. The data automatically syncs with the Mira app and the AI learns personal health patterns.

To claim £25 off a Mira Starter Kit visit www.miracare.com and enter code TRYING25 at checkout.  Also don't forget we will be running a competition on instagram soon (@fortryingoutloud) to be in with a chance of winning a Mira Starter Kit.

Check out our Vlogs on Youtube.  They are released weekly every Friday.  If you enjoy them please subscribe to the channel Romana and Ewan. You can watch all the vlogs here

Thank you to everyone who has bought us a coffee and donated to the podcast.  If you'd like to help support our creative endeavours and keep this podcast running please visit www.buymeacoffee.com/romanaandewan

You can also donate directly through Paypal by clicking here

Don't forget that we have teamed up with Screen and Shield to offer you 10% discount on all of their products including masks and hand sanitiser.  Visit www.screenandshield.co.uk/trying and enter code TRYING10 at checkout.

www.fortryingoutloud.com

@fortryingoutloud

@romanaandewan