CharleyMadelyn Fertility Believers



Because sometimes even the biggest miracles take time.

Owner, Chelsea and her husband Jason went through a year and a half fertility journey before having their twin daughters. When they look back on those first couple of months they were so excited to start their journey and make their own little family. Months went by and with each month they faced disappointment as they found out that they weren't pregnant. During this year and a half they believed that God allowed them to witness others going through the same thing, to continue to keep them encouraged. During their fertility battle, they promised God that they would use their experience to help and encourage others fighting for their own family. Our hope and prayer for this space is for other women that are going through Infertility or in the process of trying to conceive can feel encouraged by one another and believe not only for themselves but for each other.

Each month, CharleyMadelyn will be donating 10% of all the months proceeds to ones in the midst of their own fertility journey. We will be capturing their stories (if they want to share) and sharing them here as a way to encourage and empower one another through our fertility journeys.

 

Share Your Story

 

Our July Fertility Believers: Tia & Manny Arango 

We discovered we were having fertility issues in 2017. Due to my phobia of needles, I was completely unwilling to do anything medical about the issue until 2018 when my fear of needles was finally eclipsed by my fear of never being a mother. So, we tried an IUI in May 2018 that ended up failing. Then we knew we had to begin to consider IVF. We finally got everything in order to do IVF in February of 2020 and it was successful! We got pregnant. But 8 weeks later, we had a miscarriage. It was heartbreaking and disorienting. We are now recovering from that miscarriage and are actively getting ourselves prepared to do another round of IVF. IVF, for us, is about $15k out of pocket. It is not covered under insurance. So every attempt is a huge financial strain and commitment. But, of course, it will all be absolutely worth it in the end.

 

Our August Fertility Believers: Toni & Jonathan Pearce

 

In 2016 we were preparing for a big move to Connecticut for my husband's work.  Our next step was to start trying for a baby.  A surprise detour happened when I was diagnosed with breast cancer the week of my 32 birthday and 10 days before the moving truck was to pull away from Raleigh.  We had a brief meeting with a fertility specialist and opted to follow our faith and focus on fighting cancer.  Fast forward to 2019.  We finally got clearance for a break from my endocrine therapy treatment.  This is a medication that prevents cancer from returning but isn't safe for pregnancy. The break from the medication is limited as they recommend you resume the treatment within 2 years of the stop date.  After my 3 month "cleanse," we started trying to conceive.  
Months passed with no positive tests. In June 2020, after 10 months of trying, we had a positive test!!  Sadly, it came to a screeching halt when I ended up in the emergency room with a ruptured right fallopian tube due to an ectopic pregnancy July 1.  Devastation does not begin to describe the feelings we experienced.  With the guidance and recommendation of our medical team, we are returning to fertility treatment to try and have our rainbow baby dreams come true.  
Our September Fertility Believers: 
Never did I imagine that our story would include joining the legions of people struggling to have a baby.  I had no idea of the statistic 1 in 8, let alone being one of the one in eight couples affected by infertility, especially since everyone seems to be pregnant.  I had no idea what “the miracle of birth” really meant until I learned what exactly it takes to actually conceive, implant and grow the thing!  Call me spoiled that I thought all my troubles would be over once I made it through the hard fought road to lasting love.  Ours, a modern romance, entailed many seasons of refinement on our way to one another. At last, with a click of a mouse and a “wink” on Match.com we found each other.  I was a first time bride at the age of forty and knew that if our story were to include the chapter on completing the dream of our family with ‘and baby makes three’, we had no time to waste.  Doctors confirmed this and we were fast tracked through fertility treatments in effort to beat the clock on my “old” eggs.  We did three rounds of IUI with injectables to no avail.  Armed with a layman’s medical education on reproductive endocrinology, we graduated to a more aggressive approach and did a round of IVF.  With two and a half years of trying, 2.5 years of hormones, needles, hope, lots of money spent, and disappointment.  With 2.5 years of excitement and anticipation, waiting, hurry up and wait some more, more money, love, prayer, more needles, fear, tears, and support that keeps us standing. 2.5 years of tested faith, lifestyle and diet change, and frustration, all to the end of no baby, we took a break to recalibrate.  We took time away from doctors and treatments to pause and re-value, to re-member ourselves, and re-claim my body and chase other dreams (like moving to NC!!).  All the while we have believed we would find a path to parenthood.  We’ve consulted with a new fertility specialist and have a new protocol.  Though the journey has not been what we imagined, despite the questions and ups and downs we yet hold onto this wild dream of bringing a baby home.  The story ain’t over yet, we are just getting to the good part!

Our February Fertility Believers: Whitney & Trey

 

When Chelsea approached me about highlighting us as one of their #fertilitybelievers, I was both humbled & honored. It’s a club that no one is lining up to sign up for — but, I’ve learned that it’s a club filled with the most fierce & authentic women. 🌈 

Trey & I met in high school. What started out as a casual group meeting, turned into a beautiful friendship & eventually a relationship. 13 years later & he’s still my best friend. Even before marriage & trying to grow our family, our relationship endured “in sickness & in health” trials. As a college student, I had 2 different neurological surgeries over the span of 18 months, in which he never left my side. I vividly remember being told my body may never be able to carry children & having to share that with my 20 year old boyfriend. He didn’t flinch or waver — as loyal & steadfast as they come. ❤️

Before the birth of our amazing 3.5 year old, Lottie Belle — we had 2 early miscarriages. Again, not a club you want to sign up for. But after walking that path, we entered parenthood with a different, deeper gratitude for her miracle of life! Once she weaned ~16 months, we decided to begin just “having fun” growing our family — no tracking or “stress”. Safe to say — the Lord had different plans for us. 

After 2 more early miscarriages, my body began experiencing some pretty debilitating pain & symptoms. Finding myself back & forth at different doctors, alone, during the pandemic — we finally determined I had stage IV endometriosis, that had spread throughout my pelvic cavity & into my intestines. Coupled with multiple large cysts on my left ovary & fallopian tube — with mention of the scary “C” word — we were advised that surgery was the only option, knowing that the clean-out could also lead to some removals. That was in November. 2 weeks after the surgery, we were told, due to immediate endo. & cyst regrowth (but, praise God no cancer!) — we had 3 options: birth control to try & stop the growth, hormone injections to stop the growth & also hopefully get pregnant, or an early hysterectomy. 

 

After much prayer, many “God winks” & a complete peace in both of our hearts — we moved forward with the nightly injections (indefinitely for now, as we pray & believe for a healthy pregnancy). While we know adoption will also be part of our family story (as we’ve already begun that path of education & paperwork) — we also know with assurance that God isn’t quite finished with this part of our fertility journey (yet). While navigating appointments & classes & insurance & finances has been incredibly challenging & draining — it’s also been the most teaching & growing stage of life that we’ve ever walked together — both personally & within our marriage. We are excited & expectant (albeit, also nervous!) for the season ahead! 🎉

Thank you again, Chelsea, for inviting us to share our story! If you’re reading this & you’re part of these clubs with me & you’d like a safe place to chat — please reach out: @whitneymclamb. Our journeys & decisions & healing may look different — but, our heartache is the same. Maybe you’re reading this & you’ve never walked these paths — I can guarantee that you may know someone who does. Reach out & “hold space” & let them know you care. They may not want to divulge every detail of such a personal path — but I can guarantee, in such an “isolating” journey (filled with all the extra hormones!), the extra love & support will go a long way — at least it certainly does for me! One of my favorite things is celebrating my dear friends in their various motherhood journeys — even when there may be a twinge of grief in the waiting, after my sweet girl asks (yet again): “how much longer until she gets to be a big sister”. ✨