I'm getting used to the Fertility Nut title. It's a little strange, being "known" for something. I've recently come to a point where there's no turning back. And now, I don't want to. I want to embrace it.
Friends often introduce me by saying, "This is my friend, Tabitha. She's a fertility nut." Women typically respond in one of two ways: they stare blankly, nod their heads politely and try to change the subject...OR, they blush a little, edge over to within whispering distance and begin a question with, "OK, I just have to ask you..."
Hardly a week goes by that I don't receive an e-mail, Facebook message or text that starts with, "Sorry this is TMI, but..."
I get so excited when messages start out that way. Really.
I can be innocently eating cake at a family birthday party, pushing my son on a swing at the park or rolling the dice at Bunco and I find myself learning details about a woman's sex life, menstrual cycle or cervical fluid, answering questions about birth control, breastfeeding or ovulation and hearing stories about someone who is pregnant, had a miscarriage or just had a baby.
And I enjoy hearing stories and fielding questions.
"Should we be having sex every day I'm fertile or every-other-day?"
"How long did you nurse your boys?"
"What was your first postpartum period like?"
"What're you supposed to do about a clogged milk duct?"
"How far along were you when you miscarried?"
"How long do sperm survive?"
"Did you ever use an ovulation predictor kit?"
"How long does it take to get back to normal after I stop taking the Pill?"
You get the idea. There is no such thing as TMI anymore. I'm like a doctor: I've heard it all.
And I LOVE IT.
Every new question or situation is a challenge and gets my heart pounding. It's a thrill to teach women about their bodies, read up on the latest fertility research, give out "how to get pregnant" tips, share my miscarriage or pregnancy stories, decode fertility charts and advise people on breastfeeding issues.
It's just as much fun as crafting (which is what I USE to be known for)...except it's better, because it really truly helps people and has the potential to change lives forever.
When someone approaches me with, "We're going to start trying to get pregnant and I wanted to ask you..." I actually get chills.
I told ya, it's nutty.
This IS my passion and I want to grow into the Fertility Nut title. It's a bit surreal, being branded and being the "go-to" ANYthing. It's a lot of pressure! And it's personal--for them AND for me.
As a niche, or a "thing" in life, it's kind of...weird. Fertility involves bodily functions, intimacy between couples, birth, hormones and all sorts of private information. There are still people who think these matters should be kept hush-hush.
But I have walked side by side with several women courageously trying to get pregnant after a miscarriage. I have had the priviledge of being asked to pray for a baby even before it was conceived. I have witnessed births. I have heard the stories of abortion, sexual abuse and struggles with PCOS and the way God has used those situations to bring about redemption.
This stuff matters. It needs to be talked about and addressed. Women need the support, encouragement and camaraderie that comes from sharing our stories and our experiences.
Women need ME and what I have to offer. God has allowed me to walk this journey and it is time for me to honor that by taking God Knits to the next level. That is all at once humbling, thrilling and terrifying.
This is important. This is who I am. This is part of the Pleasant Place God has placed me in (Psalm 16:6).
I'm Tabitha and I'm a Fertility Nut.
You better get use to it.
........................................
{Read my Becoming a Fertility Nut story HERE}.
If you want to maximize your fertility or need one-on-one fertility coaching, e-mail me at tabandrew(at)hotmail.com for more information.
GIVEAWAY!!!! I will give away one copy of my favorite fertility-related book, "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler {on Amazon}.
TO ENTER, simply leave a comment to this post answering the question "Which area of fertility interests you most: pregnancy, the Fertility Awareness Method, birth control, breastfeeding, miscarriage, nutrition...{or one I didn't name}?"
