Dr. Amanda Colby joins us to talk about her experience of infertility, leading to the eventual adoption of a son and daughter. From a fertile family where her 6 sisters all had babies during her time of infertility, she shares about periods of real depression but also the one thing she believes helped her move out of that sadness and feel peace and happiness years before children came to their family.

She teaches us the impact of replacing thoughts that create pain with thoughts that are more helpful, and highlights the important reality that not feeling pain does not equate to not caring.

Dr. Colby understands both the science and lived background of the challenge of letting go of pain, and shares valuable strategies to co-regulate our nervous system in an effort to let go of pain and allow comfort and peace to enter.

You can find more tools and ideas, including a masterclass for navigating all sorts of life challenges, from both her website and blog:

https://theneuroscientistnextdoor.com/blog/

https://dramandacolby.com/#

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Message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠⁠⁠

Years of infertility followed by a life-altering conversation with a neighbor is how Candace's journey begins.

Among other things, her roller coaster to parenthood includes a longterm guardianship situation that was never quite spelled out for future implications, fostering joy and trauma, a significant weight loss journey, a misdiagnosed fertility condition, and a doctor's visit years down the road that brought a drastic change of thinking about what was possible.

Candace is still riding the roller coaster and finding joy, peace and excitement in where God is taking her. More to come--this episode is just part 1.

Please follow the podcast to be notified of future episodes!

Message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠⁠⁠

Have you fostered or considered fostering? The need for qualified, loving foster parents is overwhelming. But fostering with the hope to adopt can be complicated to say the least.

In this episode Pam shares part of her journey as a foster parent. She and her husband had a lot of joy from loving the children that came into their home. But there was a cost, and it's important to go into fostering with your eyes open to the potential heartache it may bring.

The difficulties shared in this episode are not meant to discourage anyone from fostering. We also aren't suggesting that fostering is right for everyone. It is a highly personal decision.

Pam's story is an illustration of how pure, selfless love can be shared freely for the sole reason that God has asked us to care for His children, without any expectations of what that love will bring us.

Message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠

Faith--and our efforts to stay active in it--can be the one thing that gives us real hope, peace and comfort. It can ironically also be the one thing that makes it a lot more painful.

Whether it's a comment that landed in a hurtful way at church (despite good intentions) or simply the pain of not being able to "multiply and replenish," despite the desire--there are ample opportunities we can find to justify stepping away from faith.

But there are even more, deeper reasons we can find to stay, or return.

Pam and Shannon share some of the poignant ways they've seen God in their lives, despite never being blessed with children, and how they know that means they can continue to trust in Him and His goodness.

Co-hosted by Pamela Denison.

Message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/

PCOS. Cancer. Fostering. Hysterectomy. Mental & physical health challenges. Pamela Denison has been through it all and continues to cling to faith in God's promises. She shares a bit of her story in this episode, along with what has helped her continue to move forward despite not-yet-fulfilled blessings.

These aren't easy stories to share but our hope is that putting them out there will help others not feel quite so isolated in this often isolating struggle.

listen to Hold On, The Light Will Come:

https://youtu.be/wH8E5cHniwo?si=X_iMMOQ6_A5kC9_w

Message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/

After 10 years of dealing with infertility as an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints , Shannon Adams decided it was time to start sharing. That meant providing a place for others to share as well, which is how and why this podcast came to be.

In this first episode you'll hear a bit about Shannon's journey so far, hopes for the future, and what triggered this effort to connect.

Infertility--especially in the church--can be incredibly painful and isolating. This podcast is offered in an attempt to help lesson some of that and remind anyone listening that they are not alone in this struggle.

Co-hosted by Pamela Denison.

Message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/