The Springs in the Desert Podcast: Catholic Accompaniment Through Infertility

In today’s episode Ann welcomes two special guests, Stacy and Todd Stephenson, who are members of our Springs in the Desert community. Stacy and Todd share their story of love, marriage, and infertility, and we chat about experiencing the holidays during a season of infertility. Though the holidays are a time of joy and celebration, they can be difficult to navigate and elicit sadness for many of us; for example, when we are separated from family, have lost a loved one, or while we are struggling with infertility. In this conversation, we explore the many ways we can find joy as families of two during Advent and Christmas, by seeking to build up our marriages and strengthen our own domestic churches. Listen in to find accompaniment and encouragement for the season ahead!

Resources:

Praying together helps us grow closer, and be open to receiving the peace of our Savior. Stacy and Todd pray the Novena to Christ the King. We also suggest praying the Saint Andrew’s Christmas Novena during Advent.

Read Stacy and Todd’s post on the Springs in the Desert blog: We Are a Family

Quick Tips:

Pray together! Bring any sadness or other emotions to the Lord. Be vulnerable as He came into this world so small and vulnerable.

Deck the halls! Incorporate ornaments, music and food from your families of origin, and put your unique spin on them to create new holiday traditions.

Share your favorite holiday memories with each other. It’s a great way to learn more about each other and strengthen your bond.

Open your home to others in hospitality and share the Christmas cheer! But take time with each other, too, to listen to Christmas music, watch a movie or just sit quietly in the glow of Christmas lights.

This month, we warmly welcome new guest Jen to the podcast. Jen and Kimberly share from the heart about their experiences of adoption and how they discerned this calling from God. Please join us for this uplifting conversation as we explore how we can trust in the Lord, even it times of great uncertainty and through the grief of infertility, that He has a good plan for each of us. You’ll hear about the beauty of adoption, some encouragement if you’re considering it, and practical tips for how to begin discerning this possible calling in your marriage.

Resources:

Found Documentary (Netflix) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7i_E6zm8lM&feature=emb_logo>

Wait No More by Kelly & John Rosati

Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! Join our community by following us on Facebook and Instagram.  And if you need prayers, someone to listen, or you want to tell your story on our blog, email us at [email protected].

This month, we warmly welcome new guest Natalie to the podcast to hear her story of unexplained secondary infertility. We talk about the upcoming holiday season and how pregnancy announcements can be especially difficult during this time. We share how God is helping us hold onto joy amidst the sorrow and pain we feel, and how He has a good plan for each of us and for everyone who struggles with infertility. We end with some practical tips, prayers, and ideas for navigating difficult moments of grief during this season of joy and announcements.

Resources:

You can follow Natalie on Instagram at: @natalie_m_blackford or on Facebook: Natalie Blackford.

St Andrew Christmas Novena: https://www.praymorenovenas.com/st-andrew-christmas-novena.

Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! Join our community by following us on Facebook and Instagram.  And if you need prayers, someone to listen, or you want to tell your story on our blog, email us at [email protected].

This month, James welcomes Ian back to the podcast for a fun chat about the importance of pursuing hobbies as men, especially when dealing with infertility. Join us for this light-hearted discussion about how infertility has presented us with new opportunities for growth with the Lord and for creativity as sons of God. The Lord continues to stretch us and draw us to Him in so many ways, and our hobbies are an important part of that. Come along with us to have your spirit lifted in your walk as a son of God!

Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! Join our community by following us on Facebook and Instagram.  And if you need prayers, someone to listen, or you want to tell your story on our blog, email us at [email protected].

Today, we talk honestly about healing and infertility. For some of us, healing in a season of infertility may mean eventually conceiving and giving birth to a child. But many of us are trying to conceive and becoming exhausted and discouraged. Some have received a definitive diagnosis that makes the possibility nearly, or absolutely, impossible. Others are entering menopause or are now past childbearing age, yet still feeling the pangs of pain from a desire that will not be fulfilled. For all of us, the questions remain: Can I be healed? What does healing look like for me? How has God been working in my life to heal me already?

Kimberly, Ann and Cassandra discuss the pain of infertility feels like and how it can be described, and think together about what healing in our infertility even looks like outside of conceiving and giving birth. They reflect on how God has touched their lives so far and acknowledge that grief and healing can be a lifelong process. Finally, they share some practical ways that we can cooperate with God’s grace in order to invite Him into our pain, as we place our hope of being healed in Him alone.

Resources for this episode:

More on Cassandra’s experience at Lourdes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOdTv9PdndU

Lourdes grotto webcam: https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/tv-lourdes/

How to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet

If you enjoy this podcast, please rate and review it so that we can reach more people with this message of hope. And if you need prayers, someone to listen, or you want to tell your story on our blog, please email us at [email protected].

This month Allie and Stacey welcome new guest Abby to discuss femininity in infertility. They share from the heart about their own struggles and the easily believed lie that equates womanhood with bearing children. They chat about the truth that God calls each of us to a deeper understanding of our femininity, and the many ways we can live it out. We hope you’ll join us to be blessed and uplifted by this conversation!

Resources:

My Sisters the Saints by Colleen Carroll Campbell (https://www.ignatius.com/My-Sisters-the-Saints-P1779.aspx)

The Wild Goose Series (https://thewildgooseisloose.com/wild-goose-main-page)

Podcast Series on Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur (https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fIlYh7cEC2gIEDbURRc0n)

Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! Join our community by following us on Facebook and Instagram.  And if you need prayers, someone to listen, or you want to tell your story on our blog, email us at [email protected].

This month Allie and Stacey welcome new guest Abby to discuss femininity in infertility. They share from the heart about their own struggles and the easily believed lie that equates womanhood with bearing children. They chat about the truth that God calls each of us to a deeper understanding of our femininity, and the many ways we can live it out. We hope you’ll join us to be blessed and uplifted by this conversation!

Resources:

My Sisters the Saints by Colleen Carroll Campbell (https://www.ignatius.com/My-Sisters-the-Saints-P1779.aspx)

The Wild Goose Series (https://thewildgooseisloose.com/wild-goose-main-page)

Podcast Series on Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur (https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fIlYh7cEC2gIEDbURRc0n)

Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! Join our community by following us on Facebook and Instagram.  And if you need prayers, someone to listen, or you want to tell your story on our blog, email us at [email protected].

Although we may not think of it in this way, infertility is often as much a spiritual battle as it is a physical and emotional one. Even as we are told to “relax” and “just enjoy ourselves,” we do all the things to try and conceive, which puts pressure on us, causes stress, and perhaps leads to lack of faith in the God who loves us and wants what is good for us.

In this episode Ann, Cassandra and Kimberly get real about the negative thoughts that can destroy our peace, and how the Evil One tries to “push our buttons” to make us believe God is punishing us, withholding His gifts, and even that He doesn’t really love us. They share their personal experiences of battling negativity and offer practical suggestions for turning negative thoughts into opportunities to see God’s grace in abundance. Finally, they share the truth that every woman, regardless of her struggle with infertility, is a beloved daughter of God!

Resources for this episode:

Searching for and Maintaining Peace, by Fr. Jaques Philippe

https://spiritualdirection.com/ has abundant resources on prayer, spiritual direction and battling the lies Satan throws in our path to make us stumble

If negative feelings are adversely affecting your mental health and/or your marital relationship, counseling and therapy are amazing ways that God uses to bring about healing and peace. Check out https://wellcatholic.com/ or https://www.catholictherapists.com/ to find help that is in accord with your faith and values

If you enjoy this podcast, please rate and review it so that we can reach more people with this message of hope. And if you need prayers, someone to listen, or you want to tell your story on our blog, please email us at [email protected].

Stacey is joined by Katie and Anna for Natural Family Planning Awareness Week 2021. We discuss the good, bad, and the ugly when it comes to using NFP when you're having difficulty conceiving.  Language matters and we discuss the different NFP lingo (including the term Natural Family Planning itself) and the connotations we have with them.  Finally, we talk about the importance of allowing for a break, whether it's for your mental health or the health of your marriage.  You are under No Obligation to do Everything At All Times to increase your chances of pregnancy, and sometimes the best thing to do is to take a big step away from the chart/app/medications.

Prayer we mentioned:

https://pintswithaquinas.libsyn.com/122-how-to-order-your-life-with-fr-ryan-mann

Website for NFP Method comparisons:

https://www.managingyourfertility.com/

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James welcomes Ian to this “A Man’s Take” podcast episode to discuss Father’s Day and marriage as men experiencing infertility. They share insights into how infertility has impacted their marriages: some of the challenges and opportunities it has presented, how it’s provided a unique path to holiness, and with their wives, they’re moving forward with the Lord into new life after infertility. Please listen in!

Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! Join our community by following us on Facebook and Instagram.  And if you need prayers, someone to listen, or you want to tell your story on our blog, email us at [email protected].