Julie Penick, DNP, PhD, ThD, FNP, MSN...and my mom

                Since my mother has played such an integral role in my fertility journey thus far, I thought it would be good to let you all know a bit about her.  And yes - all of those initials behind her name are real :).  In the "conventional medicine" world, mom has been a practicing Family Nurse Practitioner for the last 15 years and has recently obtained her Doctorate of Nursing Practice.  In the "alternative medicine" world, mom has a PhD in Energy Medicine and a ThD in Spiritual Healing.  She currently has her own medical practice in which she emphasizes natural health alternatives to most of her patients.  Mom's patients are mostly people that have not had their needs met by the conventional medical system and have begun to seek out natural alternatives to help improve their well-being.  One of mom's specialties: natural hormone balancing for women... which includes women who have been unable to conceive or maintain a pregnancy.  No joke - my mom has been very successful at helping women move their bodies back to a natural balance where a pregnancy can be achieved and maintained.  Ironically, her daughter (AKA me) has been one of her toughest patients.  Many of the women who have come to my mom with fertility concerns have already tried fertility drugs and other recommendations from their OBGYNs without much success; however, most of these women have been able to get pregnant and have healthy babies with my mom's "body balancing" help.  You can imagine how frustrating it is for me and her alike to be in this situation...your own mother being able to help so many others but not having much luck with you...your own daughter being an infertility patient that interventions haven't seemed to work for like most of your other patients.  Despite my continued struggles with infertility, I am continually grateful for what my mom has been able to do for me on this journey and continues to do for me on a daily basis.  She is a constant support as both my mom and my healthcare provider.  And, seriously - she really has been able to assist many couples facing fertility challenges, most of whom are now parents.  She's even interested in contributing to some future posts on my blog :).  If you are reading this blog because you are also struggling with fertility issues and you feel you might be interested in some natural interventions, please email me at jealousoffertilemyrtle@gmail.com and I will pass along referral information for Julie Penick...DNP, PhD, ThD, FNP, MSN, and a fantastic woman all around :).