The Who, What, and Why of this Blog...

What is this blog all about and why should I read it?

                I want to start by saying that I am a normal woman that is currently on a journey many women before me have followed and many women after me will follow - a journey of infertility and miscarriage.  I do not have extraordinary circumstances that have caused me to share my story; I just feel like my struggles have helped me to identify with the many other women in the world who have shared heartbreak in their quest for motherhood.  I don't want people to put me up on some pedestal as someone to be admired for what she has been through.  And I certainly don't want people to turn this into an opportunity for a "pity party" for me.  I simply want other women out there to be able to feel like they are not alone on their journeys.  This blog is for those women that are seeking a connection to someone else who has been in their shoes.  This is for the women who don't want to read more medical facts of infertility and miscarriage that, in my experience, do basically nothing but raise more questions and make you paranoid about every aspect of trying to conceive.  This is for women who just want to hear someone else's story - the hopes, the heartbreaks, and all the things in between.  And this is for anyone else who might not have followed a path similar to mine but hopes to better understand what it is like for those of us that do.  I'll try to share the good, the bad, and the ugly...the emotional highs and lows...the multitude of treatments and supplements I've tried...the interesting doctors and natural health practitioners that I have consulted with...and hopefully even some stories of other amazing women who have faced a rough road on the way to motherhood as well.

Who is this lady writing this blog and why did she start writing it?

                My name is Danielle...and this is the Readers Digest version of my infertility and miscarriage tale.  (There will be plenty of time for future posts to explain my journey in more detail.  Be honest - you know you don't want to have to read for an hour on just the first post alone!).  I am 26 years old and have been married to my wonderful husband, Steve, for 6 years.  Almost 3 years ago (July of 2009 to be exact), we began trying to get pregnant.  A year passed with no success, thus labeling me with "fertility issues."  It was at that point that we had some testing done and tried some natural interventions.  After almost a year and a half of trying, we were finally lucky enough to get pregnant in late 2010.  We had our first doctor's appointment on January 13, 2011 - including an ultrasound where I got the one and only picture of this new life that was inside of me.  On January 14, I miscarried the baby in the first trimester of the pregnancy.  It has been over a year since I miscarried and we have been unsuccessful in our attempts to get pregnant again thus far.  In that time, I have continued with natural interventions and added fertility drugs into the mix.  Over the last several weeks, I have felt this calling to share my story with more people around me...hence the Jealous of Fertile Myrtle blog.  I know that God has a plan for me and my path to motherhood, but that doesn't make the pains and longings in my heart any easier; however, feeling that part of the reason for the bumpy road I've traveled is to be able to help others who are following or will follow similar roads does help.  I feel like giving other women someone they can identify with and be encouraged by is a ministry task that God is leading me to take on.  So here we go God - I'm ready for you to use me.