Ep. 208: Unexplained Secondary Infertility Didn't Sit Right With Her, So She Got Answers. Client Story: Magan

When Magan and her husband weren't conceiving easily like they did with their first, she did everything in her power to see change. She worked with a chiropractor, tried Whole30, used supplements, and met with her local OB. One year later, nothing had changed. She wanted answers quick, but when she read about NaProTechnology and a restorative approach to reproductive health issues, she decided to give it a try. From there, she learned more about herself than she ever thought she would and found a new motivation and peace that she didn't think possible. She was pretty pleased with the outcome, too. I know you'll enjoy hearing the honest story of Magan's journey with secondary infertility.

NOTE: This episode is appropriate for most audiences, but does include discussion of intercourse.

SHOW NOTES:

Ep. 102: Client Story - Rebecca (Secondary Infertility)

Ep. 10: Endometriosis 101

Ep. 11: Ikea's Story – Endometriosis

Transcript

Caitlin Estes (00:24)
Welcome back to the Woven Well podcast. Each week we provide practical guidance and holistic support for women who want to know more about their cycles and fertility so that they can advocate for themselves and make truly informed decisions about their reproductive health while still honoring their faith. Education is critical for this, but so is encouragement. Real talk, real stories.

So once a month, I interview one of our clients at Woven Natural Fertility Care so that you can hear directly from them about what made the biggest difference in their own journey. Today, I'm interviewing Magan. She and I began working together about 18 months ago as she sought more information for herself about why she and her husband were experiencing secondary infertility. Magan welcome to the show.

Magan (01:10)
Hi, Caitlin. Thanks for having me.

Caitlin Estes (01:12)
I'm glad that you're here. We get to chat about this a little bit. Any listener knows that these are one of my favorite episodes because I love getting to know women on an individual basis and then getting to share those stories with others too. And they're always so encouraging. So maybe we, how do we get connected? Do you remember how we first got introduced?

Magan (01:35)
Yes, actually I met with a local NaPro professional who referred me to a handful of people, but I did my interviews and landed with you and I am forever grateful for that.

Caitlin Estes (01:49)
I love that you did interviews to find the right fertility care practitioner. Oh, that's so important. You know, I always talk about interviewing medical professionals and making sure it's the right fit as far as a physician goes, but that is also very true with fertility care practitioners. So good for you.

Magan (01:51)
Yes, it really, it really mattered. It really mattered. I mean, I had already been over a year into the journey, so it truly did matter. I didn't want to waste my time, you know, or anyone else's.

Caitlin Estes (02:18)
Absolutely. Well, kind of take us back and walk us through that year of what you had been through leading up to when we first started working together.

Magan (02:29)
I had reached my one full year of trying without success and was just working with my OBGYN at the time and they labeled it as secondary unexplained infertility. So the unexplained part just did not sit well with me, especially since it was secondary and I had been having some minor issues and I just I was really really intrigued by the thought of getting to the root cause or you know learning more about my own health so that I could move forward with some fertility success you know so um I did some research I really looked on local groups you know like Facebook groups and I started asking around and like, I didn't go with the embarrassment of hiding because it's infertility. You know, I really did ask so, so many people that I knew and a few people recommended Napro. I had never heard of it. I have to admit when, when they did first tell me about it, I kind of just turned my eye to it. You know, I didn't know what to expect. I just, didn't know. And I was just, I was really looking like I needed something quick at the time, so I just didn't feel as interested. when I started looking further into it, I said, let me just give this a try. And there was a local doctor here who was helping people out that I knew. And a few people had some success stories. So that was, it was just appealing to me. So yes, I found someone locally in my city and she recommended getting a Creighton teacher. So I did my research and then that's what led me to you. So I had talked to a couple other professionals along the way, but I just wasn't really buying what they were putting out, you know? ⁓ And I mean, non-NAPRO professionals.

Caitlin Estes (04:18)
Well, and you said something in there that I think so many listeners are going to resonate with, which was you said, I needed something quick. I think everyone, when they are hoping to conceive and expecting to conceive and it's not happening, whatever they want to do, they want it to be quick. They want answers now. They want results now. And so I don't blame you for that being something that was important to you.

But thankfully the success stories that you had heard from friends were enough to give you the encouragement to do that. ⁓ And we'll get into all the details of your journey with NAPR technology, but it wasn't necessarily quick. That's not always the number one result. Some other results may be a little bit more important, but ⁓ quick is not necessarily it. But you had already been doing a lot even before you started working with your napro physician and myself, right? I mean, you had put in a lot of time and effort over that year trying to address it on your own.

Magan (05:30)
Yes. Yes, so much. I think I tried everything. Everything out there, I've tried it. So all the lab work, I did the HSG test, visited or interviewed more doctors than I could count. I even considered IVF. I tried Clomid. So just so many things.

Caitlin Estes (05:38)
Yeah. And on a personal level too, know, I, correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like when you, first started working together, you told me you had done the whole 30 and totally changed up, some of your lifestyle decisions and you'd been working with a chiropractor and trying out different creams and recommendations and, and that intentionality again, I just think about our listener, like, we know what that's like to say, okay, I'm willing to do whatever I need to do, but you want it to work. And those things were not having the result that you were hoping for. And so you went looking for something different and you discovered your NaPro physician and NaPro technology works very closely with the Creighton model system because those physicians want their patients to be knowledgeable about their cycles and to be able to chart the reproductive biomarkers, specifically cervical mucus, so that they can get a ton of data and information about your hormonal health, cycle health, your periods, ovulation, whether you're inovulatory or not, so many different pieces of information from that charting. So she had you reach out to me and get started there. How did the journey change once you started with this different approach?

Magan (07:15)
Well, although I had my own trepidations about Creighton and charting at first, I think once I did my research, and really, really, it was once I met you that it took a turn. My decision just took a turn, and I said, let me stick with this. It was clear to me that this could potentially be a long game, not just another quick way to the finish line, but with my own health in mind.

Selfishly, it sort of became more about focusing on my health than the secondary infertility, which that was, yes, the end goal, but I needed to be healthy first. So this was a way, I felt like this was the way to go.

Caitlin Estes (07:53)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Did you feel like a freedom in switching that perspective from just about getting pregnant to really looking at your own health and valuing your own health? Or how would you describe that transition?

Magan (08:12)
It felt more of a motivation to keep pushing. So everyone who might have said, you know, well, this is checking out normal. This all looks normal on paper. It just kept pushing me because something clearly was not normal.

Caitlin Estes (08:29)
Yeah, how did you know? What were the signs in your own life that you knew something was wrong? Obviously you weren't conceiving when you were hoping to, but did you either have any other signs or symptoms that you were dealing with?

Magan (08:42)
actually, yes, and I didn't know that at the time. didn't connect it, but probably 10 months before I realized it was infertility, it was like some issues with stomach ulcers, and a series of other things that all seemed minor, but just something told me that it was all connected, which I later learned it was. So I am grateful for that.

Caitlin Estes (09:07)
Yeah. I mean, we are one human being individually, right? And so mind, body, spirit, all connected, but then you look at the body itself and all the different systems of the body are going to be interconnected. And so things that you may not even realize were issues. And I remember us talking about like some of those extreme emotions right before the period started, you know, or experiencing
moderate or maybe even severe cramps. can't remember exactly. Which one would you say it was? Was it moderate, severe? What were your cramps like during your periods?

Magan (09:45)
I'll admit it now, it was severe, but I was one of those, it's just really uncomfortable. I called it discomfort. I didn't know how to admit levels of pain for some reason.

Caitlin Estes (09:55)
Well, I think a lot of us, we've never been given permission to do that. We're kind of told to suck it up and deal with it. And it can be really painful, especially when something is going on to cause that. But when you've got years or even decades of doctors or coaches or whomever you're speaking to about it, saying, that's normal, you just have to live with that. Then we learn to kind of devalue our own pain too, whether it's, intentionally or unintentionally. So when we have all those experiences and side effects and symptoms and we don't even know that they could be all interconnected and caused by the same underlying condition, then it does feel very debilitating, especially when we're told infertility is unexplained. That doesn't give us a lot of hope. When you first went to your OB, because almost everyone thinks about trying to conceive for a year before they pursue any sort of fertility investigation or treatment or anything like that, the advice that your physician, your local OB-GYN, before Napro gave you that has stuck with me over the years. Would you share with our listeners what they told you to do to conceive?

Magan (11:11)
Well, there were a few ridiculous things looking back on it now, but the medical advice was to have intercourse every other day starting from the day after your last period ends.

Caitlin Estes (11:25)
just take a moment to think about that advice every other day for a year. That is crazy advice. The pressure that that puts on a husband and wife to try to conceive because nobody is going to be able to keep that schedule for whatever is going on in life, work, maybe other kids, sleep issues or illness or desire or any of many other things are gonna make that a little bit of a challenge. And so then that couple is gonna think, well, the reason we're not conceiving is because we're not sticking to the schedule that our doctor gave us and that's why it's not happening. And then it puts the pressure on you and the quote unquote blame on you when that is absolutely not the case.

⁓ So that was not the reason you didn't conceive and it wasn't unexplainable reason either. So talk with us about what happened after you started working with your NaPro physician and started charting information about your reproductive health through the Creighton system. Like what happened from there?

Magan (12:19)
I learned more about myself than I ever thought I cared to know. To be honest, it was eye-opening, it was like a new adventure, because I didn't know all of these things about myself. It's like suddenly I made sense to myself and to my family, you know. But I think what really, really changed everything was seeing the Napro surgeon and getting answers, the relief that I felt from that, that we all felt from that and the validation.

Caitlin Estes (13:03)
Absolutely. So your NaPro physician looked at your charting, did lab work and treated anything hormonally that they could treat initially. And then they referred you to a surgeon who was trained specifically in NaPro technology and the highest level of fellowship trained surgery within NaPro technology. So do you mind sharing what your diagnosis was and what that treatment was for you?

Magan (13:37)
It was a series of things, not just one thing. It was severe stage four endometriosis, adenomyosis, the need for removing lots of tissue and having an ovary misplaced.
The need to look outside of the tubes and not just inside. Fibroids. The list goes on. It truly does.

Caitlin Estes (13:56)
Yeah, and having that support was the first time that you were able to really identify those needs and have that surgery. And how did you feel after you had the surgery? Like mentally, emotionally, like was there a change once you received those diagnoses and they told you what they had found?

Magan (14:27)
Definitely after the first one receiving the diagnosis felt like a big relief but then you know the the big surgery leading up to the big surgery there was this fear of is this really the solution you know I was I was just I had a lot of different emotions going on and we had waited so long to find this out so it was like I needed it to work it was just

Yes, but then after that, after the recovery, maybe I should talk about that because you know, the recovery was rough, I have to admit, but once the recovery was was over, I just started to feel like I gained control over my life again. I had no idea that things had gotten so out of control. And it's like I finally admitted things were so painful every month and my emotions were so running so wild every month because of hormone issues, not just me. And so it felt really great to just regain control of my life, have physical and emotional strength that I did not have for years and energy, had energy.

Caitlin Estes (15:28)
Yeah. And we forget what an impact hormones have on something like energy and emotions and our relationships with others. But we are hormonal human beings. That's true for men, but it's especially true for women. And so they are going to impact our daily lives. So addressing those, supporting those, restoring those is going to have a positive outcome. And I'm so glad that it did for you too. Feeling better, feeling more in control, feeling more supported and energetic. That's so important. Well, in the beginning, you said your ultimate goal was to conceive, you know, and then it sort of shifted and became about your personal health and wellness and feeling better, improving your quality of life. But whatever happened to that hope for conceiving a pregnancy.

Magan (16:30)
⁓ It never went away. I think just the more time passed, I would have different emotions about it. It was a roller coaster. It felt like, well, I've tackled my actual health, so that's the real win here. But did I lose because, you know, because I didn't actually conceive? But then there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Caitlin Estes (16:46)
And did you actually conceive?

Magan (16:56)
I did in perfect timing.

Caitlin Estes (16:58)
I'm like, let's put that information out there too. But I love, I love that what you first thought to share was that emotional spiritual journey to the place of, well, I don't know if I'm going to conceive or not, but finding the peace in the midst of that first, like that is truly beautiful, Magan, that that's where you started with before even actually sharing that you did end up conceiving. I love that. That's really perfect.

Magan (17:30)
Yes, thank you. Well, I am about 15 weeks now and happily miserable. I tell myself that every day. This is what I've wanted.

Caitlin Estes (17:35)
Ha ha! That's right. it's hard to believe you're already 15 weeks. Of course, by the time this airs, it'll be even further into pregnancy than that, but we rejoice with  you. And gosh, I just, I so appreciate you being willing to talk a little bit to other women who may be feeling some of the same things, asking some of the same questions you were asking, hearing the same crazy advice from their friends or local OB or whomever it may be. So I really appreciate you coming on and sharing.

Magan (18:10)
Thank you, thank you. I appreciate the community. This is truly a community of, you know, success stories in their own ways.

Caitlin Estes (18:19)
Yes, I love that in their own ways that's right because we're all successful just in different ways. That's great. Well listeners, hers is a beautiful story and it's certainly not the only one just like she's saying. So I encourage you to go back through our episodes and listen to some of the other client stories there's lots there to choose from.

Magan (18:25)
right.

Caitlin Estes (18:38)
Whether you hear from women who were trying to conceive or single women battling reproductive health issues or anything else in between, I think that you're gonna hear in all of them just how empowering it is to know how God designed you and what kind of care that means that you deserve. Let us know which ones are your favorite. As always, thanks for listening as we continue to explore together what it means to be woven well.