As I was writing about the resolutions for 2016, I went back to look at my New Year’s Resolutions post for 2014. It also got me thinking about my 2015 Resolutions. Can you remember what your resolutions were for 2014 or 2015? I had a general idea, but couldn’t remember them all in detail. Once I read the post from 2014 (here), I recalled all the resolutions. I was pleased to see that I accomplished them! I remember writing that post and wondering if I should write “begin to try to have a baby” because it was such a personal goal and desire, very private for me. We didn’t really start trying in early 2014 because of our hectic work schedules and some trips we had planned. Then, I had a tough second half of the year. I went through some changes at work, it was a challenging emotional time for me. For this reason, I postponed trying to have a baby during those months. In late 2014, my hubby and I had a conversation about seriously trying to have a baby and what we needed to do. He has diabetes, so we knew it would be an issue in trying to get pregnant naturally. We sought medical guidance and were advised a fertility treatment was our best option. In 2015, I didn’t write a post about my resolutions, but did make some. One of them was to try to have a baby. It is a different type of resolution, more like a desire or wish, because you can try your best and take the necessary steps, but really can’t control it. It is not like a resolution to read more books or go to the gym more often, which you can control. We got serious about trying to have a baby in 2015, did some research, and took the necessary steps to get pregnant. Luckily, thanks to lots of prayer, blessings from God, and modern medical advances, we got pregnant at the first try!
This year, as I started to reflect on 2015 and the resolutions for 2016, as well as my future, I wrote a few down. The past year has been one of transition and change for me. I made a major change in my career and we decided to seriously try to have a baby. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and that God has a plan for us. So, as difficult as it was for me to make a carer change, because I loved my job, I realized it was another stage in my career, and I could move on to other fulfilling work. the last few months in that job were causing me health issues and problems I had never experienced in my career or life. It was very difficult for me because I am A type personality and consider myself a strong person. But, when other co-workers started having similar issues, I realized it wasn’t just me and that I wasn’t being weak. It was a situation which was out of our control. I hung in there for several months, trying to make adjustments, but things just weren’t changing at work, they were actually getting worse. Others were leaving the company for similar reasons.
With the support of my husband and family, I realized that my health, well-being, family, personal life, and happiness were more important than holding on to a job which I was no longer enjoying and was causing me to get sick. Making that major change allowed me to reduce the level of stress I was living with and make a lifestyle change. I believe, this helped us get pregnant on the first try of our fertility treatment. My body and mind (emotions) were in a good and healthy state, and that helped. I am not saying getting pregnant was easy, going through a fertility treatment is an emotional roller coaster. But, as I share our story towards pregnancy with others, I hear more and more stories of other couples who have tried to get pregnant and undergone multiple fertility treatments and have not been able to have a baby. This makes me feel even more grateful for our pregnancy and for God’s blessings upon us. I now understand why I had to go through a difficult time in 2014 in order to accept that making a career change was the best thing for our family and my happiness.
How did you decide you were ready to have a baby?
Hugs,
Paola
PS – Our pregnancy announcement and Baby Gender Reveal Party.