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Brenda
and Marvin Gilchrist desperately wanted a child. However, when Brenda
received an operation on her Fallopian tubes, she discovered that
she would be unable to have a child naturally. She says, "I
had always thought that I would have children and I really wasn’t
sure where my life was going to go at that point." Brenda and
Marvin decided to try in vitro fertilization. Unfortunately, Brenda
had a series of health problems. She was suffering from stress and
many viral infections, and was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Brenda was prescribed anti-depressants for her chronic fatigue symptoms,
but these medications made her feel ill. She and Marvin tried the
in vitro fertilization process five times over four years. As many
as twelve of Brenda’s eggs, fertilized with Marvin’s sperm,
were implanted into Brenda’s womb. None of them were accepted.
Meanwhile, Brenda’s fortieth birthday was fast approaching.
She says, "it was very important for me to become pregnant
before I was forty. I could not do any more in vitro fertilization
through the clinic after age forty."
Brenda began researching infertility treatments. She connected with
naturopath Dr. Marilyn May. Brenda appreciated Dr. May’s holistic
approach. She explains,"she spoke a lot about whole health,
the body being healthy as a whole before anyone could think about
conceiving." Brenda and Dr. May decided that the course of
their treatment, would include treating Brenda as if she was already
pregnant. She could not consume anything that could potentially
harm a fetus. Dr. May treated Brenda’s lagging adrenal system
and cured a recurring yeast infection. At Brenda’s request,
she also prescribed a mild progesterone cream to help Brenda accept
the embryo.
In addition, Brenda began to treat her emotional health. She visited
Shiatsu massage practitioner Anne Crawford. Anne’s massage
treatments responded to Brenda’s history of chronic fatigue,
as well as her difficulty in becoming pregnant. Shiatsu helped her
reduce stress and reinforced the treatment she was receiving from
Dr. May. Finally, a week before Brenda’s fortieth birthday,
she presented Marvin with a rose accompanied by a pair of baby’s
booties. Brenda’s dedication to a healthy lifestyle paid off
with the birth of her son, James. She believes the changes were
important, and says, "what we had to go through in order to
have James was worth every second of pain and disappointment. I
wouldn’t change a minute of it because he’s here and he
is just healthy and happy and wonderful."
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Finally,
a week before Brenda’s fortieth birthday, she presented Marvin
with a rose accompanied by a pair of baby’s booties.
"What we had to go through in
order to have James was worth every second of pain and disappointment."
– Brenda Gilchrist
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