[einstein]

... do you follow what the church says and don't do IVF or infertility treatments? Do you go ahead with your plans to treat the infertility regardless of what your faith teaches? Do you feel guilty because of it? Do you tell other people of your faith if you are doing infertility?

[hopetoadopt472]

I am catholic and NO I did not follow what the church says about IVF and other means of assisted reproduction.

I went ahead taking clomid, doing injectibles and having IUI's performed with absolutely not one ounce of guilt. I prayed like crazy each month for God to give me a child.

My family and friends are also catholic and not one of them mentioned to me that it would be wrong in the church's eyes to pursue parent hood in the manner in which we were at the time.

How could God punish us for trying to fufil his command to procreate? For having the desire to be a mother?

[Sherie and Matt]

I am also Catholic and have not one ounce of guilt for trying to conceive another child through whatever means posible.

We are all loved in God's eyes.

[kelceesmom]

I am Catholic and did what we could to get pregnant. I believe if God wanted us to have a baby through these methods he would also help us out. I don't believe he is a punishing God and that would be punishing to not let us try what we could to create new life. Great question.

[analissa]

Originally Posted by einstein

... do you follow what the church says and don't do IVF or infertility treatments? Do you go ahead with your plans to treat the infertility regardless of what your faith teaches? Do you feel guilty because of it? Do you tell other people of your faith if you are doing infertility?

If you are a Catholic, the first thing to do would be to talk to a priest and discuss your situation and tell him your plans of pursuing in vitro. Involve them in your decisions and maybe you'll be surprised by their support and perhaps their approval.

[analissa]

Originally Posted by einstein

... do you follow what the church says and don't do IVF or infertility treatments? Do you go ahead with your plans to treat the infertility regardless of what your faith teaches? Do you feel guilty because of it? Do you tell other people of your faith if you are doing infertility?

If you are a Catholic, the first thing to do would be to talk to a priest and discuss your situation and tell him your plans of pursuing in vitro. Involve them in your decisions and maybe you'll be surprised by their support and perhaps their approval.

[meremere]

Ok I am not Catholic but I have thought of this a lot. I follow the teachings of Dr Dobson (Focus on the family) actually that is how I found this website, I typo when going to focus on the family (talk about devine intervention??!!!)
Dr Dobson also says that it is wrong to do IVF. not that we are "playing God" but for the left over embrio's. He teaches that they are creatures of God and by not using them all it is the same as abortion. I personally do not agree with him BUT...... I decided IF we did IVF any embrio's not used I would donate to Snowflakes. It is basically a Non Profit Org that takes fertilized eggs and freezes them and "in-fertile" couples can "adopt the embrio" and have it inplanted. That is a NPO that Dobson approves of. But I had a long hard "thunk about it" and decided to heck with it, it is not wrong, it is a blessing that man is smart enought to figure it out. If it is there for us then why not use the information to change lives. So as you can see I have beaten around the bush the whole way you can. I agree with a earlier post that God is not a punishing God, he would not want us to go through this "for kicks". There is a reason for it but I can not understand it (trust me I have tried to figure it out day after day after day and could drive myself nuts still trying ot figure it out!!!)

[lugotwins2007]

I was raised Catholic and am a practicing Christian. I agree that it is not wrong to go through assisted reproductive technology. NO MAN can really make a baby. They are merely connecting the sperm and the egg. The rest is in God's hands. They have no control over whether that egg decides to implant or not. As for the extra embryos, I like to suggestion of donating them to other families that want to have a child and can't. Discarding frozen embryos is not the same as abortion. The life begins once the embyo implants into the uterus.

[GUS07]

I am Catholic and see nothing wrong with fertility treatment or ivf for that matter. As a personal choice DH and I decided when it started to seem we'd have issues conceiving that we would do everything possible but not ivf, that is going to be our cut off, and I'm hopeful that we won't even get close to it. But who knows what will happen as time goes on.

[leelee]

DH and I are Catholic and I have actually felt a little conflicted at times about this. It's really hard for me to believe God would punish us for wanting a child and trying to have a family though, so I've never let it stop me from treatment. I don't tell others of my faith I have IF treatments, but I really don't think they would be judgemental, I just hardly talk about my IF with anyone. Thant's why I like this forum so much -people to talk to who understand

[lettyo67]

I am Catholic and do not believe IVF is wrong. I don't think God picks and chooses who gets pregnant. I believe if we can't get pregnant on our own and are given the opportunity to take actions to try to do so, then that is God's plan for me. I take the actions to become a mother and then the outcome is out of my hands. My mother is extremely devout (church every day) and her desire to see me have a baby and be a grandmother again far outweighs and misgivings she might have!

[Kellileanne]

I agree with just about everything!!!

My mom and I were just talking about me possibly having to go on clomid and she told me that she was behind us 100% in whatever we chose to do to have a baby! She hopes we don't have to go the IVF road but if we do, she is behind us all the way and she really doesn't think anyone around us would think bad of us for trying to add to His Kingdom! He wouldn't have given us the technology if it wasn't for a purpose!!! (And I strongly believe that! we may not understand or agree with the purpose but I do believe it all has a purpose!)
My state has a stem-cell initiative on the ballet coming up and I can't believe all the people saying that it is all about cloning!!! They obviously haven't read it! It strictly bans human cloning!!!!!!! Oh well, all I can do is go vote, make sure my voice is heard. I guess we will see how it turns out!

[rcgomez2003]

Kelli--would you happen to live in Missouri? I live in Illinois but my Dr. that we are going to for IVF is in Missouri and they've told me that alot of things could change is the proposition passes....just curious...

[kjp]

I found this on the internet and it seemed fitting of this thread....

I am a religious person and my faith in what God means when he
gives people certain challenges has kept me going
through this ordeal. What do I think
God meant when he gave me Infertility? I think
he meant for my husband and I to grow closer,
become stronger, love deeper. I think
God meant for us to find the fortitude within
ourselves to get up every time infertility
knocks us down. I think God
meant for our medical community to discover
medicines, invent medical equipment, create
procedures and protocols. I think God meant
for us to find a cure for Infertility.
No, God never meant for me to not have children.
That's not my destiny, that's just a fork in the road I'm on.
I've been placed on the road less traveled,
and like it or not, I'm a better person for it.
Clearly, God meant for me to overcome my devestation,
guilt and sorrow in order to develop more compassion,
deeper courage, and greater inner strength on this
journey to resolution and I haven't let Him down.
Frankly, if the truth be known, I think God meant
for me to build a thirst for a child so strong and
so deep that when that baby is finally placed in my arms it will
be the longest, coolest, most refreshing drink
I've ever known.

Submitted by Carol ????

[leelee]

kjp, thanks for posting this. It was really moving for me. I think I'm going to print it out and save.

Leelee