Empty Womb, Aching Heart : Hope and Help for Those Struggling with Infertility

by Schalesky, Marlo

• ISBN13: 9780764224102
• ISBN10: 0764224107
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-05-01
• Publisher: Bethany House

Summary

When the professional advice isn't enough, and you've had your fill of well-meaning comments from those who haven't experienced infertility, Marlo Schalesky wants you to know you are not alone. The true stories she tells of couples who share your hopes, fears, frustrations, and the comfort only God can bring will encourage your heart.Infertility strikes at the core of what it means to be a woman or man, tests marriages, and shakes faith. The honest, open, and emotionally resonant first-person stories in Empty Womb, Aching Heart will touch your life -- as you "cry in the diaper aisle," wonder if you "are less of a woman," ask "How far should we go?" or whisper to God, "It's not fair."

Author Biography

Marlo Schalesky is a frequent contributor to Today's Christian Woman and Discipleship Journal, as well as a minister in the Church of the Nazarene. Marlo and her husband live in California.

Table of Contents

Introduction	11	(4)
Section One: Struggles of the Heart
Crying in the Diaper Aisle	15	(6)
Babies, Babies Everywhere	21	(6)
Monthly Cycle, Monthly Tears	27	(4)
Slaying the Dragons of Despair	31	(6)
The Misery of Mother's Day	37	(8)
Section Two: Struggles of the Mind
I'm Pregnant, You're Not	45	(4)
``Just Relax, Dear,'' and Other Maddening Advice	49	(8)
Marriage: How Could He Still Love Me?	57	(6)
Marriage: Nothing I Do Helps	63	(8)
Can We Be a Real Family?	71	(8)
Section Three: Struggles of the Body
Miscarriage: When Nightmares Come True	79	(6)
I Can't Take This Anymore---the Physical Stress	85	(6)
Decisions, Decisions---How Far Should We Go?	91	(6)
Am I Less of a Woman?	97	(6)
Am I Less of a Man?	103	(10)
Section Four: Struggles of the Spirit
If God Really Loved Me	113	(6)
It's Not Fair!	119	(6)
If Sarah, Why Not Me?	125	(6)
Why Is This Happening to Me? Am I Being Punished?	131	(8)
Of Idols and False Gods	139	(10)
Section Five: A Word of Hope
Treasures From the House of Poverty	149	(8)
Heaven's Gift	157	(8)
The Second Bedroom on the Right	165	(6)
A Promise Kept	171	(10)
Appendix A: Top Survival Tips	181	(4)
Appendix B: Where to Find Help	185