Although I did not start using the Creighton Model until 2017, my story began in 2010 when I was in college. My primary care doctor prescribed me birth control pills because I was having significantly painful periods that would incapacitate me at times. When I started using the pill, I thought it was great because I had no symptoms during my periods. However about 3 months into taking the pill, I started to get migraines again, which I had not experienced since high school. I went back to the doctor, who just prescribed me a birth control pill with slightly different amounts of estrogen in it. This cycle of switching to a different brand of pill continued for almost 2 years because my migraines were getting worse. I finally went to a different doctor to get a second opinion. She told me that I immediately needed to stop taking the estrogen pill because I was at a significantly increased risk of stroke being on the pill with migraines that had visual auras. Of course I was in a panic and asked the doctor what my other options were. She suggested a progesterone based pill or an IUD, never anything else. I tried the progesterone pill, but would have my period for 21 days straight. I stopped that quickly and decided that the IUD was a better option, especially since I was getting married within a few months.

I had an IUD for approximately 2.5 years and started to notice some odd symptoms. I was having a much longer period than normal. After bleeding for 14 days, I decided that I needed to get to a doctor. I knew that there was a risk for ectopic pregnancy with the IUD and was concerned I was having one. The doctor would not listen to me and said there was no way that I could be pregnant. I asked several times for a pregnancy test and blood work, and the doctor finally agreed. Within 15 minutes of leaving the facility, I received a call from the doctor to come back to the office as my pregnancy test was positive. I was immediately scheduled for an ultrasound that day, where they confirmed that I was had an ectopic pregnancy and I was now miscarrying. I had a repeat ultrasound a week later and the doctors found that even though my hCG levels were dropping, I was having increased internal bleeding in my left fallopian tube. My doctor informed me to get to the ER asap so that I could have an injection of methotrexate to help speed along the miscarriage and decrease risk of my tube rupturing. I had my IUD removed and was in/out of the doctor’s office for over a month making sure that everything was healing appropriately. My husband and I were not wanting to conceive at that time, but I was still devastated that I had lost a baby I never even knew about.

I was afraid that I was going to be judged for being on different types of birth control in the past. Kristin was never judgmental and was patient with us while we learned everything.

This is when I decided to reach out to Kristin to look into the Creighton Model. Because of my previous health complications with birth control, I knew I needed a safe and natural option. I was sick of putting chemicals into my body that only made things worse for me. When we first started meeting with Kristin I was nervous, because I thought my path was so different from others. Also, I was afraid that I was going to be judged for being on different types of birth control in the past. Kristin was never judgmental and was patient with us while we learned everything. I am not going to lie, the system did take some getting used to. Prior to starting the Creighton Model, we never had to think about the consequences of having intercourse at certain times my cycle. However as we came to understand the model better, we began to love it.

I truly believe that the Creighton Model helped strengthen our marriage. It taught us how to communicate better, how to express our love in different ways, and how to make the intimate moments more special. We have not yet tried to use the model to conceive, but when we do I know that Kristin will be by our side throughout and will help us in any way that she can. I am grateful for the Creighton Model and believe that it has improved my overall health and well-being. I would recommend this program to anyone, especially those who feel like the pill or an IUD is their only option. My journey is not yet over, but I know that I am on the right path.

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Author: Anonymous client of Faustina FertilityCare Center