Arakawa Family Castro Valley, CA
David and Natasha Arakawa + Nathan and Corinne
The crushing news came after trying to get pregnant for almost two years, and a lifetime of looking forward to it: I had polycystic ovaries. My body produced too little progesterone, an excess of testosterone, and as a result, I wasn’t ovulating regularly, if at all. The fertility specialist told me my chances of conceiving naturally were slim to none, and immediately prescribed Clomid. I asked if there were other more natural options available, but was told that if I really wanted a baby, I would most likely require the assistance of in vitro fertilization. While I was devastated, I just wasn’t ready to put my body through that.
As luck would have it, two weeks later I read an article in the local paper about a fertility study happening at Stanford University. The researchers were testing a nutritional supplement to measure its affect on women who had been unsuccessfully trying to conceive for at least six months. After three months of taking FertilityBlend, the follow-up blood test showed that my hormone levels had normalized. I was ovulating regularly and predictably. Two months later I took a pregnancy test, expecting the usual result. When it came out positive, I was in utter disbelief. I didn’t tell my husband (so as not to get his hopes up), but ran out to the grocery store at 7:30 a.m. to buy a second test. Only after this one, too, was positive, did I start to believe it. For the rest of my life that will be one of my most vivid and happiest memories ever. Nine months later, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, and am thankful every day for the melt-your-heart smiles, knock-you-over hugs, energy, strength, sweetness, curiosity, and pure joie de vivre that is my son.