A businesswoman, Mrs Celestina Ofori, has begun an advocacy work to highlight the need for religious persons who were battling infertility to also seek medical attention immediately.
“Praying is good but people must also know that not everything is spiritual and even if it is, you have to consult the medical experts for directions,” she said.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Times on Tuesday, Mrs Ofori said her advocacy, which would be done using social media campaign, was part of her 11 years marriage anniversary celebrations aimed at drawing religious people’s attention to tackle infertility issues also from medical fronts.
Sharing her experience of Trying To Conceive (TTC) for two years, she said while praying fervently, if she had not consulted medical personnel with her husband as early as possible, she would not have known that her fallopian tubes were blocked, making it possible for the challenge to be addressed.
She said it was unfortunate that some couples focused unnecessarily on “fighting spirits” and waited when the situation had deteriorated to an irreparable extent before consulting medical experts for attention.
“Apart from prayers, you have to work alongside because pregnancy would not fall from anywhere if you sit idle. Even the Bible says faith without works is dead,” she said.
The businesswoman, based in the United States of America, who is now a mother of two children said after being told by medical professionals that she was unlikely to get pregnant naturally unless through In vitro Fertilisation (IVF), she started an intensive research to check her diet, weight, start medication and also save towards the IVF.
She said she was fortunate to conceive naturally but was sure if she had not worked at conception and simply resorted to praying, she might have not been a mother by now.
“I am a Christian but I didn’t sit down doing nothing. As I prayed I also put in a lot of effort and I acknowledge my pastor who also encouraged me to seek medical attention as soon as possible” she explained.
She commended her husband whom she described as supportive during what she described as “the difficult times” and urged all husbands to do same.
She said even when it turned out that she was the cause of their inability to conceive, he encouraged her to seek help until she was successful.
Mrs Ofori advised men not to turn their backs on their wives if they found out that they were the cause of their inability to conceive, but go through the battle with infertility with them until they achieved the desired results.
She disclosed that her social media advocacy had become necessary because an earlier testimony she had shared had encouraged a lady who had been childless for over nine years to also “get to work” and was blessed with a set of twin girls she conceived naturally.
She discouraged stigmatisation of childless couples because it only put them under unnecessary pressure.
FROM DZIFA TETTEH TAY, TEMA
