This is such an important idea to promote because infertility leads to isolation, depression, anxiety, despair, hopelessness, very low self esteem and self worth. ALL of these feelings are normal and we have ALL gone through them. I don't know of a single person perfect enough to go through month after month of trying to conceive with no luck for months, years, and be able to come out unscathed at the other end, and that's because no one is perfect, and we are all incredible people each with our beautiful imperfections.
This is my third NIAW post since I started this blog around this time in 2013. I got into writing a blog because of this very feeling, that I didn't want to feel alone. I wanted to know that everything I was feeling, thinking, going through has been done before and therefore I am not some horrible anomaly in womanhood and that I was not in fact losing my mind... or if I was that I wasn't the only one that did during these trials. I found some wonderful, inspiring blogs: The Infertility Voice, The Amateur Nester, Where the Bleep is our Stork, among so many more that I browsed. I found myself reading the blogs until they conceived then feeling [irrationally] let down and moving onto another blog, until it happened to them, and so on. This is when I decided that I should start my own. I realized in reading all of these different blogs that though there were a lot of similarities in how one reacts to certain situations, each person's journey is different and something I may learn along the way may be beneficial to someone else later on. I was grateful to everyone that blogged about what to expect about each procedure we had tried. It helped them not seem so scary, and in some cases it helped me realize the odds of something working which helped lessen the blow when it didn't.
My call to all those couples reading that may still be silent about their journey because its vulnerable, and hard, and scary, is that's worth opening up and talking about it. It gives those negative feelings less power over you because you don't have to feel like no one will understand. I have read this happen throughout the online infertility community, once you open up about your journey, others share their stories with you, people you would have never guessed and all of the sudden you are not so alone...
THANK YOU to all of you who have helped me feel like I am not alone, those who have shared their infertility stories with me and even those who have not gone through infertility yourselves, you have learned how to be supportive of me and have made me strong.
Let's spread the word, educate our communities and be strong for each other!
NOTE: Its important to mention the best resource out there: RESOLVE The National Infertility Association for those going through infertility and for those who love someone who is going through infertility and want to be supportive and helpful.
