I know what it feels like to have every single one of your friends announce a pregnancy while you go month after month with a negative test. What it feels like to have so much hope just to end up crying on the bathroom floor…..again. I know what it feels like to feel guilty because you are jealous of your friends’ happiness. I know what it feels like to yell at God “Why me?” “It’s not fair!”. To decline a baby shower invite because you know you’ll break down right in the middle of it. Infertility is hard, ugly and a thief of joy. So what is NIAW?

National Infertility Awareness Week. A week to bring awareness to the fact that so many people are struggling with infertility. The mental struggle, physical struggle, the strain it can put on your marriage, etc. The conversation around infertility is growing. Which is AMAZING! There are so many women out there who struggle in silence and don’t realize there is a whole community of women who are in the same boat and want to support them. I have openly shared my infertility journey for this very reason. If sharing my experience can help make even one woman feel less alone then it is worth it for me.

NIAW

1 in 8.

1 in 4.

What do these numbers mean? They represent how common infertility is. 1 in 8 couples struggle to get pregnant or to sustain a pregnancy. 1 in 4 women have experienced a miscarriage.

How could these stats not break your heart? That is the whole point behind NIAW, to help people understand how common this struggle really is!

Ok, so now you know how common the struggle is. But what does that mean? It means 1 of 2 things. Either you can afford to seek medical help or you can’t. You either can’t start a family or you spend thousands of dollars trying to. Thousands of dollars to undergo shots, scans, procedures, surgeries, etc. You have to try and find out the reason it’s not working and then hopefully there are options to help.

Medicated cycles, IUI, IVF, are all options when trying to conceive with medical intervention. IVF is the last resort.

Sometimes the issue is just a simple hormonal imbalance. And sometimes it’s way more complicated than that, like involving genetics.

You can be perfectly healthy your whole life and still struggle.

Another false thought is that it is always the female that is having trouble. When in reality both men and women can contribute to infertility.

Secondary infertility is real and comprises about 30% of infertility as a whole. Meaning, you can still experience infertility in subsequent pregnancies even after previously successful, easy-to-conceive pregnancies. How frustrating would that be, to have no problem having your first child and struggling to have another.

Now what?

This week I encourage you to educate yourself. And if you know of a friend who is struggling to conceive, reach out to them. I know it can be difficult to know what to say but pretending it isn’t happening and not talking about it can be worse.

And if you are struggling, I see you! Keep the hope! I am only a message away!!