I never expected to join this club. It was certainly not in my childhood plans when I was growing up, and I never thought I would be so passionate about something so serious.
What club is that, you ask?
The women of IVF.
Infertility is extremely personal. It gets you right in the pit of your stomach and the center of your heart. Yet, when I meet women and men who are experiencing IVF, it’s as if an instant bond is made. A friend for life. Someone who was a complete stranger is now looked at in a different light because they, too, know what it is like to go through the impossible. And suddenly, you feel connected because someone else understands the pain and agony of trying to have a baby.
Not everyone understands this though. I recently read about a celebrity that said the stupidest comment to the regards of, “how everybody gets pregnant, alcohol.”
Seriously?
I have now wiped this person from my radar. Without giving any sense of care to what they were saying, it is disrespectful and insulting to those of us that cannot conceive on our own.
But why waste time on those that don’t deserve it.
Infertility affects approximately 1 in 8 couples. That means there are a lot of women who feel mixed emotions when it comes to pregnancy. It means something different to everyone…especially those of us that might never be able to experience it no matter how badly we want to.
IVF changed my life in many ways. I experienced a miscarriage and found my faith tested to the max when I was able to carry my son full term. He is my one shot at motherhood, and he is everything I every dreamed of.
So to the women of the IVF club, I take your hand in mine. You are not alone. You are completely normal. You are special and you deserve to be heard. Speak up about IVF and your experience(s) with it.
I will always be listening because this bond can never be broken.