Infertility
Do you think the social stigma of infertility is fading? Throughout history people have viewed infertility as shameful and demeaning. Women blame themselves and usually don’t tell others they are undergoing treatment or avoid treatment. Not being able to have a baby without assistance or losing a pregnancy, in a society of judgement, meant you had to mourn in silence.
About 6.1 million women in the U.S. have trouble getting pregnant or staying pregnant. But why do we not hear about it? Why do we feel alone or ashamed to speak about it? I think it’s the worst thing we do to each other, not to share the truth about our struggles. Speaking out helps others feel like they are not alone in their journey.
I personally know a few couples who went though fertility treatment but I only found out because of opening up about my own struggle. I know there are so many more couples who have gone through this or are currently going through it. I don’t think it’s a subject we need to necessarily share every detail about but it would be nice to hear from others about their journey, their miracles and to be connected.
Dalton and I spoke yesterday, while waiting for our doctor, about rather we would share with others about our fertility journey. We decided that we felt it would be beneficial for me to feel the freedom to share as well as possibly encourage other women/couples. We want to be completely unashamed, open and connect with others for prayers & encouragement. We want to break the stigma and remove the cloak of shame by expressing our journey & hope.
Many women trying to conceive have extreme levels of anxiety and depression.
There is a gut wrenching pain when you fail to become pregnant after years of trying or losing one when you finally do. And what could make that even worse? Silence, feeling alone, judgement and pressure from others. The only way to reduce the stigma attached to infertility is to encourage the conversation, to educate and empower couples when they are facing difficulties with conceiving.
So here we are on our journey, an open book, prayerfully expecting our miracle and here for anyone else going through it also. We aren’t looking for advice but would love to hear your testimony, stories of miracles or resources for encouragement.
I am extremely blessed with a strong man who is supportive and sees me as whole & beautiful no matter what. He loves me & married me fully aware of the journey we would need to take. He is there every step of the way with encouragement & faith. We both have families & friends who don’t pressure us, they do pray with us and they do support us. But not everyone has this level of understanding and support from their family & friends. Community is everything, so let’s have one another’s backs. Love you all