National Infertility Awareness Week

This week is the 19th annual National Infertility Awareness Week. There are so many families facing infertility. There are so many different causes and it can affect a wide range of people. Some cases of infertility are never explained. It can happen to anyone - even those who have had children in the past with easy conception. Some families are willing and able to go through treatment in attempt to succeed, and others are not, for various reasons.

I for one, was shocked to read in one of Dr. Silber's books that 17% of women in their late 20's would face infertility. I thought I was young and should easily conceive. Thankfully, after 10 months of trying, charting, OPKing, taking supplements, and other various low-tech measures, we did get past my long, irregular cycles and conceived. We were lucky and carried that pregnancy to term with a healthy baby and mother. I did not face infertility --that time. There is never a guarantee that one can conceive and I don't take that gift for granted. I hope one day, we will be able to have another child, and I hope it won't take more than a year once we begin really trying, but you never know. Anything could happen.

Take a moment today to think about all of the families out there fighting infertility. You might not even know that people close to you are facing it. They may not want to share. That is okay, each person deals differently with this type of pain. Perhaps the best thing we can learn to do is to be careful about what we say. Many things fertile people take for granted and complain about, or ask nosy questions about, can be very hurtful to someone struggling with infertility. I know I've been guilty of that.

To all the families out there living with infertility and fighting the odds, I support you. I wish you the best and I hope your battle is over soon, and you have the children you always wanted in your arms.