Our Struggle With Infertility: Part 1

This might be the most personal I’ve ever gotten online. I can remember shaking with nerves when this video interview was first posted to YouTube. See, I’m supposed to be the one inspiring others with health and wellness – sharing pictures of perfect kale smoothies and video tips on how to get strong flat abs. I never imagined I’d be posting Instagram selfies in pre-surgery hospital scrubs and a video interview with a psychologist about the very real struggles with infertility.

But here we are.

 

We are in the middle of our first IVF cycle after three failed IUI cycles, one miscarriage and almost 2 years trying to conceive. Through this journey I have met so many women who have also walked this path – some for as long as a decade. And they are still resilient, positive and hopeful at one day growing their families.  If this journey has taught me anything, it is the breathtaking strength of women and the powerful community that forms when we open up and share our most vulnerable moments with each other.  These women are my inspiration and give me strength to keep going.

The fact is, no matter how much acupuncture you do, or how pristine your paleo/gluten/dairy-free organic diet is, or how many Naturopath recommended supplements you take – infertility still happens. Miscarriages still happen.

There should be NO shame in this. But it still exists. Women often don’t openly share their struggles precisely because of this outrageous notion that they’ve done something wrong to deserve it – that they are somehow inadequate. Shame around this topic breeds silence, and silence is so, so isolating for the 1 in 8 couples experiencing infertility.

The fact is, women’s bodies bear the double burden of invasive medical interventions and society’s judgement when it comes to infertility, regardless of the cause. I’m sharing my story to let others know they are not alone. There is no more room for shame in this conversation of infertility.

Please watch part 1 of this conversation as I talk about the struggle of infertility with my friend, psychologist Dr. Stacy Thomas 

 

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