There are many instances in life when we are left speechless. Some of those moments are rooted in immense joy and others in unexplainable grief. National Rainbow Baby Day on August 22nd is a yearly reminder of both extreme feelings.  According to the American Pregnancy Association, a rainbow baby is a colloquially used term to describe a healthy baby who is born after a family has experienced a stillbirth, miscarriage, or infant loss.  “Rainbow babies are considered ‘miracle’ babies due to the powerful impact they can have on helping parents heal after a loss,” explains the...

Big feelings abound whenever the “maybe, next month” turns into conversations with doctors and an official diagnosis you maybe weren’t expecting. While any person or couple navigating infertility is far from alone — Resolve, the National Infertility Association, shares that 1 in 8 couples struggle with getting pregnant or bringing a pregnancy to full term —  it’s true that each person’s journey with infertility is unique.  The mental health strain of navigating infertility, for instance, can present differently from couple to couple or even within the same relationship.   According to the MGH Center for Women’s Mental...

When people talk about chemical pregnancies, they often mention that these pregnancy losses occur so early, that many women don’t even know they’re pregnant — and will have no idea that they’ve lost a pregnancy. But for infertility patients, that line of thinking doesn’t quite apply. Thanks to diligent cycle tracking, early testing, and frequent visits to your reproductive endocrinologist, fertility patients are more likely to know if they’ve suffered a chemical pregnancy. And finding out you’re pregnant only to learn that your pregnancy won’t last, is particularly devastating for those who had difficulty conceiving in...

For many, the right to an abortion is believed to be a black and white issue: you either support it, or you don’t. But for the millions of people globally who are faced with infertility, pregnancy loss, or the heartbreaking decision to terminate a pregnancy for medical reasons, there are many shades of gray when it comes to the topic of abortion. Even if there isn’t a medical necessity, the right to an abortion is a complex issue with lots of nuances.  On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court officially ruled to overturn Roe...

What previous generations once believed to be an impossibility has officially come to pass. On June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that gave all Americans federal protection to the right to terminate a pregnancy. And as fertility advocates, we are both heartbroken and outraged.  Despite those on either side of the political aisle believing abortion to be a black and white issue, for the millions of people globally who are faced with infertility, pregnancy loss, or the heartbreaking decision to terminate a pregnancy for...

Sponsored by Organon Kristyn Hodgdon is an IVF mom, current fertility patient, Co-founder and Chief Community Officer of Rescripted. This article is the opinion of the author and reflects the author's views. The author is not a healthcare professional. Let’s set the stage: You may have been trying to conceive (TTC) for a while now. You may think you’re doing everything right, however, month after month you’re hit with that single pink line or the negative symbol on a pregnancy test. With each passing month, you may feel a little bit more helpless and in search of answers. You...

In May of 2015, I married the love of my life. It was a whirlwind romance that took my breath away. I had so much hope and high expectations for this marriage. We were two young people excited to do life together. One month later, I found out that I was pregnant. I wasn’t ready for that to happen so quickly; it didn’t even cross my mind that I would be in that position only 5 weeks after our wedding. I was honestly shocked and more scared than excited. But seeing my husband’s joy and encouragement...

Sponsored by Organon Dr. Alice Domar is a health psychologist with over 34 years of experience as a fertility therapist and has conducted decades of research on the relationship between stress and infertility. She pioneered the application of mind/body medicine to infertility care and currently is the Chief Compassion Officer and Director of Research at Inception. This article is written from the point of view of Dr. Domar based on her more than 3 decades of extensive experience working with patients experiencing infertility. If you get the sense that everyone is talking about infertility these days, that’s...

It might sound daunting to have your and your partner’s genetic makeup and quality tested; it can feel like it’s just another thing to tack onto your long list of worries and concerns while dealing with infertility. But while it may seem overwhelming, genetic testing is truly a groundbreaking science that can provide a helpful road map for your doctor to work with on your fertility journey. So, should you do genetic testing before–or during–IVF? Let's look at the options:  Genetic Carrier Screening Genetic Carrier Screening is a DNA blood test that determines whether a not...

I miscarried at the same time as a close friend who had also been fighting infertility. She told me she was pregnant two weeks before I found out I was pregnant, too. Our due dates were fifteen days apart. We were thrilled about the idea of raising babies together. I miscarried first. She miscarried two days after me.  When we were in the depths of it all, still bleeding as our bodies worked to become un-pregnant, we consoled each other. We updated each other on appointments and procedures, comforted by the fact that we were both...