20 Inspirational World Mental Health Day Quotes
Every year on October 10th, World Mental Health Day is full of acknowledging that our mental health is an important part of our overall health. The world is having more candid conversations around mental health, but it’s also true that we could always use more open takes — especially in the fertility community where the focus is so heavily placed on physical well-being. Below are a handful of quotes that speak openly about mental and emotional well-being. 20 World Mental Health Day quotes to inspire you On managing a new diagnosis… “There is no standard...
It Took Me Six Years To Become a Mom. Now I Help Women Struggling To Conceive.
It took me six years and two minutes to become a mom. On November 5th, 2018, my life changed in the craziest and most wonderful way when at 5:19 pm, I gave birth to my son, Malachi, and at 5:20 pm to my daughter, Amalia. I’ve always wanted to be a mom and really did always dream of having twins. But in those two minutes, my dream came true after seeing the impossible made possible. Becoming a mom is by far the project I’ve worked on more than any other over the last decade of...
5 Tips for Handling Infertility During the Holidays
That time of year is upon us. Again. We know all too well that the holiday season can be rife with emotional landmines when going through infertility. Gatherings with family and friends can mean unsolicited and insensitive comments. They can also mean seeing up close and personal the less complicated family-building journeys of those close to us. It hurts. Holidays also serve as a benchmark in the passage of time. They can be a painful reminder of where we expected to be by now. Our by-this-time-next-year hopes bump up against the harsh reality of how far...
How To Help Your Relationship Survive Infertility
I will never forget the day I was sitting in my therapist's office, telling her how poorly my relationship with my husband was bearing the weight of infertility. She locked eyes with me and said, “What happens if you get the baby you want so badly, but your marriage doesn’t survive as a result?" My heart started pounding. I felt my all-consuming infertility anxiety screech to a halt in surprise. The reality at that moment was that I had let our struggle to conceive completely take over our lives. Everything else took a backseat...
Tips For Managing Emotional Triggers While Trying To Conceive
Recently, I have found myself in multiple conversations around managing triggers. I have also gotten into at least two debates about whether a friend had failed to “read the room” in complaining about something that her audience didn’t have the luxury to complain about. These interactions have been about topics both related and unrelated to TTC, but the juxtaposition has left me wondering where the bulk of the responsibility lies when it comes to infertility triggers, in particular. While trying to conceive, triggers can come from every direction and without warning. A pregnancy announcement...
An Open Letter To Lena Dunham From The Infertility Community
To Lena, Your Harper’s article caused quite the stir within the vast infertility community. There were varying perspectives and responses, and we’d like to share them with you. We write this letter not on behalf of an “infertility club,” but on behalf of each of our individual hearts. We include people who have become parents via egg donation, sperm donation, embryo adoption, traditional adoption, and surrogacy. We include people who have become single parents by choice. We include those who are childless not by choice. And womxn who have had hysterectomies and have one ovary,...