National Infertility Awareness Week April 21-27

           This week is National Infertility Awareness Week is this week. It's a week to bring awareness to the disease of infertility. Infertility affects 1 in 8 couples. 1 in 8. Isn't that crazy? We don't talk about it, either! Until you have been there or are there, you don't realize that it happens to so many people. I never understood infertility until I was there. It was the most painful months of my life! It made me frustrated, depressed, bitter(at times), jealous, doubt, and insecure. I only went through 20 months of this. I was lucky, as some people go 5 years, 10 years, and a lifetime. I can't even imagine. It breaks my heart.
       I pray for couples going through this. I pray for peace, comfort, and direction. I pray that they will be able to have a child. I ask that you would pray for these couples.
    Also, please support them by just listening. So many times people would give me advice(just relax, take a vacation, ect) and it made it worst instead of better. Many people just want someone to listen to them. They want someone just to let them cry and scream about their frustrations and pain. Please, just be there.
    Also, understand that infertility impacts couples emotionally, physically, and financially. They are obviously emotionally strained. Every month(or more than that), their hopes are raised and then fall when they don't become pregnant. Or they try to adopt and hit a road block. Or they lose their child. It's awful. They need support.
    Luckily, I didn't have a lot of the pain from infertility, but many women(and maybe men) do. I know women are pricked and probed throughout treatment. There are the needles and internal ultrasounds. Then there are the medicines that give awful side effects. It's not fun. I had some not so fun side effects from medicines.
     Financially, it's hard on couples. Infertility is expensive and most of the time it is not covered by insurance. Many couples have to pay out of pocket. We were really lucky that when we switched insurances, we had 3 chances with an IUI covered. Apparently, it only needed one chance. But many couples don't have any coverage. Not to mention, places in rural areas(like us) have to drive fertility clinics far away(like 2 hours) multiple times and with gas it's expensive. Or if they decide to adopt, it cost money and it's expensive. There are so many expenses and it can be rough.
      Infertility sucks! Please take time to pray for couples dealing with infertility. Please support them. Be aware of them. If you need some more information about infertility, please visit Resolve. If you want to know what to say or how to help, visit this page: Infertility Etiquette.