Here is a list of top 10 things I wish you knew. May it help you relate to and support a friend battling infertility. 1. I need your support and friendship, but don’t ask me how things are going with getting pregnant or when are we are going to have kids. “Are you guys going to have kids?” and “How is it going trying to have a baby?” are probably two of my least favorite questions of all times. Seriously. Nothing else ever makes me squirm so uncomfortably and want to escape to the nearest exit like these two questions. I used to stammer and blush as I desperately tried to think of a nice response. You see my first reaction wasn’t nice at all. Honestly, my snarky thoughts include, “Have I announced a pregnancy to you yet?”or “I am beyond desperate for a baby and cry about it often.” But instead of blurting out what I am really thinking, I take a deep breath, paste a fake smile on my face and mumble something about it just not happening yet and trusting in God’s plan. While I do indeed trust in God’s timing, its so awkward that others will comment on this deeply, personal issue. So give your friend a break, save you both some embarrassment and don’t ask. 2. I cry a lot and anything can trigger it. While the emotions during pregnancy may be triggered by hormones, a woman is every bit as emotional during her season of infertility. We cry at baby commercials, Mother’s Day, baby showers, social media pictures, pregnancy announcements, walking by the baby section in Target and so many other situations where our infertility is like a slap in the face. Often these tears are private and shed with such grief and despair, our heart aches with desperation. 3. Infertility is at the front of my mind, 24/7. It is all consuming. I go to sleep praying and thinking about ways to enhance my chances of pregnancy and wake up to the same thoughts. I dont want to think of it all the time, but this situation has engulfed me and I cant get babies off my brain. I long for a break from this situation and to be “normal” like other women my age, who were blissfully preparing for a life with a little one. 4. Often I feel like a failure. Dealing with raging emotions, the feeling of failure came in sporadic waves, especially once we were diagnosed with “PCOS”. One minute I will be at peace with my infertility battle, and the next moment, truly feel like I had failed in my role as a woman. Bearing children is not only a life-long dream of mine, but also I felt like a calling from God. So when pregnancy isnt happening, I feel as though I am less of a woman, one who is failing at one of the only things I had ever wanted. But I know that as a child of God, my identity doe not lie in whether or not I can bear children, but in Christ alone. With or without kids, God still uses me for His glory if I let go of my feelings of failure.His Word reminds me in Psalm 138:8 that He does have a purpose and a plan for me. Wallowing in emotions of failure has blinded me from seeing that there is an AMAZING life awaiting me, with or without kids, if only I can surrender my plans for my life and follow God’s plan instead. 5. When you announce your pregnancy, I am happy for you, but devastated for me. Sometimes upon hearing yet another friend is pregnant, I will soon have to find a place alone to cry, if only for a second. (See, I told you I cry a lot!) It doesn’t mean Im not happy for my sweet friend, it just meant that this situation is bigger than me and sometimes I can’t pull myself out of my misery to truly celebrate with friends, even though I wanted to have a normal reaction to the big news. Yet at other times, I am able to put my situation aside and genuinely be happy for a newly expectant friend. It may sound self-centered and selfish, but at some moments, being consumed with infertility inhibits me from acting like myself. And trust me, I am wracked with guilt about being a bad friend! 6. Baby showers are complete and total torture!! Walking past the baby aisle at Target was hard enough, but watching a friend open tiny clothes and pastel baby accessories is too much for me. I long to be like everyone else at the shower; someone who desires to hear every detail of the nursery decor, is able to oooh and aaah over soft blankets, and offer advice to the mom-to-be, but I can’t. I am the girl holding back tears, plastering a smile on my face and wishing more than anything for a baby of my own. 7. Social media feeds the hurt and grief. Seeing pictures of sweet babies enveloped in their mother’s arms on Facebook makes me want to turn off the computer and head for a pint of ice cream. I am aggrieving the dream of being a parent, and the constant updates and pictures on social media is yet another reminder of my plight. I want to want to hear about every milestone and see pictures of your latest family outing, but it is just too painful. What happened to social media being an escape from reality? 8. Key phrases that make me go from joy to rage in 2 seconds include: “Just relax, it will happen when it is supposed to.” “If you stop trying, you’ll get pregnant right away.” “I’m pregnant and we weren’t even trying.” “Here’s what we did to get pregnant and it worked like a charm….” “Stop thinking about it and put it out of your mind.” “One day it will be your turn.” “Is there something wrong with you or Hubs that it hasn’t happened yet?” “Guess what? I’m pregnant!” “Will you help host a baby shower?” 9. I often wonder “why?” Wondering why I can’t have kids is a question always at the front of the mind of those coping with infertility, even if we know why we can’t have kids. Us “Infertiles ” wonder what we did to deserve this. Why are teenagers getting pregnant on accident, but yet I am not able to conceive? If I would take care of and love my children, why are those allowed to have kids who mistreat and neglect their kids? The “why’s” haunt us, even though there is nothing tangible we can do about the situation. 10. I never stop hoping and praying that this is the month where everything changes and I finally get pregnant. No matter what circumstance or medical diagnosis is stacked up in front of me, in the back of my mind is the tiniest flicker of hope that a miracle will occur, and I will conceive. Some months I may even “feel” pregnant and take a half dozen pregnancy tests in the hope that this is my month, the month where I get to announce with gusto that finally, after years of praying and waiting, I AM PREGNANT!! When that doesn’t happen and the baby dreams are put on hold once more, my spirit is crushed. The cycle starts over next month, where I may do something different in my diet or try a new technique to help reach the dream of parenthood. So, there it is, a peek into the thoughts and heart of someone who is battling infertility. Looking at this, my journey through this great unknown is sad, but not hopeless. In the end, by reminding myself that life is not about me or what I had planned, but about faithfully following God, even when it doesn’t make sense, allows me to lay this burden down and find peace and acceptance in Him. Life without kids is just as important, fulfilling and rewarding, as life spent as a parent. There IS life after infertility; I want embrace it and live it to the fullest, but Im not there yet. Who do you know who has walked or is walking the road of infertility? How can you encourage and love them through this difficult season? I would love to hear from you and pray with you in the battle of infertility!
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 15:25:06 +0000
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