A Strange Week to Miss

I missed National Infertility Awareness Week. One week per year is dedicated to infertility, and I totally missed it. After reading infertility blogs and writing on this blog multiple times every week for months, I missed the one week per year that is dedicated to infertility. Ridiculous! How could I miss it? Well, you see, we found a house to buy and started the mortgage process. Then, we traveled "home" for several very busy days. Blogging necessarily took a backseat.

After kicking myself for making such a "huge" mistake, I started to feel a little silly. I don't actually need a week to be aware of infertility. I'm aware of infertility every week, every day in fact. Infertility is in the back of my mind nearly all of the time. Sit up straighter; a squished spine might decrease fertility. Don't drink that cup of coffee; caffeine might decrease fertility. Take that prenatal vitamin; my body needs to be ready to carry a baby. Eat more vegetables to improve fertility. Get more sleep to avoid hindering fertility. Don't get too stressed. Stay away from "normal" shampoo; the chemicals are linked to infertility.

I'm tired of being aware of infertility.  I know many people have been on this road for way longer, and I really feel for them. We all long for the days when we thought a positive pregnancy test always resulted in a healthy baby, when we thought pregnancy was inevitable unless prevented, when we assumed that life would follow our own plans.

National Infertility Awareness Week is not really for us. It's for those of you who can't relate. I hope this blog has made you more aware of infertility. If you want to learn more, please check out these resources and other perspectives:

• RESOLVE - The National Infertility Assosociation: What is Infertility?
• Don’t Ignore People With Infertility – Do You See Me? 
• "A Better Blessing" by Kristi
• The Fertility Authority - Unexplained Infertility
• Bio Girl: One in Eight
• Don't Count Your Eggs