NIAW - My annual FB status posts thread

Rachael07.07.07 · April 2012

It is that time of the year again and I've noticed a couple other boards chattering about it. I suppose it's time for me to post this annual thread of mine. Anyone that is new to this board: These are the statuses I've posted on Facebook (tweaked from various sources including Resolve) to show support for National Infertility Awareness Week. I always c&p them here for everyone to take, steal, tweak, etc.

NIAW starts this Sunday, April 22nd - Saturday, April 28th.

Here they are:

Infertility is, indeed, a very painful struggle. The pain is similar to the grief over losing a loved one, but it is unique because it is a recurring grief. It's the pain of the unknown. This process happens month after month, year after year. It?s like having a deep cut that keeps getting opened right when it starts to heal.

IVF was introduced in the US in 1981. Since then, more than 114,000 American babies have been born through IVF & ART. Not every person who uses a form of ART will have 6 or 8 babies at once. Jon & Kate and Octomom are examples of irresponsibility that paint infertility treatments in a negative light. The vast majority of those who undergo treatment are responsible in their decisions.

Acknowledge infertility as a medical & emotional crisis with a wide variety of losses, disappointments, and 'costs': physical, financial, social, marital. Please don?t deny or minimize involuntary childlessness either by avoiding the topic or offering empty platitudes like "Just relax". It's ok if you say "I wish I knew what to say." Many times all we need is an ear.

Although ART is extremely helpful for some couples when conventional therapies fail, these procedures account for less than 5% of infertility services & represent only 0.003% of US healthcare costs. Only 15 states currently have some sort of mandated infertility treatment coverage.

Your infertile loved ones need your emotional support during this journey. Most people don't know what to say, so they wind up saying the ?wrong? thing, which only makes the journey so much harder for their loved ones. Knowing what not to say is half of the battle to providing support. For helpful tips for supporting a loved one experiencing infertility, please visit: https://www.resolve.org/support-and-services/for-family--friends/infertility-etiquette.html

This might be a good time to look at some infertility myths, and consider what infertility is not. Infertility is not limited to women. Infertility is not all in your head. Infertility is not limited to unhealthy people. Infertility is not limited to older couples. Infertility is not going to go away if you just ?relax & go on vacation.? Adopting will also not take infertility away like Charlotte on Sex and the City.

More than 7.3 million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. I am one of them. Please take the time to learn more about the struggle those of us have to endure to have families.

Many people lose their faith during this journey. Telling an infertile couple that it?s God?s plan is hurtful and upsetting. Basically you?re saying that God thinks crack heads and child abusers are more worthy to have a child than an infertile. Would you tell a cancer patient that it is God?s plan for them to be life-threateningly sick? Life is a series of events and circumstances that we can?t always control. But you can control your words.

And my closing NIAW status:

Although today marks the end of National Infertility Awareness Week, I hope that the awareness continues throughout the year. Thank you for taking the time to read these statuses all week. Your support for people suffering from infertility does not go unnoticed. ?

reb259 · April 2012

AWESOME!!!

Roxie5739 · April 2012

reb259:
AWESOME!!!

Ditto! Beautifully said, informative yet touches on the emotional side of IF.

Mrs.McIrish · April 2012

I really wish I could post something like that! I am too wimpy to do it though.

Sloane99 · April 2012

Thank you for sharing, do you mind if I steal some of these?

Rachael07.07.07 · April 2012

Sloane99:
Thank you for sharing, do you mind if I steal some of these?

Not at all.

If anyone has more they want to share, feel free to post in there too.

dancinaggie · April 2012

You are awesome!!

theworms · April 2012

Yes

Sloane99 · April 2012

Rachael07.07.07:

Sloane99:
Thank you for sharing, do you mind if I steal some of these?

Not at all.

If anyone has more they want to share, feel free to post in there too.

Thanks, just saw your note at the top saying exactly that, maybe I should stop trying to do two things at once!

DeputiesWife · April 2012

thank you -- I think i will use these this week.

Rachael07.07.07 · April 2012

Sloane99:
Rachael07.07.07:

Sloane99:
Thank you for sharing, do you mind if I steal some of these?

Not at all.

If anyone has more they want to share, feel free to post in there too.

Thanks, just saw your note at the top saying exactly that, maybe I should stop trying to do two things at once!

hahaha. No worries Wink

lynn0926 · April 2012

Great job!

amaksym05 · April 2012

Love it! Great job! Yes

abvernon · April 2012

illinigal · April 2012

Love it! I need to do this. I probably won't update everyday, but will do something for sure.

katib77 · April 2012

Great job! I have not fully planned out my entire week, but the video that's in my blog that I posted about on Tuesday will be one thing I use. And I am almost finished with a second video I've been working on, it's the cost of IF treatments so that people get a better understanding of those of us dealing OOP. I will start a new post when that's finished. I'm sure I will be stealing one or two of your points as I plan to post a video and a status every single day so I have a lot of days to fill! I don't want to repeat much from last year, and while I'm pretty decent at putting together the videos this year - I suck at the written word. Thanks for being so eloquent!!