National Infertility Awareness Week and Giuliana & Bill

It is National Infertility Awareness Week and I always feel the need to address this topic.  Obviously, because I am an infertile.  Yes, I have a child.  I am still an infertile.  I have an issue that does not allow me to just "baby dance" and have a baby naturally.  We prevent the possibility actually because I am terrified of losing another baby.  For me personally, I could not live with it if I were to get pregnant again and lose another baby because we just tried to do it on our own.  It feels irresponsible to me to put a child in danger like that.  So, I am infertile and have lost two babies.

I'm not one of those people who gets pregnant easily either, it has been hard for me to get pregnant.  In 3.5 years I got pregnant only twice on my own, and both of those times there was a LOT going into it, not just a lucky "baby dance" and a baby at the end.

Fertile people know nothing about ovulation kits, timing intercourse, charting temps, taking fertility meds, pumping yourself full of hormones, having fluid ultrasounds, giving sperm samples, the list goes on and on and it's awkward to write.  It's probably awkward to read, I promise you, it's more awkward to live.  It is not something that I wish on anyone, but it is something that I think I should be able to discuss freely when I need to because it is my life.  It is my struggle.  I shouldn't be expected to be quiet because it's not "socially accepted".  People used to not discuss cancer either, and now we champion it, we do walks/runs, fund raisers, wear special colors on special days.  I want that for infertility.

I want to never have a conversation with a friend who cannot try to have their own child because insurance doesn't cover fertility treatment.  Infertility is a disease.  It is like cancer in that it have a variety of causes and etiologies.  In my case it's an auto-immune issue.  So, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are covered by insurance, requiring very extensive treatments.  While mine doesn't require on-going care, I can't get IVF covered to insure a healthy baby.  I am not saying that these things are the same.  I am saying that all of these things should be covered for all of us!!!!  I want to continue to get the word out there about infertility and push to have fertility treatments as part of all insurance policies, so that I don't have to discuss with another person ever how they can't grow their family because they can't afford the expenses associated with the treatments.  I also don't think that infertiles shouldn't be able to adopt because they can't afford that either, it actually disgusts me!!

And from there I must transition to discussing Giuliana and Bill.  If you don't know who Giuliana and Bill Rancic are, you might live under a rock, but that's ok because there is no need to keep up with all celebrities.  I actually don't keep a bunch of celebrities myself, but these two I LOVE.  Seriously love them.  I'll tell you why, because they are real.  Giuliana is hilarious and all about fashion and celebs, but  they are so genuine.  Their lives have been chronicled on their reality tv show.  They tell all about their struggle with infertility and they are honest about the struggles, they are real about the feelings, the pain, the depth of emotion.  Then sweet G is diagnosed with breast cancer during an IVF cycle, which was tragic, and though they have frozen embryos, she isn't allowed to get pregnant for 3-5 years.  Being infertile I can't imagine being told that!  So, the news broke this week that they have used a gestational carrier and are expecting a baby late this summer.  I have to be honest and say that I AM THRILLED for them!!!!!!  I wish that I could see her and Bill and give them huge hugs!!!!!  It seriously almost made me want to get a twitter account just so I could tweet her!! Saying prayers for a healthy baby for them.

Praying also for miracle babies for all of those still waiting.

Infertility awareness, please spread the word!!!