Writing Prompt: Friendship
I Never Knew How Alienating Infertility Could Be
But I found friendships in unexpected places
When I first started trying to conceive, I hardly told anyone. It felt so personal and I didn’t want people asking me every month if I was pregnant.
Then there’s also the weird thing about everyone knowing too much about your sex life. I mean, yes, married couples have sex, but telling your aunt over Thanksgiving dinner that you’re doing it constantly to make babies feels awkward.
When I wasn’t successful at it, I felt even weirder telling people because I felt like a failure. Then it would be even worse if they kept asking me every month if I was pregnant yet.
Or they’d try to give me tips on how I should be trying and somehow suggesting that I’m doing it all wrong. It amazed me how quickly people were to dismiss that infertility is a medical problem, suggesting that I should “just relax” or “stop trying.”
Here’s a tip: don’t ever give unsolicited advice to someone trying to conceive. We’ve already done the thing you’re going to tell us to do.
I started IVF. Sharing deeply personal medical information with others feels vulnerable, especially something that no one is talking about. I felt so…
