Infertility
In honor of Infertility Awareness Week, watch our founder and maternal health expert, Jada Shapiro, as she leads a conversation focused on individual journeys and struggles through conceiving. Hear personal experiences with infertility from our community of parents including:
Michael Wieder, co-founder of Lalo (dad to 1-year-old daughter, Jemma)
Marise Angibeau-Gray, Full spectrum doula Fertility Wellness Advocate and Mom of Memphys, a 22-month little girl, and 3 angel baby boys Carter, Ellison, and Stokely
Simone Shepherd, Influencer & Writer (Mom to 8 weeks old, Keraun Justen Harris Jr.)
Find below some of the amazing tips the panelists shared with parents on their road to parenthood:
- Be your own advocate, always.
- Find the right provider for you, do your research, and get the support you deserve.
- Consider making the lifestyle changes that could help on your path like diet, exercise, meditation etc.
- Pregnancy loss is a lot more common than people think and people need this information to help process their trauma and normalize pregnancy loss.
- If something does not feel right, don't hesitate to communicate with your provider.
- Make sure to be cared for by the labor and delivery floor in case of an emergency.
- Be kind to yourself - Recognize that infertility puts huge pressure on yourself and it can be really hard for your couple and your partner, give yourself space and time to care for yourself and your relationship on this roller coaster.
- You might need to look at other options you were not ready for and while it can be hard, your journey to parenthood can be different than you had planned for.
- Find a support group or a circle where you feel truly understood.
- Open the dialogue, don't suffer in silence, you deserve support and love and so many suffer quietly too.
- Infertility treatments can be a very jarring experience vs. conceiving traditionally, education is key to help the birthing parent and partner feel more at ease.
- Empathy is key. We have to look beyond what we recognize, beyond what’s familiar, and provide it to other families in need when we are ready to support others.
- Find little moments of joy in your journey because they will carry you through, this shall pass and you will find happiness again.
- Take it one day at a time, make it manageable for today, whatever the outcome.
- For partner - find someone to talk about this journey. Don't bottle up inside, It's like any other health issue.
Conversations on infertility and miscarriages should be normalized and at boober, we are here to support you all the way. Find full spectrum doulas here.