The answer to this question is one every man and woman facing infertility must deal with at some point or another. For me it happened the minute I walked out of the doctor's office. He had just told me that I was infertile at the age of 20. How can a 20 year old be infertile - that was my first question. My second question was - will my infertility be cured? My doctor answered that question with grace and wisdom and I’ll never forget the gist of what he told me that day.
What does cure really mean – there’s nothing wrong with you!
My doctor was quick to tell me that being infertile was not the same as being diagnosed with a disease. There was nothing that needed to be cured, we just needed to work to improve how the body worked so it would work better. I felt like I was diagnosed with a terminal illness – but I think most women feel the same way when they get that diagnosis.
Step back and remember conception is a process that must be perfect!
I’d never really done any research on conception. I knew what I’d learned in health class, but the actual process that occurs in the body was not something I was familiar with. I left the doctor’s office that day with his recommendation to read more about conception and the first few weeks of life after conception occurs. I read a lot and I learned a lot, including the fact that many pregnancies are naturally miscarried because they are unhealthy.
Give up the feeling that the world is going to end because there is hope out there!
Hope – that wasn’t a word I ever thought I would need to say in regards to my fertility, but here I was saying it loud and clear. Hope meant I wasn’t worrying about being infertile and that meant less stress on my body.
My battle with infertility was relatively short compared to women who fight for multiple years to no avail, but I think I learned a very important lesson during that time. Life is precious no matter where the egg and sperm come from.