Explaining Infertility to Family
Do you love someone who is infertile? Whether it is your wife, sister, daughter, or friend, it can be difficult to know how to support them without adding to their pain and confusion. I wish I had access to “Do You Love Someone Who is Infertile?” sooner – it would have helped me so much in explaining infertility to my family and friends.
This book is full of great advice for those who want to help a loved one struggling with infertility. The subtitle really says it all, “What you can do to help her, what to say to support her (and what you should never do or say.”
Fertility and infertility are deeply personal concepts that are publicly evaluated on a daily basis. Those for whom having children comes easily may have a hard time understanding the stress of wanting a baby so fully – and not having any assurance that parenthood will ever come. Even total strangers are quick to comment on whether or not you have kids, how many you have, and even how to have them if you aren’t successful on your own.
Family members and friends who mean well, but are misinformed, may add to the pain with comments that stab at the heart. If you have shared your fertility journey with loved ones, you have likely heard the many pieces of advice (“Are you doing it right? Have you tried a six-pack and the back seat of a car? Just relax and it will happen!”).
This book does an excellent job of explaining how to support an infertile loved one without adding to their pain. How much pain would be spared if every family member and friend of someone suffering from infertility were to read this book? Explaining infertility is so hard. For most people, avoiding an unplanned pregnancy is something they focus on quite a bit. Experts say that over half the pregnancies in the US are unplanned. So, for someone who is used to worrying about getting pregnant – the idea that pregnancy is difficult or impossible to achieve is hard to fathom. For the 1 in 6 couples who struggle with infertility, achieving a viable pregnancy is all-consuming.
There are many references to Christianity here, so be aware of that if it is a problem for you.
Filled with real examples and offering advice on dealing with all aspects of infertility, this is a wonderful resource for anyone dealing with infertility – and all of those who love and care for them.
