| I can remember the exact moment where my world | | | | for a year or more with no positive results. Now, this |
| was pulled away from me. Trying to get pregnant | | | | is obviously very different from my take on infertility. |
| for over four years and clinging on to hope that "It | | | | To me, if you are infertile it means you cannot have |
| would happen when the time was right" and "You | | | | children. Ever. At All. It's very final. But what the |
| just have to be patient". My partner and had been | | | | medical definition of infertility describes is a decreased |
| working with a fertility specialist for some time and | | | | ability to get pregnant. Reduced fertility would be a |
| he had laid out a simple path for us to follow. If one | | | | better term for it. So, if you have been told you are |
| thing didn't work there was another option to try, | | | | infertile, don't take that to mean there is no way you |
| and 'give time' to. And then he asked the question | | | | will ever have children. There is a very good chance |
| which changed my whole view on my situation. "Do | | | | that you will. |
| you have any other medical problems...apart from | | | | Let's talk statistics. And forgive me as I twist these |
| infertility?" | | | | a little to make my point. Between 65 and 90 |
| What? | | | | percent of couples will conceive in their first year of |
| It was the first time anyone had actually referred to | | | | trying. 90 to 95% will conceive in their first two |
| me as infertile and it was like a slap in the face. If I | | | | years of trying, and the remaining 5% will take longer |
| was infertile....why were we even trying all these | | | | than 2 years. Interpreting those figure a little - up to |
| expensive treatments to conceive. Infertile? The | | | | 35% of couples will not have conceived in their first |
| word rang around my head for what seemed like | | | | year trying. But of that 35% - 30% will have |
| ages until the specialist rephrased his question in a | | | | conceived by the end of their second year. That |
| different way, thinking I hadn't understood(Yea..cause | | | | means that of those who are deemed 'infertile' by |
| I'm stupid AND infertile). | | | | the medical definition, up to 86% will have conceived |
| It was also the point I stopped blindly following the | | | | within a year. That doesn't sound very infertile to me! |
| advise of others, and started doing my own work | | | | Now, obviously I took the highest numbers of |
| and research. Ironically I was pregnant within 3 | | | | 'infertility' to twist those figures a little, but it does |
| months of 'dropping' the medical approach, but that is | | | | make my point. Just because a doctor refers to you |
| a story for another day. Today I want to tell you | | | | as infertile does not mean you have to give up all |
| about what it really means when your doctor calls | | | | hope of ever having children. You merely have a |
| you infertile and why that doesn't mean you should | | | | reduced fertility rate, which just means you have to |
| give up hope of having children. | | | | try a little harder and be prepared to wait a little |
| Infertile, as defined by doctors and specialists means | | | | longer. It's a relatively small price to pay for the |
| that you have been actively trying to get pregnant | | | | honor of being a mum. |