National Infertility Awareness Week - April 24-30

The last time I posted about National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) was two years ago...just one month before we found out our second IVF cycle was a success. You can see that post here. Last year, I had an almost three month old and was enjoying what was left of my maternity leave. And, this year, well...I am working full-time with an almost 15-month old at home and imagining the day we'll be pregnant again. (We can overcome this again, right?)

Resolve's theme this year is "Bust a Myth about Infertility". You can check out some myths here, but one of my "favorites" is If you just relax, you will get pregnant.

Really? Infertility is a medical issue whether you are able to diagnose the specific reason or not. Relaxing will not get you pregnant. Yes, stress is not good for your body, but how easy is it to relax after attempting something for months or years and getting the same negative result?

"Some diseases and medical conditions defy explanation. They just happen. The term "unexplained infertility" really reflects the present limitations of medical science. The fact is that current technology does not have the tools for revealing the cause of your infertility." (from Resolve.com)

I never thought we would have a problem getting pregnant. I mean, why would I have paid for and taken birth control pills if I thought there might be an issue? Jason and I tried for 3.5 years before talking to a doctor about other options. We spent five months on Clomid, did three IUIs and two IVF cycles to get our baby.

Even after having Drake, I don't think I can count the number of people who have told me that we'll probably get pregnant now with no assistance since we've been pregnant once. Well, I've got news for them. First, I hope they are right! I would love to miss my period one month, take a home pregnancy test and surprise my husband with it! Do they really think I want to go through all of that again?

Second, Drake wasn't our first pregnancy. We actually were pregnant once before (our 2nd IUI), but it sadly ended in miscarriage. Even then, we were told by some that "people are really fertile after a miscarriage". Nope, it took us two more medicated cycles.

Third, pregnancy doesn't cure infertility. Yes, it can happen. And, I really hope it does. While searching for statistics on this, I found this article - it's a little old (1999), but I imagine the information is still the same.

If you want a basic understanding of infertility, go here. And, you can go here for the background of National Infertility Awareness Week® (NIAW).