Infertility Survivors Finally Heard
Many of my favorite women will gather in London to discuss infertility and childlessness later this month. Ten years ago we were little more than a silent sorority online. Today women (and men) are now stepping forward boldly to tell their stories. April 27: Community and Connection There’s a whole day of arts programming around…
A friend or coworker can exacerbate infertility pain out of sheer ignorance. A careless comment or mass email can magnify suffering in ways large and small. Some years back, I participated on an infertility chat board. The clueless topic came up. It led to a discussion about how Silent Sorority could be used as a…
Silent Sorority marks its 10-year anniversary this month. It became the first memoir to tackle failed IVF and explore infertility’s disenfranchised grief. In honor of this milestone, we’ll look back at the book’s impact and the conversations it stimulated. Let’s start with The Ladies in Waiting Book Club. The initial discussion is preserved on The…
A book is not a light undertaking. My first, Silent Sorority, took nearly five years to come together. Silent Sorority will mark its 10-year anniversary in a few short weeks. It became available April 18, 2009. In honor of that milestone, I’ll post some of the heart-felt responses I’ve received from readers around the world…
Childless not by choice (CNBC) is a community I never expected to join. For many years I didn’t even know this vibrant community existed. However, what I did know 12 years and 8 days ago is this: I was in pain. On my best days I struggled mightily. The worst? I reeled. Imagine a stormy…
Word swap (inserting infertile or childless to replace other words) has long been my way to make a point about the perils of tribalistic thinking. It’s amusing and informative to highlight one’s myopic perspective. Further, the exercise can reveal insights applicable to other tribes or communities. In this latest example, an author asserts age confers…
Michelle Obama can help educate her audiences and followers about the reality of IVF and its risks.
Darkness comes ever earlier this time of year. It’s arrival — shrinking our days bit by bit — makes an already busy end of year seem even more frenetic. Yet, blackness also delivers stillness and focus. I reflected on this further following a yoga class at mid-day this week. Late autumn sunlight streamed through the…
Private Life breaks new ground by not flattening or sugar coating IVF. This film instead presents a multi-faceted story complete with the hellish, inhumane clinic experience and callous staff. Every ounce of the indignity that accompanies IVF is here to see. You will realize moments into Private Life that Tamara Jenkins, the writer and director…
Fertility clinics have operated with impunity for 40 years. New reporting, though, raises issues about their business motives and commitment to patient well-being. If you’d asked me 12 years ago, will the headline “Fertility Clinics Under Fire” ever run on the cover of an international women’s magazine, my answer would likely have been: What, Why?…