Infertility Survivors Finally Heard
Childless. While there is not one thing I like about this word, I am supportive of those who want to draw attention to the social issues surrounding it. What’s behind my dislike of the word? First of all, it comes loaded with baggage. Unkind stereotypes abound. I could find no evidence of the word ‘childful’…
21 Miles not only held my attention (no small feat in today’s distraction-addled environment), it fed my heart and nurtured my soul. 21 Miles recounts the story of Jessica Hepburn‘s valiant efforts to both swim the English Channel and answer whether “motherhood makes you happy” or whether “you can have a fulfilling life without children.”…
Editor’s Note: I researched and wrote this piece, As dark side of IVF slowly comes into focus, even more transparency is needed, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of IVF. My thanks to the editorial team at STAT, the Boston Globe Media health site for publishing it. Excerpt: I was 15 in 1978 when Louise…
IVF is 40 this month. Type ‘IVF is 40’ into your news search engine of choice. You’ll find headlines that reflect a one-dimensional narrative. Missing from the narratives are couples who’ve had to cope with the aftermath of 20 million failed IVF cycles. You also won’t read about the health toll on young women involved…
Childlessness and joy are rarely used in the same sentence. Lesley Pyne, however, has devoted the past few years digging into the reality of childlessness. Her quest? To understand how to process the losses, carve out a new path and rediscover joy. It’s all in her new book, Finding Joy Beyond Childlessness: Inspiring Stories to…
IVF is a Sausage Factory I was not Prepared For… So writes Professor James Arvanitakis in an essay for The Sydney Morning Herald. Oh how we hear you, James. We are immensely grateful for your honesty. In a few paragraphs you painted a clear picture of what it feels like to be on the receiving…
You know how you hear or read something, and your first thought is, “Huh? How is this not a thing?” In my case this response usually has to do with infertility-related topics. Thing One: Endometriosis How is a proper and timely diagnosis for endometriosis still not a thing? The superb Samantha Bee recently highlighted this…
The uterus. It’s just an organ but unlike other organs — a kidney, a bladder or a lung — it carries tremendous identity significance. Baggage, too — cultural and otherwise. Upon reproductive age, its power increases. Beyond a vexing way of making itself very evident every month, it also holds the promise of creation. If,…
Insights often originate with films and books. The really good stories and characters become touchstones or stay with me like familiar old friends. So, on this, my 11th anniversary of blogging (yes, Happy Anniversary dear readers, it all began here February 3, 2007), I’d like to encourage all to find and watch the soul-stirring documentary…
Non-moms recognized? Read on … That opening paragraph grabbed me. Did it grab, you, too? Truly, I didn’t expect this acknowledgement to make it into print, but it did. I stumbled upon this reference to ‘non-moms’ in a story because Silent Sorority garnered a mention in a feature about Dolly Parton. (And that…