Bust an Infertility Myth Blog Challenge

“What is the biggest infertility myth and how has it effected your life?”

Okay so there are plenty of infertility “myths” out there...some of them you just have to laugh at, some make you mad, and some just plain hurt your feelings. Here are a few...



Myth: You’re so young! You don’t need to stress out about having kids yet.
Fertility Fact: Fertility begins to decline in a woman starting at age 27, and fertility treatments cannot reverse the effects of age related infertility.

Myth: If you stop trying, just relax and stop thinking about it, then you will get pregnant.
Fertility Fact: Infertility is not a psychological disorder. Infertility is a physical disease, not one that will not resolve on its own if you vacation in Hawaii.

Myth: You must be “doing it” wrong...try to put a pillow under your butt!
Fertility Fact: Infertility cannot be cured with a pillow under your butt or with the missionary position. C’mon people! Seriously....

Myth: If you use IVF, you'll end up like "Octomom".
Fertility Fact: 78.2% of successful IVF cycles result in a single pregnancy, 21% lead to a twin pregnancy, and only 0.8% lead to triplets...Notice no quads, and certainly no octuplets are listed here. They are extremely uncommon.

Myth: It’s easier and cheaper to adopt than to use fertility treatments.
Fertility Fact: Adoption isn’t as easy as people assume. You can’t just walk into an orphanage and pick a child to take home the same day. Adoption takes months, even years...and can cost up to $30,000 (or more). Adoption is a beautiful way to build a family, but it is not a simple choice. Even if a couple decides to pursue adoption, it does not take away the pain of not being able to have a biological child.



Alright, so honestly all of the things that people say are irritating. The thing is I know that people (generally) mean well when they say these things...they are just trying to give comfort, or sometimes they don’t know what to say so they just say whatever. I get it. And these days it just doesn’t bother me at all, after so many years I can just move past it.

Here’s my advice to all....don’t ever ask the question “Are you going to start trying for kids?” if you aren’t prepared for the answer “Yeah, we have been for a year (two years, three years, four years...).” And if you do get that answer, most of the time the very best thing to say is “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that” or “We’ll keep you in our prayers.” For us, that will always give the most comfort (and will help you avoid the awkward conversation) :)