Infertility Ettiquette

A great resource for couples dealing with infertility is the National Infertility Association also known as RESOLVE.

The first time I read through their website was about a year ago when we were having our failed artificial insemination procedures. I must say I cried through every article I read. I was a complete mess, and Austin kept looking at me like I was crazy since I really don't cry very often. It was nice to be able to say to myself, though:

"Yes, I can relate to that. That is exactly how I feel."

Well, that said, I decided to revisit their website again today, and, though not overly emotional this time, I was able to find some information that I thought could be of value to people trying to understand the infertile world and what to say to console us during our difficult times. You can read this article on the RESOLVE website. The first half talks about what not to say. Funny thing, I think I've heard just about all of these at one time or another during our stuggles. The bottom half also is a good read because it offers some suggestions of ways to support and comfort your infertile friends. Please post any other resources you come across that are helpful.

Infertility Series: Myths

Dear Readers,

I was really excited to research the topic of myths for this next post. As you may know, there are some interesting "old wives tales" out there regarding what increases fertility. However, there is minimal empirical evidence that any of these myths do anything to increase fertility. Perhaps you have heard some of these myths regarding what increases fertility: (1) adopting a child increases an infertile couples chance of getting pregnant, (2) moving to an rural area vs. an urban area, (3) eating fruits and vegetables, or (4) never engaging in something unhealthy (Bunting & Boivin, 2008).

It is noted in research that a belief in myths that have no empirical evidence may, in fact, actually hinder infertile couples from seeking professional help (e.g. IVF treatments) due to a false belief that one of the myths noted above may work (Bunting & Boivin, 2008). Bunting and Boivin studied a population of college students (n= 149) for their "fertility knowledge" regarding a number of survey questions. Interestingly, belief in such myths above were varied but strong. These researchers suggested that with such results, people with infertility may engage in ineffective behaviors that could delay seeking effective interventions.

Do I have your interest? Check out this study: doi:10.1093/humrep/den168 or send it to family and friends. If this doi doesn't work, email me at twoinfertileturtles@gmail.com and I will personally send the study to you.

Happy Reading,

Austin

P.S. Feel free to post comments here or send questions to twoinfertileturtles@gmail.com