National Infertility Awareness Week lands on Addi's first birthday this year, how fitting! In honor of everyone going through this struggle, I wanted to debunk a myth about infertility- age. Most people associate infertility with people (women specifically) who are older than 35. It is a fact that fertility declines as the body ages and women over 35 can have more difficulty getting pregnant naturally. However, for many women this is not the cause or main factor in infertility.
I was diagnosed with endometriosis when I was 18 and PCOS when I was 23. The PCOS so severe (they stopped counting my cysts at 40 on each ovary) that IVF was the only option to get pregnant. I can say that we got asked more than once about our ages when going for treatment. Family and friends assumed that we had a lot of time to try on our own, even once I was diagnosed. It was painfully obviously that we were the youngest couple in the waiting room at every appointment with our reproductive endocrinologist. blood work, ultrasound, surgery, retrieval... etc. Sometimes it was lonely. There is already a stigma attached to infertility and even more so for younger couples. People were surprised I was married let alone seeking infertility services.
Younger women and couples are often encouraged to try to conceive naturally longer than other women. I think this can be more of a barrier, women and their doctors can make assumptions about their fertility based on their age. Giving a false sense of security or putting off treatments. Thankfully, I knew my history beforehand and my doctors recognized potential signs. The only advice I have to women is to know your body and follow your heart! It will take you on the journey to creating your family- whenever and however it happens!
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| My embryos = Baby Addi |
Infertility Info: http://www.resolve.org/infertility101
National Infertility Awareness Week® (NIAW): http://www.resolve.org/takecharge
Boston IVF: http://www.bostonivf.com
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