Rachel Gurevich's Blog
May 26, 2014
Don't Ignore the Men
Men really get the short end of the stick when it comes to care and attention in the fertility world. So much focus is on the woman. Yet, infertility is (typically) faced as a couple. When a woman can't get pregnant, there's usually a man standing next her who is just as eager for a baby and just as unable to have one.
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May 24, 2014
Is a Procreation Vacation a Vacation?
Some call it a procreation vacation, others an ovulation vacation. Some even call it a babymoon (though a babymoon can also mean time spent bonding with a newborn, or a vacation taken before birth.)
...May 20, 2014
The �Who Has It Worse, Who Has It Better� Game
There is a mind game that many of us play, a game I like to call, "Who has it worse, who has it better." The game is not unique to infertility survivors , but we do have our own version of the game.
...May 17, 2014
Don't Ignore Your Needs
Do you sometimes feel less like a person making choices, and more like a puppet being bounced around in a play about infertility? Infertility can make you feel like it's in charge, instead of you. When you begin fertility testing, you may feel the doctors are in charge, or the tests are in charge. Same with treatments. You may go about your day in a daze, or carry out your doctor's instructions with a great sense of helplessness.
...May 15, 2014
Trying to Conceive Obsessions
When you're trying to conceive, it's difficult not to spend ridiculous amounts of time thinking about different aspects of the experience -- especially if it's taking longer than you hoped and even more so if you're using fertility treatments.
...May 11, 2014
From Mother's Day to Mothering Day
Mother's Day can be an emotionally sensitive day for those in the trenches of infertility and those who have been in those trenches. (You may imagine that having a child takes away the pain of Mother's Day, but for many women, it doesn't, not completely.) Just trying to avoid the over-the-top marketing that surrounds mother's day can be overwhelming.
...May 7, 2014
Do You Douche or Use Vaginal Washes? Don't!
The practice of douching, or forcefully squirting a liquid solution meant to "cleanse" the vagina, has been passed down from mother to daughter, or from friend to friend, in many social circles. Those douching likely think they are just "keeping themselves clean." What they may not know is that they are instead washing away the natural flora of the vagina, which keeps infection out. They are also increasing the risk of vaginal infection and irritation, and setting themselves up for trouble wi...
April 27, 2014
Will You Be Celebrating National Infertility Survival Day?
May is almost here, which means that in two Sundays it will be Mother's Day. But thanks to Beverly Barna, author of Infertility Sucks! Keeping it All Together When Sperm and Egg Stubbornly Remain Apart, you can celebrate a week earlier on National Infertility Survival Day.
...April 25, 2014
What Did You Say?! Insensitive Comments from Friends and Family
"Don't worry about it! You can always do IVF."
"Just adopt!"
"You still want kids after you've seen mine?! You can have them!"
I'm pretty sure that every couple who has dealt with infertility and shared this information with others has heard insensitive comments from friends and family. I really don't think they say these things to hurt us intentionally. Usually, they are trying to "help" with their unhelpful or uneducated advice - but their intention is to help.
...April 21, 2014
Does Your State Make the Grade? Check Its Fertility Score.
Where you live can make a huge impact on whether you have access to fertility treatments, or can afford them. This is true on a world scale and a national scale.
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