Please join me in recognizing National Infertility Awareness WeekOctober 19-25, 2008
One out of every 6-8 couples of reproductive age in the United States, or about 7 million people, will experience infertility. Some of these couples will have no idea why they are infertile; there will be no medical explanation for them. Most couples experience either female or male medical issues, whether it’s disease or anatomical/physiologic issues. Even rarer, couples will experience BOTH female and male issues, like Gil and me.
The desire to parent is fundamental to the human race and the inability to do so can be devastating. Being denied the blessings of parenthood can also bring on a crisis of faith. People experiencing infertility often become isolated, and avoid family, friends and social situations involving children and pregnant women. Houses of worship may be a natural source of solace, yet attending services in the midst of laughing children and adoring parents can increase the infertile couple's feelings of sadness and isolation. Not only does church become an uncomfortable place to be because of children and pregnant women, but also because of the feeling that God has failed to answer our prayers. The stories of Sarah, Hannah, Rebekah and Elizabeth are abundant while we never hear the stories of those whose prayers went unanswered (See! They're so infrequent I can't even remember their names!).
Please join me this week to pray for those dealing with infertility and to unite with compassion to support one another.
The desire to parent is fundamental to the human race and the inability to do so can be devastating. Being denied the blessings of parenthood can also bring on a crisis of faith. People experiencing infertility often become isolated, and avoid family, friends and social situations involving children and pregnant women. Houses of worship may be a natural source of solace, yet attending services in the midst of laughing children and adoring parents can increase the infertile couple's feelings of sadness and isolation. Not only does church become an uncomfortable place to be because of children and pregnant women, but also because of the feeling that God has failed to answer our prayers. The stories of Sarah, Hannah, Rebekah and Elizabeth are abundant while we never hear the stories of those whose prayers went unanswered (See! They're so infrequent I can't even remember their names!).
Please join me this week to pray for those dealing with infertility and to unite with compassion to support one another.
Please click here for more information about NIAW on RESOLVE's website.
Here is a fact sheet for family and friends of the infertile. It is a good article and, though a bit lengthy at 6 pages, I highly recommend reading it. I will be adding this to the resource list I have on the left-hand side of my blog, titled "Coping with Infertility...".
I ask that you use the comments below to share your specific prayer requests and/or prayers for yourself or others so that I may be able to pray specifically for your request. Thank you.
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