Trigger alert - a pregnancy announcement is to follow, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill) will give birth in April. What I most want to share with you is her openness and candor about the fact that she has had "multiple IVF cycles and a miscarriage" while trying to conceive. Getting pregnant is not as easy as it looks, and the more people who are willing to disclose their struggle, the more it normalizes the experience for others.
I recently read an article that stated two-thirds of millenial woman have concerns about their ability to get pregnant and most keep that concern to themselves. It also stated that 43% of women who'd had a miscarriage did not tell their friends about it. And the number one reason women are suffering alone is shame.
Whether Senator Duckworth knows it or not, she is a part of the new campaign - #SaytheFword where women are working to shatter stigmas about infertility and miscarriage. The women behind #SaytheFword are taking pledges from women (and men) like you to break taboos and increase awareness about reproductive health. Take the pledge and support women in finally talking about infertility.
Allison Ramsey is a licensed professional counselor and fertility counseling specialist in the Asheville area and online. She’s a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and completed their certificate training in mental health counseling for infertility. Contact her to start feeling better.