National Infertility Awareness Week

This week we wear orange, the color chosen to note National Infertility Awareness Week, which is this week.

Infertility impacts 1 in 8 couples in the US.

The average IVF cycle costs 22k and on average patients require an average of 2.3 treatments to have a successful, full-term pregnancy. The average successful patient spends $66,000(!!!) on infertility treatments.

Less than 20% of Americans have IVF coverage and have to pay out of pocket.

As some of you know, it took nine years for our miracle baby to arrive. The journey was difficult mentally, physically, and financially… and we’d do it all over again for this nugget.

But here’s the thing- just because a baby has arrived, it doesn’t put infertility behind us. I will always have the mental and physical scars from all the things we had to do.

I still get a pang of jealousy when I see a pregnant woman. When I see a sonogram machine (in real life or even on TV) I legit break into a sweat. When someone asks me when we’re having another one, it takes everything in my body not to ask them to pony up 25k.

This week brings up allllll the feelings for me, but mostly it makes me think about my dear infertility friends I’ve made along the way- those who have been successful and those who are still fighting.

With 1 in 8 women affected, I know there are women here on my FB photo page, just like me.