Taking a break during fertility treatment can be a real gift to yourself (if you can bring yourself to actually take the time off). One might even think of "time off" as, gasp, a vacation! A vacation from the doctor's appointments, monitoring, testing, procedures, blood draws, and more.

Infertility has been likened to a rollercoaster, a merry-go-round (though it's hard to find the merry when you’re in the middle of it), a see saw and many other analogies. You get the idea - lots of ups, downs, swoops around, and general uncertainty. Because of this, life can feel out of control.

As little children, the holiday season is a time of wonder. Gifts, twinkling lights, and tons of holiday sweets and treats - who could ask for more? However, once we grow up, that childlike wonder is often replaced with financial woes, stress about sourcing the perfect present, and dealing with distant relatives asking far too many personal questions. Aunt Muriel, please stop asking when we're going to have kids!

Inherent in infertility is disappointment. In fact, the process is steeped in disappointment. Seeing the evidence every month that it hasn’t happened is a visual reminder that once again, no pregnancy.

It’s a typical day. I have my lunch ready to go, packed perfectly with leftovers from the night before, or with a colorful salad I loaded up with whole grains this morning. I also have my nuts and fruit for a snack. It’s a perfect lunch-boxed plan, made ahead of time and with enough options to get me through the day, feeling energized and productive at work.

Meet a fertility superhero. Aprill Lane.

My observation is that we have gotten away from the natural order of things. With the advent of modern technology, many of us are less in touch with nature than ever before. Days can go by without our feet ever touching the earth, even during the hot summer months. This is especially true for someone challenged by the rigors of infertility. It’s hard for our feet to touch the ground when we’re so caught up in the everyday hormone injections and necessary fertility treatment procedures. The process becomes so all-consuming that we can forget the simple beauty that comes with each day. How long has it been since you have walked in the woods, stood by the ocean, or marveled at the full moon? With the start of fall, this is a good time to offer ourselves yet another chance to truly enjoy the beauty of the season by reconnecting with the universe as well as reconnecting with ourselves. I have always found comfort in the understanding that the laws of the universe apply to all.

There are topics that are deeply uncomfortable to talk about and yet it’s only through open and honest conversation that a deeper understanding will come about.