New year, new me, huh? I wish it were that simple...
For many of us in fertility treatment, however, it should be more like "New Year, Please Just Make It Through January Without Losing My Sh-... Mind."
And that's coming from ME. Virginia. The usually-positive, typically-upbeat, negative-thought-squashing Virginia. So really, that's pretty optimistic! Infertility challenges your sanity, especially if you're in treatment, so let's just focus on the now. That's why my hope is that we all wave goodbye to 2019 ๐ (I won't tell if your wave turns into something more... gestured) and make room in our minds for a little more confidence, a little more perseverance, and a little more ______.
You fill in that blank. What do you need a little more of in 2020? Control? Freedom? Adventure? (Please don't say "diet" or "exercise"... while that may or may not be a legit goal for us ๐, they don't live here in our happy-newsletter-land. ๐ฐ๐ฆ)
Let's focus on one day at a time. Yes, we have a whole, fresh new year ahead of us, but in order for us to experience meaningful growth and progress, let's set our sights on...
Today.
What is one thing you can do today that helps you move forward? Maybe it's as simple as scheduling that nagging appointment, as nostalgic as dusting off an old hobby that once brought you joy, or as random as hosting a solo dance party in your kitchen. Whatever it is, just try it out for today. Then tomorrow, try again.
๐ Seeing 20/20 ๐
In order for us to make this shift to a "new me" in 2020, we need to have some clarity on our situation. We need to see and understand the most basic principles of our fight - no more beating around the bush or having to sift through endless google searches and links. That's why RMA of CT worked really, really hard in 2019 to cover the basics of fertility in our blog so that you, your friends, and people we don't even know have the best chance at building their dream families. Whether you are a patient at RMA of CT or not, we want you to have thebest resources from the best in the biz.
Here are some 2019 highlights from our blog that might help you reenergize your journey in 2020:
And in keeping with our "cover the basics" theme, have you heard about our podcast? Oh yeah, Core...we're podcast people now. ๐One of our most fun moments of 2019 was launching Fertility U as an educational platform for everyone (men, women, young, old, trying to conceive, NOT trying to conceive, etc.) to learn the basics of our bodies through interviews and storytelling. Why? Because we want people to feel empowered about their future, whether family-building is a part of it or not! (I mean, let's be real... wouldn't you have loved to have known anything about infertility before all this happened? Or more simply, to know how our bodies are supposed to work? And the signs to look for if something doesn't work? OMG. ME. TOO.) Check out the podcast and our instagram, and share it with your friends! Again, this is for everyone, because everyone deserves to know what's going on inside.
Now that I've gushed about my Fertility U pride, I must mention the latest episode. It. Hits. Home. โค๏ธFertility ๐Hope ๐Intrigue ๐ฑPyro ๐ฅIt's all there! (Okay, no fire, but the story is still very captivating.) Even if your struggle is on the other end of the spectrum, it's a poignant story of infertility that resonates with our community. Highly recommend.
2019 seemed to be the year for speaking out for celebrities, too. So many women came forward and talked about their fertility journeys, whether they are currently #TTC, in the middle of IVF, or are proud, new parents. Here's a quick list of some of the stories that elevated the infertility conversation in 2019:
With all these strong, vocal women coming forward, I think it's time "infertility" lost its stigma, don't you?
So, 2019, you did have some positive moments after all (hello blog update, podcast launch, and our most fun social collabs yet!). Best of all, RMA of CT got to know you, our Core community ๐, a little bit better. I'm sorry we had to meet on the terms of infertility, but I sure am glad to know you. If I've never met you in person at one of our events, please don't hesitate to reply to this email and introduce yourself! ๐