Infertility Awareness Week: WHen your friend experiences Infertility

Infertility is often a lonely road. Sharing every experience, whether positive or negative, becomes a rollercoaster of added stress and emotion. It seems the fewer people who know the details, the easier it is to grieve, process, and plan. The easier it is to make the best decision for your family without the comments and opinions of others. Yet, the small circle of family and friends privy to the intimate details are often plagued with how to be supportive in a world unfathomable, especially if they have children of their own. Though there isn’t a playbook for grief of any kind, there are common ways to be supportive, even when you cannot relate.


How do you support your friend experiencing infertility?


I found a great article that articulates the answer to the question perfectly.

Check it out HERE

SUNDAY:INFERTILITY: LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

MONDAY: FERTILITY TREATMENTS: HOW CAN ANYONE AFFORD THEM?

Ebby LeBlancLeave a comment

Fertility Treatment: How can anyone afford them?

There are numerous solutions when it comes to helping families get pregnant. Often, the barrier is not the availability of treatment but the cost. It is rare to find an insurance company that covers fertility treatments. I recall feeling discouraged about my diagnosis, hopeful once I learned my treatment options, and then discouraged again at the cost. To make matters worse, my two insurances at the time would not cover a dime.

Healthcare is already crazy expensive. Refusing to cover fertility treatments only increases the stigma and hesitation behind seeking treatment. This is why raising awareness is essential, especially when it comes to politicians and lawmakers. We must change the narrative around seeking fertility treatment. The truth is there are too many of us who wouldn’t be parents right now without them. I am one of them.

What option do you have when you cannot afford treatment?
Luckily, there are a few.

Fertility Loan: There are financing programs specifically for covering fertility treatment. My husband and I utilize a fertility loan to help finance IVF. The positive is we were able to do it. The con was we ended up paying more for the treatment due to high-interest rate. Thankfully, we were able to payoff the loan early and save interest. If you use this method, I recommend having a quick payoff plan.

Here is a link: fertility loans: 

Insurance Coverage There are resources dedicated to finding insurance companies that will cover treatment. Here is tip: Most insurance companies will cover everything up to your diagnosis. So, if you know or suspect something is wrong, do not be afraid to call your doctor or contact a fertility specialist to get checked out. Remember, you will still have deductible cost.

Here is a link: Insurance coverage

Grants/ Scholarships: There are numerous programs that will assist with fertility treatment cost. Most of them require you to write about your story. I know couples who have gone this route for treatment as well as used to grants to fund adoption cost. So, it is definitely worth giving a try.

Here is a link: Grants

Savings: There is the old-school method of just saving up your money or if you are already a good steward of savings, you may have the money. I recommend opening a savings account that will build interest as you save. In addition, consider any yearly bonuses and tax returns to help.  

 I hope these resources will help your family and friends when it comes to the financial aspects of fertility treatments.

If you have anything to add, email me

ebby@ebbyslane.com Or leave a link in the comments.

If you have resources, please leave a link in the comments.

-Ebby

Infertility: Let’s Talk about it

Links for IAW

https://infertilityawareness.org/

https://ormfertility.com/niaw/

Ebby LeBlanc3 Comments

Infertility: Let’s talk About it

Anybody can experience challenges while building their family. What you don’t know is families who have dealt with some form of infertility are often surprised by their diagnosis. Even if you have an underlining condition, you never expect infertility will impact you.

Today marks the beginning of National Infertility Awareness Week 2021.



The reality is “1 in 8 couples are impacted by infertility.” Now, this week is not meant to stir fear without reason but rather spark important conversations, increase public awareness/understanding, provide guidelines for families, and more.



Too often, we suffer from this unimaginable diagnosis in secret, plagued with the stigma behind it.



We conceal our shame and turmoil with responses such as, we aren’t ready for kids right now, we are just enjoying life, when it happens, it will happen. Yet, every time we hear the dreaded questions:


When are you planning to have kids?


Are you pregnant yet?


Are you going to have any more?


A piece of us dies inside. For many, the questions are a reminder of the negative pregnancy test that haunts us each month, the stale quietness of our homes, the children we never got to meet, the keepsake box filled with belongings from the preterm and stillborn babies we mourn.

I never imagined on my worst day that infertility would be part of my story.

The keyword is “part” because this was not the end of the road for me, and it is not the end of the road for your family and friends either.



There is hope. There are answers. There are solutions. Most importantly, you are not alone.

My prayer is that this week will be about empowerment, increased understanding/awareness, and renewed faith.

What do you want to know about infertility?

Let me know in the comments Leave in an orange heart to show your support.
-Ebby

#WhatIWantYouToKnow

#NIAW2021





Prayer: If you are reading this now and suffer from infertility, I am praying especially hard for you this week. I pray for healing of your mind and body. I pray that God will give you answers to the hard questions. I pray that God will give you guidance. I pray for renewed faith and unfailing hope. I pray that God will give you peace that surpasses all understanding.

In Jesus name, AMEN!

Links for IAW

https://infertilityawareness.org/

https://ormfertility.com/niaw/

https://resolve.org/

Ebby LeBlanc2 Comments

New Content Coming

I’M BACK!

At least, I think I am. Who knows nowadays. With everything going on in the world, it is easy to get distracted. But, I miss this.

If you’ve followed my story the last few years, you know

I have been through some gut-wrenching ordeals with dealing with infertility, loss, and depression.

I have never felt my story was just for me. I also know writing can be therapy.

With Infertility Awareness week coming soon, I am sharing pieces of my story in hopes of encouraging someone else.

I will talk about IVF, Preterm labor, how I got pregnant after years of infertility, how I was finally able to carry to term. I will also talk about making a career-change after thirty, current events, and some travel, etc.

Click the link below to learn more about Infertility Awareness Week

Learn More

If you know anyone going through infertility, perhaps send them here. If you are dealing with it, I’m here if you need to talk or need some advice. We are not alone.

-Ebby

What God Taught me Through my Miscarriage

Dear Journey: A letter to My Daughter

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Dear Journey: A Letter to My Daughter

Dear Journey,

You were but a fleeting moment in our lives but girl, you left a huge impact. You were born at one pound and one ounce but did not allow your size to stifle you. Because of your existence, I am no longer the same woman. I never knew my own strength until you. I peer into the mirror and I have never loved more the reflection of the woman I am now. My sweet daughter, you will forever be the better part of me. I will never forget the amazing impact you had on everyone who followed our story. Though I will never be able to hold you again, I am thankful that I carried you when your heartbeat for the first time and I held you in my arms when it beat for the very last time. You knew my voice and smelled my scent as you took your last breath. You were surrounded by love from the very beginning and I know you felt it.
I cry for the moments I will never have with you. I will never see you take your first step. I will never hear your first words. I will never witness your first day of school. I will never see you walk across the stage at your graduation. I will never help you pick out your wedding dress. I will never witness you grow up into the phenomenal woman I know you would have been. For that, my heart will forever ache until the day I take my last breath.
Yet, sweet girl, I cherish the kicks I felt in my womb. You were always moving around. I cherish every time I heard your heartbeat. I got to smell your scent and hold you while your body still had warmth. I got to witness you kick the nurse as she changed your diaper. I saw you grab hold of the Q-tip that fed your tiny belly.

IMG_1678I felt your tiny grip around my finger. I saw your face. You look just like your daddy but you had my nose.
I never imagined I would never get to bring you home, but I’m so thankful for the six months I got to carry you and the three beautiful days I got to witness your huge personality. You weren’t even a few hours old and you were already nicknamed fiesty by every nurse that encountered you. You were determined to live from the very beginning. I’m so thankful that I got those moments with you.
Journey Faith, I will always love you, my sweet daughter. I will never forget you and your memory will be scattered across our lives forever. Thank you for being the perfect daughter. I look forward to the day I get to see you again.

Mommy Loves you,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5

Ebby LeBlanc12 Comments