Meet our guest blogger for today, Leanne!
Tell us a little bit about you and your infertility journey: I am a 30 year old teacher, wife, and mom to two cute furpups. When I was seventeen, I was diagnosed with PCOS. At the time we didn’t know much about it, but what I did know is that I would have trouble conceiving a child. In 2012 told my husband while we were still dating that if we were to get married and think about children that we would have to go down the path of IVF or other fertility options. Fast forward a few years to 2015, we got married and were more than ready to conceive, but because of insurance we were forced to wait. Now three years after deciding to try, we just completed our second IVF cycle. We have already done two IUI cycles and are just beginning our first FET. I’d like to welcome people to my journey!
How did you and your spouse encourage each other while on this journey? Most people claim that they have the best husband, but I am pretty sure I do. I could not have done this journey without him. He is uplifting and is always able to find light in the darkest of situations. I get very anxious while waiting and not sure of what is going to happen next and he always finds a way to calm my nerves. He has been the best shoulder to cry on when we received a negative result. Knowing that no matter the outcome he is there helps through the hard times. He is also the best medication mixer there is!
Do you think your infertility journey is going to or has shaped the way you parent Absolutely. I have a great role model in my life (Shout out to Jackie!) She had some trouble conceiving. When she became pregnant she was THE HAPPIEST PERSON and is so grateful for her son. I am not saying that my other friends are not happy or grateful, but with her its different. You can tell that she has battled and won! I am hoping that since my journey has been very difficult that I do will have those same feelings. I will know that I accomplished something that I thought was not possible. I will be grateful for every moment because I went through so much to get there. I think it’s like, if you are handed something you will not be as grateful as though who had to climb a mountain to achieve it.
What would you like couples or women who don’t struggle with infertility to know about infertility? It is not the end of the world. It is difficult, but it is not the end. Just because I am going through all the injections and all the appointments doesn’t mean that I don’t want to hear about your children or your milestones. We both want the same thing, just my path is different. I am not defected and I am not disabled, I am just having a harder time.
What is/was the hardest part of this journey for you? People around me. At first I decided to keep my journey private. I didn’t want people to look at me like something was wrong with me. That changed because another close friend of mine was open with her journey. I decided to share and I felt better. I knew that communicating information out would hopefully help others. Since doing so, some of those closest to me have treated me as if I am not deserving of that. I don’t think they are doing it on purpose but they are. They hide the joys of their children, which is not what I want. Am I happy for them? YES. Am I sad for myself? YES. But I still want to be a part of their lives. I hope that with time they stop tiptoeing around me and treating me as if I am defective because I am not. I am one in eight.
In what ways has infertility changed you and affected your life? I have always been the type to put others before me and make sure they are happy even if I suffer. I guess that is what makes me a great teacher. Recently I have learned that all the stress I have put myself through isn’t worth it. I need to look out for me and my own. It has allowed me to say no to those that always ask of me. It has allowed me to be selfish which is something that I am not used to. This has also brought me so much closer to my husband. Our relationship is so strong and he has grown in all of this too. He wasn’t confident in his abilities to be a father, but fast forward three years later, he is ready.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’d like to share with our readers?Never give up! This is your journey, you do not have to be silent with it if you don’t want to. If you want to be silent that is okay too! Just never give up on your dream. Fight for what you want. And NEVER let anyone make you feel like you do not deserve this. Life is a precious miracle and if you want to create it then do so. In the end it will be worth it. We all just have to wait and see.
Want to contact Leanne? Instagram: journeyforalyoncub_ivf Blog: livelaughlyon.wordpress.com Email: Leannex25@gmail.com
Want to be a guest blogger? Email me at adventuresofatwinmom@gmail.com or message me on Instagram @ivftwinmomadventures
