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View Full Version : The most insensitive things you can say to an infertile person.


Kara29
12-07-2005, 02:52 AM
There are some things that people with good intentions say that are really insensitive because they have not gone through infertility themselves. The one comment that I hear constantly that drives me up a wall is:

"Don't worry you are so young, you have your whole life to get pregnant." NOOOOOOOOOO..................this is not true for those of us who are at the IVF stage. At this point we are just about done. What this means is that we have been fully tested both our spouses and ourselves gone through years of fertility drugs and other treatments and nothing is working. There are a few select miracles that happen now and then for people who abandon the IVF stage and give up, but for the majority of us....this is it. And NO, going to another doctor is not going to change anything. If you are already seeing a Repreoductive Endocrinologist, they are at the top of the food chain. Going to another one would mean testing all over again and it would yield the same results in the end......so why put ourselves through that again. It was hard enough the first 4 years.

Here is a list of other commom insenstive things that people often say to infertile couples:

"Why don't you just adopt?"

(This one drives me crazy...the couple needs to work through many issues before they will be ready to make an adoption decision. Before they can make the decision to love a "stranger's baby," they must first grieve the loss of that baby with Daddy's eyes and Mommy's nose.)

"You should adopt and then you'd get pregnant."
"This must be the will of God for your life."
"You're trying too hard, it should just happen."
"Stress is causing it"
"You just need to *relax* and you'll get pregnant."

(Infertility is not relaxing, between running to the doc every other day for bloodwork, ultrasounds, shooting yourself with fertility drugs everyday for 12 days, waiting for the doc to call with bloodwork, only to find that they are going to cancel your cycle because you have a cyst or your hormomes are not where they should be or you have to many eggs, or not enough eggs............DOES THIS SOUND RELAXING?)

“Go on vacation and you’ll get pregnant.”
"I'd give you mine if I could"
"You are so lucky not to have kids right now, because
you can just do whatever you want whenever you want"
"There Are Worse Things That Could Happen"
"If it's meant to be it'll happen."
"You don't want to end up with 7 babies like the couple in Iowa"
"Maybe you just need to gain some weight
and quit exercising so much"
"You should be glad you dont have kids look what we have to deal with."

The list could go on forever..........

You are absolutely entitled to your opinion, simply keep it your own. If we ask for your advice, then feel free to state your opinions, but do so in a kind and considerate manner.

Kara

creatingkarma
12-07-2005, 04:53 AM
I'm sorry that this is hurting you. I'm sure that nobody meant any harm by their words. They just don't understand the anguish you are going through trying to conceive. I would let them know that you're not asking for advice. Tell them that all you need is a big hug & a little compassion. It's hard to understand what someone is going through unless you've been there yourself.

tigger_gal
12-07-2005, 05:05 AM
Hugs to you.. you can reply back maybe I want 7 kids like the lady in Iowa ;)
I hope all goes well and you get pregnant.. People are only trying to be nice and sometimes don't realize that it hurts you.. I wanted to kill people when I miscarried and they said well it was ment to be, or god has other plains for you... gggrrrr made me crazy...
I hope you get pregnant and can have your bundle of joy....

Kara29
12-07-2005, 06:29 AM
Thank You both for the support and kind words. It's nice to know there are some people out there that care enough to notice that it hurts.

HUGS,

Kara :grouphug:

icjen
12-07-2005, 07:18 AM
:grouphug: I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what you have to go through. I can only imagine how much it must hurt. :kissing: :pray:

Cricketmk3
12-07-2005, 07:19 AM
I guess the best thing to say is nothing. Or maybe "I'm sorry for the pain you are going through".

holles
12-11-2005, 05:13 PM
unfortunately, people try to give advice. but if you haven't been there, you don't know what to say. i've learned to respond to the question, "do you have kids? why not?" with, "we tried for several years to have a baby, but it didn't happen, and it's still quite painful to discuss." most people let it go right there.

it's kind of sad that now that we're getting older, we don't get the "when are you having kids" question. instead, it's "why didn't you have kids?" :rolleyes: all that one does is make me feel old. lol.

Kara29
12-11-2005, 05:46 PM
I just started Lupron shots for fertility last night and my bladder went nuts. I called my fertility doc right away and told him that my bladder didn't like that med. He said he had never heard of it before but that I could stop it and just use my Follistim shots. My urologist in Boston told me that Lupron is very abrasive to the bladder and urethra. He said that all of the fertiltiy/birth control meds can be very irritating to anyone's bladder. It makes me so mad that other doctors don't know that these hormones can be so harmful to some people.


Kara

Janie Miranda
12-12-2005, 08:48 AM
Kara,
As an infertile person who went on to adopt I never found the suggestion of adoption to be insensitive - I found it comforting to know that I might still have the option of motherhood. I think also that if someday you do come to that decision you will realize that you will not feel like you are parenting a stranger's child but the child will be your own in every possible way. Every fiber of your being will be fllled with love for that child . . . your "own" child whose face may look very different from your own. I think that is the hardest thing for most people to understand . . . that the love a parent feels for an adopted child is just as strong and unbreakable as the love for a biological child. I continue to wish you all the best as you work to create your family.

Kara29
12-12-2005, 09:39 AM
I am permanently disabled and afraid that no one will let us adopt. I am in the disability database and going nowhere.


I am so depressed. I don't feel like I am going to make it through this.


Kara :headbang: :headbang:

DENISE31
12-12-2005, 10:46 AM
Kara I Know Kind Of How You Feel I Had To Have An Emergency Hysterecktomy At The Age Of 21. My Husband Didn't Have Any Kids And Wanted A Child Bad. It Was So Hard Because He And I Both Knew That There Is No Way Possible For Us To Have A Child So We Started To Pray. We Went And Talked To Our Local Dhr And They Wanted Us To Be Foster Parents, But I Wasn't Sure That I Could Handle That Or Not So We Kept Praying And All Along I Wasn't Sure How I Would Feel About A Child That Was Not Biological Mine. On Mothers Day Last Year My Husbands Cousin Called Us And She Knew A Woman That Couldn't Take Care Of Her Babies And Wanted To Give Them Up For Adoption. I Didn't Know What To Think Or Do So We Prayed Lord Please Give Us A Sign If We Need To Get These Babies (they Are Twin Girls). So When We Got There Laura Went Up To My Husband And Said Da Da. That Was It. Now It Was As If I Had Them Myself We Love Them So Much And All They Know Is Us As Their Parents. The Girls Are Now 2. I Wish You The Best. I Also Know That There Are Alot Of Kids Out There With No One To Show Them Any Kind Of Love.

My Prayers Are With You

Denise

Janie Miranda
12-12-2005, 01:18 PM
Kara,
You are in my thoughts and prayers as you go through this difficult time. I can hear your despair and I truly hope you will be able to concieve soon. I know this must be taking a terrible toll on you and your family. I wish that there was something I could do or say to make this easier for you but I know there isn't anything anyone can do. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

holles
12-12-2005, 06:20 PM
kara,

my husband and i did not adopt. we got close several years ago, but he got cold feet. when he told me, i felt like my world had caved in. and in a way, it had. but you will be okay. you are going to be okay. even though right now, you feel like your heart is literally breaking into a million pieces, you will survive. okay?

right now, take care of yourself. it's hard to do that. but you need to think of you.

i'm sorry you're hurting. i know the pain very well. but it does become easier with time.

(((hugs)))

ace88
12-18-2005, 02:32 AM
The best thing people can say is nothing, because it is none of their business. Some are trying to be helpful and then you have others that are simply being nosy and trying to get you to say something. We've been trying for almost a year with no success and it is frustrating...to the point where you lose enjoyment completely of each other and your only focus is what time of month it is for her.

jen48446
12-18-2005, 07:12 AM
I couldn't agree more with the frustration!!! My husband is shooting blanks & I had Hydrothermal Ablation done in August, we're saving to adopt but until then it's agony at times dealing with things. There are some I really wish I could strangle & say wake up & GROW UP!! I pretty much keep those thoughts to myself & my husband though. I'm on seasonal layoff right now so I have more time on my hands to think about it. when I'm working it does help me keep my mind off of it.

Anyone who is looking for someone to lean on or to vent to I'm here for you!!! We have 3 cats that are my "babies" between them & my husband's 60+ hour work weeks I have my hands full...cats are fighting a lot & it wakes me up...thank god for the internet, e-mail support groups & this website!!!

Jen

Kara29
12-19-2005, 05:15 PM
I can't go through the bladder pain anymore. Maybe I was given bladder problems so that I would give up on having my own babies. Maybe it's time to give up and adopt. There has got to be someone out there that would be willing to adopt to us even though I am disabled. The adoption process is no picnic either. I am not looking forward to any of it. All of this is so hard, but I don know that I don't want to spend my life without kids. It's just not what I want. We have a lot of love to give!

I know the feeling,

Kara :mad:

Katrina
12-19-2005, 05:31 PM
Kara, we have talked about this and you know my thoughts...I am not sure if you ever fully end greiving for that child that would have been a part of you and your husband...putting my hope in adoption is the only hope I have and being very disabled I fear like you do about that not working. I know you have a lot of love to give...sending support!!!