{"id":75225,"date":"2019-02-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-02-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fertilitysmarts.com\/2019\/02\/07\/finding-infertility-support"},"modified":"2020-07-31T20:17:18","modified_gmt":"2023-11-04T17:47:56","slug":"finding-infertility-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fertilitysmarts.com\/finding-infertility-support\/2\/2068","title":{"rendered":"Finding Infertility Support"},"content":{"rendered":"
Experiencing infertility and working towards a resolution is often experienced as a major life crisis. The physical, emotional, financial toll is significant—so much so that one study found that individuals experiencing infertility suffered similar psychological symptoms<\/a> as those with other serious medical conditions such as cancer.<\/p>\n On top of this, infertility is often experienced as a private matter. It can be a tough topic for family and friends to relate to and can leave well-meaning people giving painful advice (just wait and it will happen!).<\/p>\n This means it can often feel like a very lonely experience—but it doesn't need to be.<\/p>\n There is support out there to be had. There are people who can relate and understand.<\/p>\n You don't need to feel alone.<\/p>\n So how do you find your infertility confidant? There are a number of different ways you can choose to connect with others. You get to decide what support means to you; it's not a one-size-fits-all deal.<\/p>\n Here is our list of some of the different types of support you might choose to take advantage of.<\/p>\n When you just want to talk with someone who has been there and injected that, a mentor might be a good bet. With Fruitful Fertility<\/a>, you can be matched with a seasoned infertility veteran who shares similar values. Your mentor will have resolved their infertility and has the bandwidth to focus on your journey.<\/p>\n According to Fruitful, you can connect via phone, email, text, or even in person, with the goal of building trust and rapport over time. It can be powerful to navigate the experiences of infertility with someone who has been there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If meeting in-person with a community of understanding people is what you need, a support group might be for you. Support groups can be a great way to get out of the house on the regular and meet with other people undergoing a similar experience. As a bonus, you could end up with some new friends, too.<\/p>\n If you are looking to join a group, there are national infertility-focused organizations that are a good first step. They typically offer peer-led support groups run primarily through volunteer support and might offer professionally-led support groups that are fee-based.<\/p>\n Great places to also check for a local support group can include:<\/p>\n The Fertility Tribe<\/a> offers a free online community that brings together women who are struggling to get or stay pregnant. The app is organized by topic, making it easy to share stories, find support, and connect with resources. We also like that you can find other people dealing with a similar diagnosis.<\/p>\n If you are looking for a true community feel, the Fertility Tribe Members' Community<\/a> is a great option.<\/p>\n A paid version is also offered that gives members additional perks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you are not sure about needing support-support<\/em>, but dang it, you just want to shout from the rooftop that you've just "pulled the trigger," there is a solution for that.<\/p>\n Instagram has an infertility community where other people understand your ups and downs—all with the option to remain anonymous.<\/p>\n We find that because most people are invested in sharing their stories and having others reciprocate, the anonymous jabs that frequent other spaces on the internet don't seem to land as frequently here.<\/p>\n Throw in a mix of inspiration and humor, and that's the full Instagram #ttc experience.<\/p>\n How do you get started? Well, hit up Instagram with a 'TTC account' and decide what level of privacy you are most comfortable with. It's pretty common to see accounts set to private with a "TTC Accounts Only" disclaimer in the bio.<\/p>\n Then you need to find some hashtags to follow, and off you go. A great place to start is looking at #infertility and #infertilitysupport.<\/p>\n Oh, and we'd love for you to join us<\/a> on Insta, too!<\/p>\n1. Chat With Someone In-The-Know<\/h2>\n
2. Gather With People In a Similar Situation<\/h2>\n
National Infertility Support Groups<\/h3>\n
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3. Find Your Tribe Online<\/h2>\n
4. Milestone Support & Celebration on Instagram<\/h2>\n
How to Get Started on Instagram<\/h3>\n