#infertility

#infertility

"Every single one of us is a mom in that room, and we could all feel her pain because she wants this so badly," cast member Whitney Leavitt tells TODAY.com.

Elana Frank, CEO and founder of the Jewish Fertility Foundation, emphasizes a commitment to support Jewish couples facing infertility by expanding services and providing financial assistance.

"You think you're OK. Then it unravels. You're doing everything right. Trying. Hoping. Planning. Praying. And then it all slips through your hands."

Disenfranchised grief, like infertility, often goes unrecognized by society. The impact can include financial strain, relationship stress, and identity loss.

Spirituality to me is being able to sit in my sunroom and feel the sun on my face and a sense of calm because my ego is not in charge.

Infertility often evokes feelings of longing, loss, and frustration that reflect the wider human experience, reminding us that we share common struggles.

The new research highlights that both maternal and paternal exposure to air pollutants like particulate matter and organic carbon can significantly disrupt fertility, suggesting an urgent need for broader awareness of environmental impacts.

Mackenzie Levasseur recalls the loneliness during years of infertility. "We wanted to be parents so badly. We had all this space and so much love to give, but it just wasn't happening for us." The struggle left her feeling shattered along with her husband after experiencing a miscarriage. The couple then shifted their focus to fostering children, aiming for reunification with birth parents, reflecting their desire to contribute positively amid their personal challenges.

In the face of societal and medical opposition, Bob Edwards, Patrick Steptoe, and Jean Purdy paved the way for IVF, resulting in the birth of Louise Joy Brown in 1978.

"Each time I ended up back in hospital with severe pains or heavy bleeding, the doctors would scan me, express their surprise that there was still some tissue remaining in my uterus and schedule another surgery."

"When we first went in [to our fertility clinic], we went in sort of skipping, holding hands, all happy... I had four sperm. Three of them were dead. One was barely moving in my sample. It was one of those things where [I was basically] considered technically infertile. I was like, 'This sucks. This is hard.'"