This weekend I attended my dear friends baby shower and it had me thinking…how are my friends and I at the age already to where we are starting to have children? I had baby on the brain. I feel like it was yesterday when we were living together in college deciding who was going to get the wine for afterward class or where we were going to eat for dinner that night.
Needless to say, her baby shower was adorbs and truly one for the books…or instagram stories haha, you decide. I wish I took more photos, but the one above is a picture of her gift table at the beginning of the shower. This is her first child and she is not finding out the gender (which is something I HOPE I can do when/if that time comes for me). As we approach this time in our lives (having children) I can’t help but think of how the times have changed from when my parents had me.
Times have changed. Having children does not come easy for some. I hear many stories in the news about rainbow babies and miracle babies. I follow many influencers and bloggers on instagram who have openly struggled with getting pregnant successfully on their own and have undergone IVF or IUI treatments. I personally know many people who currently have children due to successful fertility treatments. At the baby shower, I sat next to a friend of mine who is currently struggling with fertility herself.
IVF and IUI treatments are becoming more and more popular and now I am absolutely no expert on this topic, I just want to stress the importance of support that is required during this process. After discussing with my friends who are currently struggling with fertility at this time, all with different reasons and all undergoing different treatments. All of them have said that talking things through and having a support system they can count on (other than their partners, of course) has been a tremendous relief in the process. Having someone to chat with about personal struggles and stress helps alleviate worry and creates an open, worry-free, safe zone. My friend I sat by at the baby shower is open with her fertility struggles on social media, and therefore, many people are informed and aware of her struggles. It’s important to note that many times, people are not as open though, and that is okay too.
Others go through this process alone and it’s important for them to know they do not have to, if they do not want to. Please remember, you are not alone, there’s a community and licensed specialists who are there to support, share their stories and listen as well as encourage others through the process.
If you take anything from this post, please take away this: Everyone is living a life. A life that might be picture perfect on instagram or any social media platform but may not be picture perfect to themselves. Everyone is fighting a battle within themselves daily. Whether it be their body image, relationship/marriage struggles, work stress, friendships, mourning, addiction, money, school, health, family or fertility. Please remember to respond to everyone with kindness and let the people close to you know you are here for them and have a shoulder to cry on or arms to offer a hug with. Everyone needs someone, why not be that person?
XO
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