4.24.2010

It's NIAW!

For some reason I feel like yelling, "Happy NIAW, everyone!!" But don't worry, I will restrain myself.

I just got done posting this status on my FB (shamelessly plagiarized from Angie's comment on Busted Plumbing):

"Today starts National Infertility Awareness Week. Nearly 7.3 million people in the U.S. struggle with infertility, are you one of them? Talk to me. If not, check out resolve.org/takecharge for tips and suggestions on how to be supportive, because 1 in 8 is someone you know."

I've been out of the IF closet for some time, but I try not to make too big a deal out of it. Mostly because I figure people get tired of hearing my sob story, and I have you ladies to whine to! But honestly, I really like the idea of being "out," trying to educate people, and building support for the IF community in whatever small way I can. NIAW gives me an excuse to be as vocal as I want about my struggles, and in a way that's pretty liberating.

If you're "in the closet" I encourage you to consider coming out as well. Yes, I have encountered a few vocally ignorant people, but on the whole I've gained MUCH more support than I ever thought possible, from some very unexpected places. And I've had more opportunities to spread the truth about IF, which will hopefully help someone else, even if I never get to meet them.

I won't yell it, but at an appropriately indoor-level volume I do wish you a Happy NIAW!

11 comments:

Jenni said...

Happy NIAW to you too! I like the idea of te facebook post, not sure that I'm ready for it yet, maybe next year - we're still in the closet with my In-laws. We're planning on telling them when we see them in person next month, but in the meanwhile, It's all up to DH's comfort level. Thank you for being one of the vocal ones.
~ICLW

Tanya said...

Happy NIAW! I too am going to plagiarize from both you and Angie and post on my FB!

LiL Moo & Mee said...

I wish IF was recognised as much as it is over there..it certainly needs to be world wide.

Happy NIAW.

~ICLW

daega99 said...

Congrats on being out of the closet! I've told close friends but I don't feel comfortable going any further at the moment.

ICLW
http://daega99-arewethereyet.blogspot.com/

Allison said...

Happy NIAW!

I'm still in the closet. Not proud of it, because I want to help and reach out to others, but I'm not sure I want my in-laws and work friends to know about this part of me.

Niki said...

Hi there. I just became your newest follower! That is great that you are "out". I am slowly starting to tell more people about our struggles. Sometimes its hard but I only wanted to smack one person so far and that was my MIL.

I look forward to your journey.
Happy ICLW!(#70)

Kate said...

Happy NIAW to you too!

I'm still in the closet as well - I share the sentiment of others, not proud of it, but not willing to risk my husbands sanity by making him go through the judgement of his mother (who we share a yard with). Someday maybe...

Gurlee said...

Good for you for being out of the closet. I can't say that I am completely out, only with those I feel comfortable with. I find the more folks I confide in the more support I get and the more IF I hear about.
I likey your blog, its purty.

Gurlee
ICLW

Jana said...

happy niaw.
i don't think i can do a FB announcement. I keep considering it, but I don't know about it.

christine said...

I kind of feel like shouting about NIAW as well. I also expect to see Infertility as a headline on the nightly news or something in honor of NIAW...so far, it hasn't made the headlines.

Here from ICLW (i'm #166).

Keiko Zoll said...

Happy NIAW to you as well! I'm also out (and even more so with a very public video I just posted this week) and I don't regret it at all. I think if more couples were out, there'd be a lot more favorable legislation. I wanted to say Hi from ICLW and wish you luck on your TTC journey. Those balls are... interesting! I read the picture post first before reading your ICLW post, and I was confused... I was thinking, "what kind of centerpieces ARE these?" :)

Hope you're feeling better (saw your above post). Happy ICLW!

~Miriam (ICLW #161) Hannah Wept, Sarah Laughed