Struggling With Fertility Issues? #ad

Many moons ago, when my husband and I were first married, we made the decision to enjoy our lives together for a couple of years and then start a family. Many of our friends were in the same boat, being newly married or engaged and the trend of having your children a little bit later was evident in our circle.  There was no reason to worry about getting pregnant right away. We had our future well planned out. We hadn’t been married for too long when I became ill with a debilitating, chronic pain condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia. Life as we knew it changed completely in mere months. But what was even harder to bear was the news that the medication I may have to take for the rest of my life was not conducive to a healthy pregnancy or baby.

At the age of 27 years old, still a newlywed married less than a year, I was faced with the probability that my husband and I may never have children of our own. It was heartbreaking and even now, almost 17 years later, I can still recall how devastated we were. My sister and her husband had three children by then and my husband’s siblings also had kids. We once thought we would surpass them all and have four or five children, but that was apparently not meant to be.  For the next couple of years I spent my days learning to live with the pain of my disease and trying to let go of my dreams to be a mama.

Fertility issues are something that many couples face, often in silence so their family and friends are not aware of the pain they are going through.  According to WHO, the World Health Organization, one in four couples in the developing world have been found to be affected with fertility issues.  That means 25% of our population who are trying to conceive a child, are not able to. Having lived with the possibility that I may never conceive a child of my own, I can understand how crushing this news is. Ultimately, after a successful, yet life-threatening surgery, I was able to get pregnant.  Many are not that lucky.

Once my beautiful daughter came along, five years after we were married, we started to think about a sibling for her. The second time around, although not faced with a medical reason, becoming pregnant eluded us. I was grateful to have my daughter, but as one year turned into the next and then the next, I was resigned to her being an only child. During this time I researched infertility and sought out ways to improve our chances of having another baby. Somewhere during this search for answers and information, I became pregnant with our son. While my children are six years apart in age, I am still extremely grateful they are mine. ♥

I have to admit that, while the thought of facing fertility treatments to conceive was scary and not necessarily the path I wanted to take, it was a relief to see the options that were available to couples desperate to have a baby.  We are all bound by a common thread; the need to give and receive love and fertility treatments help many couples continue to do so with their own children.

Of the many reasons why a women may not be able to get pregnant, one of them is egg health. Compromised egg health is common. It happens naturally as we age and younger women can have poor egg health due to inherited reproductive disorders, environmental factors or other medical conditions. OvaScience has developed a treatment to help with egg health. The AUGMENT^SM treatment uses the energy-producing mitochondria from your own egg precursor (EggPC℠) cells, which are immature egg cells found in the protective lining of your ovaries, to supplement the existing mitochondria in your eggs. This process is designed to boost your eggs’ energy levels for embryo development. It’s like adding protein powder to your morning smoothie for an added boost of energy to get you through your day! Your eggs will work harder and more effectively, to help you become pregnant. 🙂 This treatment has already seen one Canadian couple realize their dream of becoming parents to their beautiful baby boy! ♥

Life never quite seems to go the way we plan it. Starting a family or adding to the one you already have is a huge decision to make and like any choice we make we should always be informed of the options, the challenges and the rewards that are out there. OvaScience is committed to helping families grow. You can learn more about this powerful, life-changing treatment by visiting them here.

Has your life been affected by fertility issues? 

FT&PD

Suz

**Disclosure: This post was sponsored by OvaScience, a global fertility company dedicated to improving treatment options for women around the world. All opinions shared are my own, including my story.