If you are celebrating Thanksgiving this holiday season, you may not be giving thanks for your twisted uterus, your hubby’s lack of sperm or that you just spent $500 on fertility drugs.
But here are some real reasons why you should be thankful for an infertile Thanksgiving…
Thankful that you are not one of the Duggar children. “I have 19 brothers and sisters and my mama and papa can’t remember my name.”
Thankful that you get to inject your fertility needle into your ass instead of into the other side.
Thankful for sperm-friendly lubricant and an abundance of cervical mucus.
Thankful for Starbucks holiday beverages with whip cream, Double Stuffed Oreos and Reece Peanut Butter Cups, following a failed cycle.
Thankful that your parents didn’t name you Myrtle which rhymes with…
Thankful that your husband/partner doesn’t have a business trip during your ovulation period.
Thankful that you don’t have to go to a baby shower on Thanksgiving Day.
Thankful that you only had 6 fertility interns (and not 7) see your lady parts during your last IVF procedure.
Thankful that your hubby/partner’s last semen analysis results showed that his sperm only had 2 heads instead of 3. Progress!
Thankful that your mother-in-law only told you twice today that she wants to be a grandmother.
Thankful that cousin Martha is only pregnant with baby #3 (and not #4).
Thankful that cousin Betsy’s new baby inherited her husband’s unattractive chin.
Thankful that you are not allergic to alcohol!
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful and focus on all the things you do have, rather than all the things you don’t. Life can be difficult but always try to let positivity and humor triumph over circumstance. If you can’t find anything to be grateful for, just look in a new direction. Happy Holidays!
(Thankful that Circle+Bloom is giving us 15% off their Fertility Programs! Enter discount code: 999Reasons15)
We are skipping Thanksgiving completely this year. I planned on laying low since my husband just had surgery this morning (non-infertility related) so we have a built in excuse, which is a good thing since my sister just told us she’s pregnant after a whopping 4 mos of marriage. Meanwhile, I start BCPs for IVF next month after 3.5 years of TTC. FML.
“If you can’t find anything to be thankful for, just look in a new direction”
So true. It can be very hard to find something to be grateful for, especially when trying to conceive your first baby. It’s easier now (much easier) to be grateful the second time around. But one thing I realized is that if my husband and I didn’t have our fertility struggles, we most definitely would NOT have the child we have today. We would have another child, whom we would love, but not our daughter. And I CAN’T imagine life without her.
So while I can’t yet say that I am *glad* to have PCOS and fertility issues, I can be grateful for the end results and how life worked itself out. Guess that’s my idea of looking in another direction. I hope that I can keep that point of view while going through treatments this time around.
Ok, this blog made me laugh out loud. Funny, but so true. I love your honesty in your posts but also what you said about finding things to be positive about. There is always something to be thankful for.
thankful that Reese now has a 1/2 lb peanut butter cup! no more dinky little cups done in two bites, no ma’am, I’m eating ones as big as my hand
yep this is me: Thankful that you only had 6 fertility interns (and not 7) see your lady parts during your last IVF procedure.&
During my first IVF we had so many people in the room Embryo Transfer Day, I was so shocked. Guess they were all there for checks&balance so that good but having lots of people in there while my lady parts are out in the open was little uncomortable.
As yet another former co-worker posts a pg announcement on FB, on Thanksgiving day, of all days, I’d like to say “I’m thankful for tampons!!” , as I’ll start within the next 24 hours or so.
I always giggle when you mention 2-headed sperm. And I worked with a woman who always announced “I’m just such a fertile Myrtle!” Barf.
Thanks for posting this, I just found out Monday my first IVF failed so I’m still really bitter. It’s so hard to be thankful, especially when AF came today, just an extra special eff you that my body so enjoys giving me.
I had to ck in today as I’ve been feeling particularly sad.. I’m glad I came across this article! Another month and no luck.. I’m pretty sure my closest cousin is preg but hasnt announced it.. So I’m bracing for the happy news as well as the heartbreak… I am grateful for much but not this heavy heart!
Grateful for the many friends we have who still (to their sadness, I suspect) aren’t married, so they don’t have any kids yet. Though I wish them well in finding someone to spend their lives with, while they sit in limbo waiting, their company is a source of joy to otherwise lonely infertiles. Mixed blessings are blessings too, right? Happy Thanksgiving, twisted-uterus sisters!
You know you might be an infertile if you go to the local comic book store on Black Friday and see little stuffed sperms and ovums and consider buying one of each for your bedside table. And another set for your best friend who is also TTC. (true story)
by the way, I chose my username about two years ago when I started on the baby train, I now realize I have little chance of getting a positive before 2011 is up…maybe I should change it to mommywishingtobe
This Thanksgiving I was thankful that I could toast with champagne instead of apple cider. And that my pregnant sister-in-law threw up before and after the meal.
And thankful for this blog! I’d rather laugh than cry!
I’m thankful that this Thanksgiving I went skiing in Switzerland–something that my fertile, baby-squirting friends had to skip. Of course, I’d rather have a kid than my travel, but why not use as many opportunities as possible to do things now that fertile people can’t, and then be grateful for these experiences?
I’m thankful for the sil who has been saving all of her baby stuff for my husband and me. Although, coming home in a car stuffed with a bassinet and baby swing was more than a little difficult.
Thank you for your blog and all the wonderful posts in it. My husband and I are dealing with infertility and the list of blogs I’ve read on the topic could envy his sperm count numbers. I’ve found many great blogs ranging from heart wrenching stories to stress-relieving rants, but your blog was the FIRST to actually make me laugh and say, “Hey, maybe it’s not sooooo bad.” Thank you so much. I needed that.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! I am a teacher, so I am already counting down to the Christmas break
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I told my DH I couldn’t handle going to his parent’s to be around the LO’s for Thanksgiving. Instead, we had our own nice quiet feast. Too bad I can’t skip Christmas as well. Infertility turns you into a Scrooge!
In June I finally concieved only to lose it in August at nine weeks. My sister in law’s due date if four days after mine was supposed to be. At Thanksgiving all anyone talked about was planning her baby shower and my aunt happily went over to her and told her that she was going to teach her how to be a mom, and I just wanted to cry. I kept leaving the room. In order to distract myself from out right sobbing in the middle of the party, I pulled out my Nintendo DS and started playing (I’m 25 I swear!) My mother came over and started scolding me like a child about me being anti social. Then both my sister in laws (one being the pregnant one) came over, sat next to me, and started talking about her baby shower again. I had had it. I got my husband and we both left. I spent the rest of the night sobbing. I was the buzz kill at Thanksgiving.
@Rin: Sounds like a reasonable thing for you to do. Being surrounded by fertile people and constantly having their luck rubbed in my face is the hardest part about infertility. I need to get myself a Nintendo DS!
I stumbled on this website completely by accident while doing some research today. The site made me smile and the comments made me care. I cannot pretend to know what you all are going through but my heart goes out to each one of you with wishes for your dreams to come true this holiday season. I’ll send a little good luck prayer up for all of you and keep in mind not to take anything for granted.
Luo Ji was surprised to see jordan retro 11.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!