Infertility Essay

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Growing up, little girls dream of becoming mothers. From the first baby doll, to baby showers, girls and women are surrounded by images and expectations of babies and motherhood. For some women, motherhood is a large part of their self-image. It may be their highest ambition. Becoming a mother feels right and natural and it is not difficult for most to follow that instinct. The majority of women who want to become mothers do so without difficulty and find great happiness in family life. It is the summation of that little girl’s dreams. Even women who do not necessarily want to become mothers are aware of social expectations to do so. “The pressures to marry and raise a family can be enormous — to the extent that women who are unable to do those things can feel as though something must be deeply wrong with them or greatly lacking in their lives.” Men are not pressured in the same way to become fathers, and they are brought up to block out their feelings or at least keep them to themselves (Baby Center). Most everyone knows someone that has been affected by infertility. It is a devastating and long process. My Aunt, Darla Peterson, has dealt with infertility for many years. It is something that has affected her immensely and changed her outlook on life. Women who are infertile face not only the physical hurdles and suffering, but also battle with social and emotional challenges.
Physically there are many things that have to function perfectly. For a woman to be fertile, her ovaries must release healthy eggs. “Her reproductive tract must allow an egg to pass into her fallopian tubes and allow the sperm to join the egg for fertilization. The fertilized egg must travel on to the uterus and implant in the lining.” So many things c...

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...an empathy with others who, as partners in the human condition, also face defeats. In time, the shadow cast upon your life can fade and the light can shine through again (Resolve).
Infertility is a life changing experience. It is ironic that teenage couples and young adults who do not want children or are not ready to be parents get pregnant; while desperate couples that long to have a family of their own can not achieve their most precious goal to naturally bear their own children. Couples deal with infertility differently not only as couples but individually as men and women. Only they, and others who have been through it know what they endure personally. They bravely face the reality that physically they are unable to have children, and then hopefully, find strength to deal with the storm of emotional turmoil that ultimately will be their biggest struggle.

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