Fertility Matters Canada

Never have we been happier to see the back of a year! Welcome 2021! We, at Fertility Matters, hope that all of you who have fought your way through your fertility struggles during 2020 are able to continue your family building journey in this New Year. May 2021 be your year! #happynewyear #2021 #newbeginings #movingforward #fertilitymatters #infertilitysucks #1in6 #TTCjourney #1in4 #adoptionjourney #ivf #iui #malefactorinfertility #femalefactorinfertility #infertilitysupport #weseeyou2020 #familybuildingjourney #LGBTQfamily #transmom #transdad #queerfamily #queerfertility #queerspawn #motivationmonday

"Having re-evaluated a lot over the past year and now looking towards the year ahead I, like everyone else, am wondering what 2021 will bring. There is always so much uncertainty around starting a new year. Especially if you’re still trying to conceive, nevermind the ongoing pandemic! But I like to start new years off on a new foot so I’ve thought of some goals that the family building crowd can use to have a happier, healthier, more balanced life while TTC in 2021. After 7... years in the trenches I’ve learned a lot about staying happy while TTC. Here are my New Year’s goals to keep you sane through another year of this journey..." Today Kaeleigh is on the blog talking about setting New Years goals while trying to conceive. We hope that this new year brings you a happier year, but you shouldn't leave it to chance! Being intentional about putting your happiness first this year can really make all the difference. Check out these 5 goals that can help get you there. You can read the entire post here - https://fertilitymatters.ca/5-goals-for-a-happier-2021-whi/ #infertile #infertility #1in6 #fertilitymatters #weseeyou2020 #1in4 #lgbtqparent #transmom #transdad #miscarriage #IVF #IUI #selflove #selfcare #findjoy #infertilitysucks #infertilitysupport #blog

Giving Tuesday isn't just about donating money to causes you care about but also about donating your time! We couldn't do what we do without the help of over 100 volunteers that are working hard to keep the 1 in 6 Canadian's suffering from infertility supported. And did you know that all of our volunteer opportunities are 100% virtual and available to anyone in Canada? This time of year can be so hard for those of us TTC, getting involved with a cause that supports others on ...the same journey can be incredibly rewarding and increases your own support system too! Connect with us to get involved today. If you want to donate to Fertility Matters you can do that here: https://fertilitymatters.ca/donate/ #GivingTuesday #donate #volunteer #share #fertilitymatters #1in6 #1in4 #infertility #infertilitycuks #infertilefortheholidays #infertilitysupport #infertilitywarrior #charities #donations

Looking for something to do tonight as we ring in 2021 mainly from home? There are lots of great infertility podcasts to check out! We'd like to see your recommendations for your favorites too, drop them in the comments below. https://parenting.nytimes.com/becoming-a-parent/ivf-podcast

Well, this is disconcerting. As always more research is needed but in a world where our knowledge of this virus is constantly evolving this is an interesting thing to know. It may be prudent in the future for those that have contracted COVID to get follow up sperm analysis. Original research is attached to the article. https://www.kxan.com//coronavirus-invades-mens-reproducti/

We were so glad to read this update from Chrissy Teigen. We, along with many of you, have been wondering how she's been coping since the loss of her son Jack and 20 weeks earlier this month. Here she is, shared in her own words. We are so grateful for her sharing. This means so much to many of those in the loss community. Be well. https://chrissyteigen.medium.com/hi-2e45e6faf764

As we wrap up Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month we wanted to say that your willingness to be vulnerable and share has moved us beyond words. Thank you. We hope we can continue to support you on your journey to build your family and that you find a safe space here. #Breakthesilence #1in4 #PAILwareness#1in6 #1in4 #fertilitymatters #infertility #repeatpregnancyloss #bereavedparents

Don’t forget... we have our exciting fertility yoga event coming up tonight @ 8 PM EST with Lauren. Cant wait to see you there Last chance, register for this fertility yoga session here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84903773457 Visit our event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/674374936848257

"My loss plunged me into a grief so powerful that I am still dealing with it 10 months later. I will probably never stop wondering who that child would have been, imagining my life with them in it. And one of the hardest parts of this kind of grieving was that no one wanted to talk about it. This can make it really hard to grieve because you KNOW that no one wants to hear that news. Even knowing how badly I needed to discuss my baby, the loss, and the pain I struggled to open... up about it... No one knew what to say, so they said nothing. Or worse, they offered up meaningless platitudes- 'At least you know you can get pregnant naturally' 'It was still so early, so at least that’s good' 'It wasn’t a baby yet'. Today for International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day we share Kaeleigh's raw testimony about how her recent losses opened her eyes to the miscarriage taboo and what we can do about it. Read the full post here - https://fertilitymatters.ca/shining-a-light-on-miscarriage/

"Some of these donor conceived peoples, Adrianne included, have been calling for reforms to Canada's reproductive laws so that people conceived through the use of donated material can obtain more information about their donors." Have you been involved in third-party reproduction? How do you feel about these proposed changes to the laws surrounding anonymity? https://www.cbc.ca//how-a-toronto-woman-discovered-she-has

We are thrilled to announce our newest member Invicta Counselling. Among other things, Amrit, a social worker with 27 years experience, counsels individuals and couples working to build their families. To see all the services she offers, check out her website: - https://www.invictacounselling.com/

The International Wave of Light is tonight. At 7pm this evening we will pause to honour those babies born sleeping, those we carried but never held, those we held but never took home, those who came home but couldn't stay... we remember. We invite you to light a candle at 7pm in your local time zones to participate in an ongoing wave of light that will circle the earth to show that these babies are never forgotten. #Waveoflight #PAIL #PAILAwareness #PAILSupport #Bereavedparents #lightacandle #October15 #inferilitysucks #1in6 #1in4 #fertilitymatters #infertility #miscarriageawareness #pregnancyandinfantlossawareness #breakthesilence

Infertility does not discriminate, celebrities suffer at the same rate as the general population! In this article we see some of the best advice from celebrities abut dealing with infertility. What has helped YOU the most through this journey? https://www.babygaga.com/the-best-celebrity-advice-about-s/

In September, we ran the Fertility Matters To Us Comfort Box campaign which was extremely successful! Thanks to all your incredible contributions we were able to raise $6,253! We also received an incredible number of nominations - 155 to be exact! We are happy to announce that we will be sending out 30 comfort boxes! Please check your emails as the recipients will be receiving their email this week. We are so happy to share these boxes of comfort and joy. #fertilitymatterstous #comfortboxes #fmcis30 #fundraiser #fertility #health #fertilitymatters #1in6 #infertilitywarrior #infertility #infertilityadvocate #1in4

Reminder, we have an exciting event coming up on Wednesday, October 28, 8pm EST we will be hosting a virtual fertility yoga event with Lauren from @BreatheWithLauren! Today Lauren shares with us what fertility yoga is! With so many different yoga styles and traditions out there today it’s often hard to know what we’re signing up for when we register for a class. Today, I wanted to shed some light on FERTILITY YOGA, with me!... I can’t speak for all fertility yoga teachers, but I can tell what you can expect from MY fertility yoga series: A balanced class that caters to your nervous system, physical body, mind and heart with.... breathwork postures + gentle movement affirmations + guided meditation Please register for the session here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84903773457

Why is it so important to talk about Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month? This list really nails it down. 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, we need to talk about the children who are lost to break the silence and reduce the stigma associated with loss. https://www.momtastic.com//661843-why-we-need-to-talk-ab/.

With heavy hearts we share that Chrissy Teigen's pregnancy has ended. Chrissy has been such a beacon for those in the infertility community, never shying away from sharing tough emotions on their family building journey. Today is no different. We grieve with her and John as they navigate the devastating loss of baby Jack and thank them for refusing to let the stigma of loss silence them. 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage and 1 in 100 will end with a stillbirth. We know this pain. As we begin Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month with this sad news we encourage you to lift each other up. You never know the pain someone else has had to endure. https://www.huffingtonpost.ca//chrissy-teigen-miscarriage_

"I found out about our first miscarriage during a big meeting at work. The meeting involved our CEO and others of our leadership team, and as a 28 year old aspiring career gal, I was in ‘make a good impression’ mode. I had been having painful cramps for a few days, but thought it was simply part of early pregnancy like all of my internet investigations told me. I went to the bathroom to discover my pregnancy was over just a week after finding out about it in the first place." Today we look at Vidya's experience with miscarriage and what you need to say if someone you know is going through one themselves. Read the full post here - https://fertilitymatters.ca/im-so-sorry/

Join FMC as we speak with Dr Kathy Wise and Dr Kim Daniel, from Kelowna Regional Fertility Centre, to learn all about egg freezing - who should consider it and why it is an important conversation to have with yourself, your partner, your doctor. Learn how long the process takes, how much it costs, and advances in technology. This FREE event is brought to you with the generous support of Ferring Pharmaceuticals. RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/386634952346382

Have you considered Embryo Donation on your fertility journey? Have you been wondering what the process looks like and if it might be for you? Then you need to watch our interview with Mary Howlett Nero! Watch now- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exX0-r5HHH8

"When you lose your baby, there's not that outpouring of community support to give us love and embrace us. Also, when we lose someone a parent, a friend we mark it with ceremonies, religious rites. We don't have anything like that when it comes to miscarriage, but [with] that invisible loss, there's the same sense of profound grief and trauma as there is with any other kind of loss." Huge thank you to CBS news for helping to break the silence surrounding miscarriage. https://www.cbsnews.com//breaking-the-stigma-surrounding-/

October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month (PAIL). Today marks the start of an important month in the infertility community, where we pause to acknowledge and stand with all those parents who have lost a child. We see you. 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage and though the experience is isolating, you are not alone. So many others are walking through this grief like you. Have you lost a child? Tell us your experience. What is your child's name? We want you to know that they existed and your grief has merit. If you feel the weight of this loss today and need a place to be heard... We are here.

Have you heard about our new Time to Chat interview series? We're talking with real patients just like you who are on their journey. Join us tonight LIVE at 6pm EST as we chat with Jessica. #ttctalks #ttcjourney #infertility #infertilitysucks #infertilitysupport #infertilitywarrior #realpeople #realtopics #realsuport #fertilitymatters #1in6 #1in4

Foster Family week is drawing to a close and we wanted to offer 10 reasons you may want to consider being a foster parent. Fostering is a unique road to parenting that some choose to pursue. It is not the same as adoption and often doesn't lead there but can be very rewarding! Have you considered fostering? https://fostercare.com/10-reasons-you-want-to-be-a-foster-/

Today is the last official day of our Comfort Box Campaign! To say we are grateful for all those who took part is an understatement. To those who donated, thank you for allowing us to bring comfort to persons on their fertility journey. To those who nominated, thank you for recognizing the strength and courage of your friend or family member for persevering through their fertility journey. To those who shared our content, thank you for believing in what we do. To donate to our Comfort Box campaign please follow this link: https://charity.gofundme.com//camp/fertility-matters-to-us. To nominate someone for a Comfort Box, please follow this link: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSeGxJ6YrgajOma-AY/viewform.

As the concept of what constitutes a family unit continues to evolve, what does this mean for our legal system? This article will break it down for you! https://www.tatler.com//modern-families-legal-issues-lawye

"My words to couples struggling: Keep going. Don’t Give up. Whatever that looks like for you. Believe and know that life has a way of sorting itself out. My words to those not struggling to conceive: Be easy on us. Listen when we need you. Lend an ear when you don’t know what else to do. Be there for us." Every story matters, this is Erin & Jay's - http://fertilitymatters.ca/oneinsix/erin-and-jay/... Want to share your #infertilityjourney? Send your story and picture to [email protected] with the subject line: 1 in 6 story. #fertilitymatterstous #comfortboxes #fmcis30 #fundraiser #fertility #health #fertilitymatters #1in6 #infertilitywarrior #infertility #infertilityadvocate

If you've recently received an infertility diagnosis the process can be so overwhelming. Read on to find out what this diagnosis can mean and reach out to us for continued support as you navigate this journey. https://americanpregnancy.org//fer/coping-with-infertility

Have you checked out this new Fertility App? FertiCalm serves as a helpful resource for women in the exact moment they feel distress, whenever and wherever they are, by providing them with coping techniques for many common social scenarios they may face on their (in)fertility journey. . Download it from the Apple App Store here: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/ferticalm/id1156007080 . #ferticalm #1in6 #fertilitymatters #infertility #fertilitytech #fertility #ttcjourney

As an organization we are constantly working to offer support and resources to Canadians who are on their fertility journey. We also know that there is always room for improvement and we strive to support you in the best way we can! Please let us know some things you'd like to see from FMC. What are some ways we can better support you? To donate to our Comfort Box campaign please follow this link: https://charity.gofundme.com//camp/fertility-matters-to-us. To nominate someone for a Comfort Box, please follow this link: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSeGxJ6YrgajOma-AY/viewform.

While every patients journey is unique it can help to know others stories and the things that helped them beat the odds. This is the "PCOS Diva's" story of dealing with her PCOS and finally building the family of her dreams. https://www.msn.com//i-have-pcos-this-is-what/ar-BB18kemL

Happy Friday! This is our last Friday check in before the end of the campaign! As of today we have raised $5,207.00 to build and share comfort boxes with our community! By donating to the #fertilitymatterstous campaign, you are helping FMC continue to meet our goals, offer support and empower Canadians to help reach their reproductive health goals. Through donating you are also helping us continue to support #1in6 families and build and share comfort boxes to those who could use the support and love! To donate to our Comfort Box campaign please follow this link: https://charity.gofundme.com//camp/fertility-matters-to-us. To nominate someone for a Comfort Box, please follow this link: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSeGxJ6YrgajOma-AY/viewform.

We aren't sure we understand the concept of being "too young" to undergo necessary procedures to overcome an infertility diagnosis. Though there are always hoops to jump through for funded cycles (here in Canada too), not all of them sensible to those left waiting. https://www.edp24.co.uk//nhs-ivf-treatment-diss-couple-rai

We want to hear from YOU! Fertility Matters is looking to add dynamic, passionate writers to our blogging team. We are looking for both established bloggers and new writers! We want you to write monthly or just one time... We are committed to showing the 1 in 6 Canadians what the face of infertility looks like in our country, and that means we want an article written by YOU! . To apply, send an email with a short bio and a link to your blog to [email protected] with the subject line: New Blogger Application. . #fertilityblogger #fertility #infertility #infertilityjourney #infertilitysucks #infertileblogger #Womenshealth #fertilitymatterscanada

"Megan assumed since her mom got pregnant with her at a very young age that fertility would be on her side, but sadly was not the case. One of the biggest hurdles was a family doctor who continued to add barriers when it came to accessing fertility care." Every Story Matters, this is Megan's story: https://fertilitymatters.ca/1-in-6-stories/ Want to share your #infertilityjourney? Send your story and picture to [email protected] with the subject line: 1 in 6 story.... To donate to our Comfort Box campaign please follow this link: https://charity.gofundme.com//camp/fertility-matters-to-us. To nominate someone for a Comfort Box, please follow this link: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSeGxJ6YrgajOma-AY/viewform.