It had been a hard day. Despite yet another trip to the infertility clinic, I wasn’t pregnant. Still. So, as the sun slipped behind the horizon, all I wanted to do was forget – forget about cradles and bibs, nappies and rattles, everything that had to do with the baby I couldn’t seem to have.
But life conspired against me.
An invitation to a friend’s baby shower sat on the kitchen table when I got home. The church newsletter reminded me of baby dedications the following Sunday. Even my favourite TV show flaunted not one but two commercials for nappies. It just wasn’t fair, especially when the email came from a family member telling me of her unexpected pregnancy.
I might have been able to stand it if I hadn’t been to a birthday party just the night before where an acquaintance innocently asked the most painful question of all: "So when are you two going to start a family?"
The reality
I couldn’t escape the constant reminders of what I hoped for and didn’t have. Why did it seem that every other couple was able to experience the joy of bringing a child into the world?
I wrestled with that question for months, until I discovered a startling fact: 1 in 6 Australian couples struggle with infertility and females over the age of 35 have a one in three chance of having fertility issues.
So how do these women navigate a world filled with children? Is there any way to turn the reminders of pain into something good? Surprisingly, part of the answer came to me over dinner at my favourite Mexican restaurant.
Beyond disappointment
My husband and I were squeezed into a small table for two. And, of course, at the next table sat a couple with their newborn baby. The baby fussed. The mother tensed. The baby cried. The father squirmed. The baby yowled. The mother leapt up and snatched the baby from the car seat.
"See, we’ll never be able to go anywhere again," she said as she rushed for the door.
I crossed my arms and scowled. "They don’t know what a blessing they have."
My husband looked at me for a long moment.
"No, they don’t," he said, "but we do. We should pray."
After swallowing my shock, I realised he was right. Our infertility allowed us a deep and unique understanding of what a blessing a child is. A baby is a miracle.
Over the years, as other reminders came, I embraced the fact that I had a choice: I could allow those moments to be about me – my loss, my disappointments – or I could ask God to bless each child and help his parents realise what a wondrous miracle they have.
A simple answer
I also learned that I didn’t have to go to every baby shower and attend every children’s event. I knew that I was responsible for protecting my emotions and keeping myself from dwelling on disappointments. For close friends and family, I attended, but for others, I prayed and sent a gift. That was enough.
Even before my husband and I were blessed with our own children, I came to realise that we were already a family. Whenever I was asked that painful question about when we would start a family, I could confidently answer: "We already have. We just don’t know if God is going to add to it."
Thankfully, He did.
© 2009 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission.
Marlo Schalesky
She is also the award winning author of eleven books, including *Encountering Christ When Life Hurts* (2018) and *Empty Womb, Aching Heart, Hope and Help for those Struggling with Infertility.*