Path to motherhood: Shining a light on the hope credit unions can create

Most who know me well have seen my commitment to if not obsession with, planning. Benjamin Franklin’s quote, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” inspires my approach to life. For me, planning supports a structure for my journey, and it brings me joy! I very much relish the anticipation of looking forward to what lies ahead. This highlights the irony of how little planning I did in relation to having children. I simply did not think about it. I cherished time with my best friend Amy Wagner’s children and remember vividly their early days in the world. I adored holding them and watching her world brighten with the arrival of new humans. Unlike many people I love dearly, I did not have a dream of a set number of children or crystalize thoughts about how a life with children would unfold. Then, one day in my early 30’s, I woke up, and it became the only thing I could think about.

Having spent so little time considering the creation of a family, also ironically, I had never even pondered the possibility of infertility. My dad was one of six brothers, and my mom was one of three children. All of their siblings had multiple children, and their children had numerous children. My friends seemed to be having children with ease. So, as my sudden urgency to have children married with a reality that after months of trying, having children would not be easy for me and my husband, Scott, I did what great planners do. I took action.

I found a fertility doctor, and we booked our first visit. I remember feeling absolutely stunned as we sat in a waiting room packed with other couples and women. I felt naïve to have underestimated the need and the reality of a challenge I had not even considered. The doctor who saw us was kind and open. He described the process and options. He was confident and shared hope with the stories of his successes.

 

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