My Secret Menorah
“My secret menorah Magical oil Lit every night for months In secret The trigger shot. That lights them all... My secret menorah.”
My Chanukah Miracle
Two years ago, we found out about my third miscarriage on the second day of Chanukah. Lighting the candles after that felt, not for the first time in my life, like a cruel joke.
This Night
Welcome to Passover. We are going to be talking about a lot about why it is so hard, why this holiday is so important in our minds, and how you can get through it.
How Can We Be Free?
How can we be free when we're slaves to basal body temperatures and the right combination of meds, organic food, herbs, yoga, acupuncture and meditation?
Passover Reflection
So many comments will come in during the next week about family size. Hopefully this piece will be a reminder to all of you to never assume anything.
Passover Seder Tips
So yeah - that's why we are talking about it so much. And giving voice to the negative feelings that surround it for so many.
Comparing Family Size
Hold your head high and don't do the comparisons. We broke free of the slavery thousands of years ago. There is no need to willingly put yourself back there.
Holiday Grief
Holidays: when you hoped that this would be the year that you had a baby to hold, it's even more devastating when that dream doesn't become a reality.
Yom Hashoah
So many things just hit differently through the lens of infertility, but we've heard from some of you that this day is particularly upsetting.
Holiday Angst
Holiday tables filled with rude and insensitive family members you don't regularly see can feel like walking into a landmine. The memories can be impossible to forget.
Bad News After Bad News
“I really thought I was going to be pregnant by this year, and now I just don't know what to feel. I'm angry, sad, and numb most of the time. I hardly go out. And I don't even know if I can go to shul on RH.”
Hopeful During Holidays
Someone in one of our support groups recently asked, “A part of me is just hopeless when I think about the holidays. How do I stay hopeful during this time?”
Shana Tova Message
“It’s a New Year. I sit here and reflect where I was last year at this time. The hope that the one healthy embryo from our retrieval would implant and turn into the baby we dreamed of.”
Rosh Hashana Prayer
There is a concept in Judaism that if you pray for someone else to have _______, then that blessing will be bestowed upon you too. So, I'm asking all of you to pray.
Forgive Yourself
We want G-d to forgive us for all our sins, but He can only do so if we are also gentle with ourselves. Look inside and be kind to the you that is hurting.
It’s Yom Kippur Again
On behalf of everyone at IWSTHAB, may this be the year where no one suffers, and Hashem answers all of your prayers. Gmar chasima tova. Xoxo, Aimee
Simchat Torah
I have a pit in my stomach. A feeling of nausea mixed with sadness that gets stronger each day. Simchas Torah is coming. A day usually filled with unbridled joy and exuberance makes me want to curl up in my bed.
Simchat Torah & Infertility
“Simchas Torah So many emotions surround this day. A day we celebrate torah. Fathers dance with their kids. Round and round the bimah. Holding torah scrolls.”
Day 8: Worthy of Rest
You ARE worthy of a nap, a break, and some time off. You deserve it. Pat yourself on the back for getting through whatever life has thrown at you. Because this stuff is hard. Really, really hard.
Day 5: Worthy of Hugs
The fertility community also knows that sometimes a hug is the answer when there isn’t anything good to say. But it can have so many other benefits... *Hugs can make you happier.*