“Tell me about your family”
You might feel an instinct when meeting someone new to ask, “So, how many kids to you have?” or “Do you have kids?”
🚨DON’T🚨
Please, stop asking people about their kids, if they want kids, or how many kids they have.
For people in the fertility community, these questions are an incredibly hurtful, heartbreaking and triggering for struggling to build their family or grieving the loss of a pregnancy or baby. Such an “innocent” question is the source for so much pain.
So please, next time you want to ask someone about their family, try -
“Tell me about your family.”
❤️5 Ways To Ask, But Not Ask “Do You Have Kids?”❤️
❤️When you are meeting someone for the first time… “Ah, you just moved in! Welcome to the neighborhood. So, who lives in that big house with you?”
Feel it, Honor it, and Seek support
Sending all of you love-
Good shabbos ❤️
Xoxo,
Aimee
Feeling exhausterwhelmulated
Anyone else?
🫠🫠🫠🥱🥱🥱🧑🍳🧑🍳🧑🍳🛒🛒🛒🧹🧹🧹💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
Jewish holidays | infertility | fertility journey | shabbos | overwhelmed
Lighting a Candle for…
And for those of us who have carried so much pain ourselves—
may we also be carried.
Held.
Seen.
Reminded that even the strongest among us need gentleness, too.
Infant and pregnancy loss awareness day | infant and pregnancy loss awareness month
Prayers for each other
We are stronger together.
Let’s uplift this community in prayer. Together. For each other 🫂
#fertilitysupport #infertility #prayer #jewishcommunity #orthodoxjew #simchattorah #jewishholiday
It is possible to feel both
Holding it all:
-The joy of children’s voices under tallitot (prayer shawls) for Kol Hanearim and the ache of those still waiting
-The miracles of those who have come home and the fear for those still missing
-The sweetness of Yom Tov and the sting of thoughtless words
This is what being Jewish looks like. We can hold it all.
Jewish holiday | Hostages | simchat torah | simchas torah | infertility | miscarriage | ivf | stillborn | joy and pain | grief and joy
We know how to carry joy and pain
We know how to carry joy and pain because we’re Jews.
So as we are all glued to our screens, waiting, wishing, hoping and praying, please don’t forget about the people who are suffering through their own private horribleness.
| simchat Torah | kol hanearim | simchas Torah | Jewish holiday -| infertility | fertility | IVF | miscarriage | recurrent loss | stillborn | TFMR
Simchas Torah
veryone is celebrating, dancing, singing…but for me, it’s still a reminder of what I’m missing.
If you want the power of the IWSTHAB community praying for you, use the link in stories to submit your name(s).
Kol hanearim | simchas Torah | simchat Torah | Jewish holidays | Jewish holiday | fertility | infertility | pregnancy loss | adoption | surrogacy | donor conception | IVF
How are we doing this??
Asking for literally everyone in this community…How are we doing this????
Infertility | fertility clinic | ivf | endometriosis | miscarriage | ectopic pregnancy | Jewish holidays | succot | orthodox Jewish life
Succot Cheat Sheet
How many times have you typed out an honest response to the question “How are you?” only to delete it all because it’s all just too much to explain….
Swipe to read our tips for Succot in our newest Cheat Sheet 🫂
Succot | Jewish holiday | infertility | fertility clinic | ivf | miscarriage | pregnancy and infant loss | breast cancer awareness
This community is here for you.
We are here. We are here. We are here.
And you are going to get through this.
Promise ❤️❤️❤️
Infertility | secondary infertility | miscarriage | pregnancy loss | stillbirth -| TFMR | Jewish community | Jewish woman
One small idea to take with you.
Thinking of you ❤️
Praying for you ❤️
Game Chasima Tova ❤️
Yom Kippur | high holidays | infertility | fertility treatment | ivf | surrogacy | ectopic pregnancy | infertility community | Jewish women
Do not ask if anyone is fasting.
Tonight begins Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year.
And sometimes more than the themes of atonement and forgiveness, people tend to focus on the food...or lack thereof.
What are you eating pre-fast?
You’re not having bagels and lox after?
How about grapes or melon?
You like gatorade before?
I can’t even eat something heavy when it’s done...I only have soup.
It’s so hard. How much more time?
And on and on and on and on.
But more than that, all these questions assume that everyone fasts. Which is absolutely not the case.
So here’s a quick reminder that it’s none of your business if someone is or is not fasting.
So on behalf of everyone who doesn’t want to talk about it (in the fertility community and beyond - those with eating disorders or other mental/physical health challenges), please don’t ask.
Ever.
Yom Kippur | Jewish fast | infertility treatment | ttc | ivf | pregnancy announcement | fertility clinic | infertility journey
We are here for you
It’s that time again, and we know so many of you can’t help but take stock of where you are compared to where you hoped you would be.
Wherever you find yourself this yom tov (holiday) season, know we’re right here with you.
Bring the anger, bring the tears, bring the silence - because that counts as prayer too. And please be gentle with the part of you that’s hurting.
Yom Kippur | high holidays | forgiveness | ttc | miscarriage | primary infertility | Jewish women | Orthodox Jews
This year, forgive…
When you’re struggling to build your family, it’s so easy to get caught in a cycle of judgment. We judge ourselves for not being “strong enough.” We judge our partners. We judge friends who mean well but say the wrong thing. Sometimes, we even judge life itself for being so unfair.
This journey can send us into panic and desperation, riding an emotional rollercoaster that takes our self-esteem up and down. And before we know it, we’re stuck in the blame game—blaming ourselves, others, or anyone in reach.
As we enter the holidays, we want to invite you to think about forgiveness—not as some grand, sweeping gesture, but as a gentle starting point. Forgiving ourselves for not being perfect. Forgiving others for fumbling their words or not understanding. Forgiving the idea that this process has to look a certain way.
Take a moment to recognize just how much you’ve already carried. Remind yourself that you’re human, and you’ve shown tremendous strength in simply continuing forward, no matter how hard it’s been.
And one more thing: please forgive us, too. We know we haven’t always been everything you needed this year.
💔Sometimes your messages went unanswered, or took too long.
💔Sometimes a program, a post, or a speaker didn’t land right.
💔Sometimes our words might have hurt when we wanted them to comfort.
For those moments, we are deeply sorry. Our intention has always been to hold you with love and remind you that you are seen and not alone.
Xoxo,
Aimee
Forgiveness | high holidays | Yom Kippur | fertility support | Jewish fertility | Jewish holiday | day of forgiveness | ivf | miscarriage | stillbirth
There is only your way
Sending my love to all of you for a peaceful, restful, shabbos.
And please be gentle with yourself xoxo
❤️ Aimee
That time of the year
This time of year is so complex and filled with such a mix of emotions. This submission so beautifully captures what’s been on our hearts during these weeks.
Infertility and loss community | fertility journey | Jewish women | high holidays | hope | infertility life
63 questions to ask on Rosh Hashanah
Here are 613 things to talk about at your Rosh Hashanah tables that have nothing to do with pregnancy or babies…
Ok fine, maybe just 63 topics🍎
Jewish family | Rosh Hashanah | table talk | infertility journey | ivf support
Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur
This is your reminder: G-d meets you wherever you are - in the pew, in the hallway, or at home with honey cake.
However you show up this year, you are enough.
Rosh Hashanah | fertility journey | Jewish women | ivf | pregnancy after loss | jewish community | infertility support
Baby Blues
This anonymous author beautifully outlines the many emotions this time of year ❤️🩹
Give yourself the space to feel it all, we’ll be here to hold you through it
#jewishnewyear #ivf #miscarriage #ttc #primaryinfertility #jewishwomen