Amanda and Marcel

Our infertility journey has been an ongoing rollercoaster. At age 19, I was diagnosed with endometriosis, which always caused me to worry about my fertility. Fast-forward almost ten years and my husband and I have been on our journey for over two years which has also since included a laparoscopy to confirm and treat stage 1 endometriosis, a PCO diagnosis, two chemical pregnancies/early miscarriages, an IUI attempt and are about to begin our first IVF attempt

A big piece of navigating this journey for us and working through it is having an open communication and ensuring we share our feelings and concerns. We are a team and it is important to lean on each other during this journey. Something I had decided early on was that I wanted to be open with my experience. After years of hiding about my endometriosis, the last few years I have been much more open about it and our infertility in an effort to bring awareness.

I also volunteer on the events and fundraising committee with Fertility Matters Canada - a national organization that empowers Canadians to reach their reproductive health goals by providing support, awareness, information and education, and promoting equal access to fertility treatments.

For those women at a low point in their journey: there is an amazing community out there who understands what you’re going through. Reach out and find comfort in others. Also, give yourself a lot of gentle love and self care.