Fertility Unspoken

“She is brave and strong and broken all at once” – Anna Funder

I’ve known for most of my life that having a baby would be nearly impossible for me. From a young age, I was diagnosed with several medical conditions—hypopituitarism, hypothyroidism, and adrenal insufficiency—that shaped my reality in ways I didn’t always want to acknowledge. My body was different, but for a long time, I tried to pretend that it wasn’t.

Growing up, I didn’t want to be the kid with the “medical issues.” I wanted to fit in, to be normal. But normal kids didn’t have to take medication every day just to function. I remember the dread of having to give myself growth hormone shots because my body wasn’t growing like it should. These daily injections were a reminder that my body wasn’t doing what it was supposed to do on its own.

Looking back, I realize how much I wanted to believe that I could ignore my conditions. I wanted to believe that if I acted like everyone else, maybe things would just… fall into place. But the truth was there, lurking in the back of my mind. I knew that my medical history meant my chances of having a baby were slim.

Infertility has a way of sneaking into the most intimate parts of your life, even when you’re young. When I would talk to my friends about their dreams of having kids someday, I would nod along, all the while knowing that my path wouldn’t be that simple. It’s a quiet, isolating struggle that I’ve carried for years.

Now, I’m choosing to share my story, not because it’s easy, but because infertility is often surrounded by silence. And silence can make you feel like you’re alone in this journey when in reality, so many others are walking this same path.

I don’t know what the future holds for me in terms of having children, but what I do know is that I’m ready to break the silence. This is my infertility truth, and I hope by sharing it, I can help someone else feel a little less alone in their journey.