National Infertility Awareness Week begins today. It’s been 30 years since I performed the first in-vitro fertilization in Massachusetts, one of the first in the country. I wrote this poem then as a tribute to infertility patients and the invisible loss they experience.
Infertility: The Child Who Might Have Been
The simple union of man and wife
In love creates a brand new life
A child to cherish, play with and be
Their link with immortality
What bliss and joy they anticipate
Unless infertility becomes their fate
And buries dreams which die within
As they mourn their child who might have been
© Mache Seibel, MD
Have you had infertility or know someone who has? Share this poem and post a comment below. Are you planning a pregnancy? You will enjoy this interactive planner and journal called Journal Babies. It provides tips on how to improve your chances for getting pregnant, what to expect during your pregnancy, questions to ask your doctor and afterwards, a keepsake of your experience.
