Ida has written a new article called "Obstacles." You can read it here: http://www.thechildfreelife.com/index.p ... -obstacles

Bravo!!!!! What a fantastic and thoughtful article for both those who struggle with infertility and those who have made the decision to be childfree.

In a way the obstacles, while annoying, have given this group a great reason to bond through shared experience;some support when standing against herd mentality; comebacks when encountering "bingos" and hopefully a type of road map for overcoming the obstacles for those who will come after us. There will probably always be obstacles as life has a way of throwing them in when things go too smooth. This being said, it is great having the company of others as we each seek to remove the obstacles that stand in the way of our choices.

Thanks again, Ida, for such a thought provoking article!

Woohoo, Ida - what a stunning piece!

It really made me look at things in a different way - yes the CFBC encounter huge obstacles!

What a well-written, confident and thought-provoking article!

Thank you so much for this article, Ida. My sister is currently experiencing infertility, and I am obviously CF, so it was particularly relative to me. I never thought about this in the way that you stated. Again, thanks for the article, beautifully done!

That's a great article, Ida!

Congratulations on a great piece of writing, Ida
I see the relentless pursuit of a child as socially acceptable, whereas we're turning our backs on tradition, convention, biology...
We confront and challenge everything the rest of the world accepts...

A CL colleague verbally attacked me many years ago...she'd just been told to go away by the
IVF people and was an emotional wreck. (on the point of a complete breakdown)
She felt I was wasting my perfectly good eggs, while
she was denied the children she wanted and needed...
Personally, I couldn't see how my eggs had anything to do with her...
I'm my own person and make my own decisions in life.
I didn't respond and simply walked away...it was clear she was going through a terribly difficult time.

It's a great comparison though...both groups remain determined to reach their goal in life...
it's just that the CL have everyone cheering them on from the sidelines.

Great article Ida! I loved it. I feel a little exhausted thinking about all the obstacles I've dealt with on both sides of the fence. But now that you put it this way, I can realize that while infertility creates obstacles for people on one side of the fence, it removes obstacles on the CF side. : ) Thanks for your wise words!

For real?

And the CF folks are the selfish ones?

Of course, Frieda, you've had ALL the obstacles because you've been on both sides!!

A very thought-provoking article, Ida! Great job!