RMACT reacts to Mark Zuckerberg's discussion regarding miscarriage & infertility

Editor's note: RMACT, Fairfield County’s largest fertility clinic and egg donation center with offices in Norwalk, Danbury, Stamford and Trumbull, shares their expertise following Mark Zuckerberg's latest discussion about beginning a family.

Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook Discusses Miscarriage & Infertility

Sometimes a door opens, one tenth of an inch at a time. And sometimes it’s blown open, lucky to stay on its hinges.

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have blown the door wide open regarding the topic of miscarriage. It’s an uncomfortable topic. A deeply uncomfortable topic. In a fertility practice, it’s the not so hidden conversation.

Here’s the secret.

It’s not enough to get pregnant. While infertility is about getting pregnant, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan are out, loud and clear, that’s not all it’s about. It’s about staying pregnant. It’s about delivering and having a baby in your arms.

In the fertility world? It’s called take home baby rate. Sounds rather strange, doesn’t it?

But ask any infertile person. It’s not enough to get pregnant. That’s a terrifically important, completely necessary first step.  Still, infertility and fertility are not about becoming pregnant. In the end, it’s all about the baby.

In his announcement of their pregnancy, Mark Zuckerberg chose to say this, in part, “We want to share one experience to start. We've been trying to have a child for a couple of years and have had three miscarriages along the way.

You feel so hopeful when you learn you're going to have a child. You start imagining who they'll become and dreaming of hopes for their future. You start making plans, and then they're gone. It's a lonely experience. Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you — as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own.

In today's open and connected world, discussing these issues doesn't distance us; it brings us together. It creates understanding and tolerance, and it gives us hope. 

When we started talking to our friends, we realized how frequently this happened — that many people we knew had similar issues and that nearly all had healthy children after all. 

We hope that sharing our experience will give more people the same hope we felt and will help more people feel comfortable sharing their stories as well.

Our good news is that our pregnancy is now far enough along that the risk of loss is very low and we are very hopeful. “

About the author:

Lisa has over twenty-five years of experience in the fertility field. After her personal infertility journey, she felt dissatisfied with the lack of comprehensive services available to support her. She was determined to help others undergoing fertility treatment. Lisa has been with RMACT for seven years and is currently Patient Advocate and Blog Editor-in-Chief.

Lisa is the teacher and founder of Fertile Yoga, a program designed to support men and women on their quest for their families through gentle movement and meditation.

Lisa’s true passion is supporting patients getting into treatment, being able to stay in treatment and staying whole and complete throughout the process. Lisa is also a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, which is helpful in her work with fertility patients.

Her experience also includes working with RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and The American Fertility Association (now Path2Parenthood), where she was Educational Coordinator, Conference Director and Assistant Executive Director.

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Submitted by Bethel, CT

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