Facebook and Twitter: The Infertility Support Network

a blog by Melinda Davis, June 7, 2011

Facebook and Twitter. It seems like everyone has an account with at least one of these social media sites. People post what they are doing and thinking, share their photos, and connect with others. Many times things remain on a very superficial level, but through these “worlds” I have seen complete strangers pour out the most intimate details of their lives.

When I began my blog, Fresh Conceptions, I created Facebook and Twitter accounts as a way of promoting it. I was pretty nervous about “outing” myself as an infertile, so I thought by creating these accounts I could share my story while keeping myself somewhat anonymous. As I began searching for others to follow and connect with, I discovered a whole world of people struggling with infertility just like me. There are Facebook pages, groups, and people who tweet for the soul purpose of supporting others.

In this world of infertility, people share what they are feeling, when they have a fertility test or a fertility doctor appointment and what the results were. The also ask others for advice. It’s like a 24-hour support hotline available to anyone. Complete strangers offer their prayers, words of encouragement and past experiences as a way of lifting each other up. And if there’s one thing I would have done differently in my journey with infertility, it would have been to tap into this resource sooner.

When you’re dealing with infertility you can easily feel alone and lose yourself as you battle your emotions. I know I had a hard time understanding how I felt, and often felt lost. But I’ve found through Facebook and Twitter, you can usually go to a message board or hashtag and find someone who has expressed the exact emotion you haven’t been able to put your finger on. I’ve seen people post how they are simply confused and immediately get replies from strangers saying they’ve been there too, are praying for them and offer their listening ears to help them in anyway they can.

I love to see how two separate networks can unite a world of strangers to bring something good out of something so difficult. Everyone has each other’s back, and they are all there to offer positive feedback and support. So if you ever find yourself lost, or in need of venting, simply do a search on Facebook or Twitter, I think you might be amazed at what you find.