Dear TLC ...

a blog by Infertile Naomi, September 10, 2010

Dear TLC,

I am a big fan of your network and enjoy many of your programs. However, as a woman experiencing infertility, I kindly request that you think about changing some of the names of your shows.

Show Title: Quints By Surprise
A story about Casey and Ethan Jones who wanted to add one more baby to their family and were thrilled with their fertility treatment resulted in quintuplets. I would understand if the couple had not done fertility treatments and — surprise — you have five babies. Now, that’s a surprise. But when you have multiple eggs, sometimes you get multiple children. Where’s the surprise?
Better Title: Surprise! Your Fertility Treatment Actually Worked this Time!

Show Title: 19 Kids and Counting
The story of the Duggar family, who can procreate at the drop of a hat and have named all their kids starting with the letter J. Please stop procreating already. While some of us can’t even seem to have one, you are already blessed with so many children. Perhaps Michelle Duggar can offer to become a surrogate for the rest of us infertile folks? She is a human fertility machine.
Better Title: 19 Kids. Please Stop Procreating

Show Title: I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant
I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant is a series that reveals the astonishing stories of women who conceive and carry their babies all the way to labor and delivery with no idea that they were ever pregnant. Meet Lilah, a 35 year old woman who thought she had gained 30 pounds from too many donuts. Meet Cheryl, a 20 year old, who went to the hospital for a stomach ache and came home with twins. And, 29-year-old April thinks she has food poisoning, but it turns out it wasn’t bad barbecue, it was a baby.
Better Title: I Didn’t Know I Could Be This Dumb

Here are some of my other suggestions for future, more realistic, TLC programming …

Show Title: Why Didn’t IVF Work on the First Attempt?
A story of women who spend thousands of dollars on in vitro fertilization, but the sperm and egg refused to fertilize.

Show Title: I Am a Fertility Drug Addict
The story of five women getting high on Clomid and fertility injections.

Show Title: I Haven’t Ovulated Since 1980
The story of women dealing with PCOS who haven’t seen their menstrual cycles since the TV show Family Ties went off the air.

And although I do enjoy all your pregnancy and baby-themed programming, I suggest that you think about putting an additional infertility warning before the show. Instead of “This program may contain material unsuitable for children,” change to “This program may cause tears and heartache for any couples dealing with infertility.”

Just a thought.

Thank you for taking some of my suggestions into consideration.

Sincerely,

Infertile Naomi
Blogger of ‘999 Reasons to Laugh at Infertility