Fertility grief is part of why we need a national inquiry
This week, 2-6 November, marks National Fertility Awareness Week in the UK. While I am Irish, the work of UK advocates has a powerful impact on those of us here in Ireland, helping us find information, support and language for experiences we have carried for years.
In my latest article, The Fertility Grief I Still Carry, I share my own journey through motherhood, miscarriage, stage 4 endometriosis and a hysterectomy at 37.
I write about the conversations that never happened, the fertility options that were never explained to me and the grief I still live with today.
Having a child does not erase the loss of another pregnancy or the pain of losing the possibility of carrying another baby.
After 21 years with a stage 4 endometriosis diagnosis, psychological support has only recently been offered to me for the first time.
These experiences are part of why I launched the petition for a National Inquiry into Endometriosis Care in Ireland.
We need answers about delayed diagnoses, informed consent, access to specialist care, fertility preservation and the emotional consequences patients are left to manage.
Awareness must lead to meaningful action. Patients deserve clear information about their options while there is still time to consider them, alongside care that recognises the whole person.
Read my story here:
https://doireannbarrett.substack.com/p/the-fertility-grief-i-still-carry
Please sign and share our petition on Uplift. If you have already signed the original Change.org petition, please add your name on Uplift too.
🎟️ Cneasú retreat & podcast live tickets now on sale:
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/76437028823?aff=ebdsshios
Thank you to everyone who continues to support this call and share their experiences. Behind every signature is a reason this matters.