I found out yesterday that a sweet friend also is experiencing some difficulties with her pregnancy.
What on earth.
So many of my friends have had difficult pregnancies or difficulty conceiving. Honestly, I’m reminded of one of my favorite sci-fi episodes when I think about our collective experiences. (Not telling which show or which episode, because I don’t want to spoil a terrific plotline.)
I don’t know why this happens — if it is more frequent right now or if we all have risk factors in common. My guess is that as medical technology improves and infant and maternal mortality rates decrease, pregnancies that used to end in tragedy now are just extremely difficult. But at least nowadays they have a much happier ending (see Becca the wonder girl).
If you are the praying type, maybe say some prayers today for women who have struggled or are currently struggling with these issues. At least in my experience, the prayers of friends and the grace of God are keeping me afloat on this ever-changing river.
There are actually some scientific reasons why infertility and high-risk pregnancies are on the rise. One of the biggest is that we are delaying child-bearing into our late 20’s, when we are naturally more fertile and more equipped to carry a child earlier. Another is that as a population we are not as healthy as we once were, and for many pregnancy complications, the healthier you are before you conceive, the less likely you are to experience said complications. Obesity’s up, cardiovascular disease is up (even in skinny folks, thanks to our diets), there’s all kind of crazy stuff in the food we eat and air we breath…
Part of the issue is also that we you are experiencing or have experienced a difficult pregnancy and/or infertility, you simply notice these stories more. Of course you would notice your good friends’ issues, but more general stories (a friend of a friend, etc) tend to crop up even more, and your ears perk up. And more of our friends are having kids (or trying to) than in the past; we’re old like that. 😉
Still, it’s curious, isn’t it? And crappy. My prayers join with yours! (Can you tell that birth of Becca the wonder child has prompted me to ask some of the same questions?)