Recently, the biography of the former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, came to light, which is titled “Becoming” as part of her memoirs in which she takes a tour of the most important aspects of her social and personal life, where she tells details of their marriage and their desire to be parents. Among the most surprising personal revelations is the fact that her daughters were conceived through in vitro fertilization, after the experience of having suffered a miscarriage; after which, she revealed that she felt “lost and alone”. By making this experience of her life public, Michelle wanted to give transparency to pregnancy losses and assisted reproduction methods, since there are many women who go through this situation and need everyone’s support and understanding.
On the occasion of the launch of her biography, American television ABC interviewed the former first lady a few days ago on the Good Morning America program. In this regard, Michelle said: “I felt lost and alone. I felt like I had failed because I didn’t know how common miscarriages were since we didn’t talk about them. We sit in our own pain, thinking that somehow we are broken.” The former first lady decided to resort to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), after learning about women’s fertility and the biological clock; where she became aware that the production of eggs is limited: “I think it’s the worst thing we women do to each other, not sharing the truth about our bodies, about how they work and how they don’t work” she explained in the interview on Good Morning America .
After her miscarriage, the Obama couple decided to try pregnancy through in vitro fertilization. Revealing these situations that she had to go through, Michelle wanted to glimpse the complications of infertility that some couples suffer, and how they can affect them psychologically. She herself states that she felt “resentful” for having to inject the treatments while her husband was working in the Illinois state legislature. She said: “None of this was her fault, but it was not an equitable situation either,” she explains in the her biography.
There are many women who have gone through this situation, the moments that are experienced when trying to have a baby are very hard, full of uncertainty and fear in the face of the possibility of not achieving your dream of being a mother and much more when you are no longer in the average age to conceive. Dr. Julio Duenas mentions that: “women are born with a certain number of ovules or follicles; around 2 million, which in the course of a woman’s life will mature, but this ovarian reserve decreases with each menstrual cycle; reaching 40 with about 400 ovules.” Says the specialist.
It also mentions that: “In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the union of an egg with a sperm in the laboratory, that is where the term “in vitro” comes from, thanks to the union an embryo is obtained which will then be transferred to the maternal uterus. for its subsequent evolution until the arrival of pregnancy. The specialist even recommends that all women who do not yet have maternity plans freeze their eggs, which is the best option to protect fertility and the woman can be a mother when she is ready and does not have to get depressed by the situation.
Talking about the loss of a pregnancy is never easy and much more so when you longed to be a mother. But those who have been through this should try to do so, not only because they can better understand it, but also because it will help them to sensitively and appropriately support those living through this difficult situation. And again Michelle Obama becomes the inspiration of many women encouraging them to be strong in any situation.
