Comments on: Infertility: A Silent Epidemic and Growing Pro-life Concern

By: Robbie J

Robbie J — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:09:19 +0000

I know a number of couples (4) who have conceived using IVF. In 3 out of 4 cases, the children have had serious or re-curring illnesses and/or developmental issues. The most serious was a 10 year-old boy who developed an extremely rare type of cancer and died. Needless to say, his parents were devastated. I wonder if any extensive studies have been carried out to determine if IVF conceived babies are more at risk than naturally conceived babies.

By: Claire

Claire — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:04:31 +0000

Homeschool Mom,
Embryo adoption (the snowflake option) is one of those grey areas. Until the Church makes a determination, Catholics are allowed to utilize this technology based on their own consciences.

By: homeschoolmom

homeschoolmom — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:39:43 +0000

Is the snowflake adoption a valid option for Catholics? I assume that this process involves the same technology as IVF. I ask as a person having fertility issues but wanting more children.

By: Claire

Claire — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:31:48 +0000

I have this issue with my family. My brother and sil conceived my niece, who I love dearly, via IVF. She was one of 18 embryos; 16 are currently frozen, and the 17th was transferred along with my niece but ended up miscarrying. My family is very anti-life, and when I point out to my mother that it’s just the luck of the draw that my niece is here with us rather than one of those other embryos, her response is that those embryos are not yet people because they don’t have a consciousness! Her own grandchildren, and she shows no consideration for their lives. Recently a colleague conceived triplets via IVF, and has 10 frozen embryos, and I’m expected to congratulate her and act all excited. I’m afraid if I do that, I’ll be giving the message that I condone what she did, but I also don’t want to be critical of a pregnant woman or get in trouble at work. I just tried to congratulate her in a low-key way, and subtly asked about the “extra” embryos. Luckily she resigned right after announcing her pregnancy. One colleague for a while kept giving me updates on her, but she knows how I feel about IVF, and after a while she got the hint that I don’t want to discuss it, so it’s been a while since I’ve heard an update.

By: wgsullivan

wgsullivan — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:42:06 +0000

Ditto on the touchy subject to introduce. Any suggestions on how to direct friends who have dabbled with IFV and strongly opinionated family that sees opposition to IVF as narrow-minded and uncaring?
One other thought brought to mind from Fr. Corapi. A less politically correct word to use rather than premarital sex is fornication.

By: Claire

Claire — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:14:21 +0000

Those couples who are infertile due to previous repented sin could certainly also pursue naprotechnology.

By: mraiello

mraiello — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:52:21 +0000

With every case of STD, there is a 10% chance of permanent sterility. And so many STD’s are silent. We must tell our teenagers and young adults to abstain from premarital sex. And it is MANDATORY that our priests and bishops preach this from the pulpit.

But for those people who are infertile through no fault of their own, they should investigate NaPro technology, pionered by Dr. Thomas Hilgers from the Pope Paul VI institute in Omaha, Nebraska.

This has offered hope to infertile couples without going the IVF route.

He also has trained many physicians in this technique so there may be a practicing physician in your area.

By: MMary

MMary — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:19:04 +0000

It is sad that infertility seams to be a growing problem, what ever the reason. My DH and I went through a little over 3 years of being unable to conceive, I sit here now almost 12 weeks pg and very excited and happy about our future. But in those three years we heard numerous times that we should try IVF because it worked for so and so. If we mentioned that we didn’t think that was for us, we would get comments that if we weren’t doing everything possible that not having children must not really bother us, or disbelief that we would allow our church to control our medical decisions. As Catholics we need to support couples making the decision to follow the churchs teachings, we need to talk about the number of unborn children IVF creates. As people we need to be careful in our words to couples about when they *want* to have children, I could never understand why my coworkers thought they had the right to question me every time there was a wedding or baby shower at work about when I might *want* to have a baby. Want has nothing to do with it. Some infertility is caused by our choices or life situations (my struggle may be linked to meds I took after heart surgery as an infant) whats important is how we handle this struggle. God forgives us for those past choices when we ask, (although its often harder to forgive ourselves) and He and all the saints are with us we make or future choices.

Prayers to all struggling with this,

Mary

By: Claire

Claire — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:18:05 +0000

Thank you, Merrylamb. I fully accept responsibility that in my case, infertility was likely due to marrying at 35 (which was probably my fault because I lead a less than Christian lifestyle in my 20s). However, I know many women who as you say are infertile despite being chaste and marrying young, or marrying older by no fault of their own.

By: merrylamb2001

merrylamb2001 — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:01:46 +0000

We were only marginally infertile, in that we managed to eventually have two full term pregnancies and raise two children. However, I remember the couple of years where we first could not achieve a pregnancy and then had our first pregnancy end with a ruptured fallopian tube. I still think about the years after my daughter’s birth when even when we were open to life we did not conceive. My cousin had first a miscarriage and then a ruptured tube. She was never able to have a baby of her own. One of my college friends has two adopted children because she was unable to conceive. None of us ever had an STD. My cousin married when she was under 25, I married at 26. Right now one of my daughter’s friends who was a virginal bride, is trying to achieve a pregnancy so far without success. She has had to sit back and watch the friend who married two months before her bloom with pregnancy, while she is having difficulty conceiving. Conception is in God’s hands, although doctors can give legitimate help, and correct information is important. None-the-less the inability to conceive or having great difficulty doing so is a source of pain that women have felt clear back into Biblical times. There isn’t always a clear explanation and sometimes the explanations a couple gets indicate that the problems were things like a retrograde uterus, hormonal problems, or a low sperm count. Granted our current culture’s delay of marriage, use of hormones, and sexual habits before marriage may be a factor in some cases. However, to assume that infertility is someone’s fault is truly not helpful. Infertile couples need support and encouragement not blame.