Did you know that August is the most popular month for birthdays? When you do the math, this means that—tadaaaa: Christmassy December is the year’s busiest month of conception. When you think about it, this fits quite well with what December is known for, like cosying up on the dark winter nights, sharing a cup of hot chocolate...and more. But! Things have changed since the good old days (whenever that was).
Standing up to infertility
For more and more people, adding a little new member to the family hasn't much to do with December festivity. Instead it has become a project facing endless visits to fertility clinics and learning the - now - useful skill of how to schedule painful IVF treatment into your calendar. Which is very exhausting (I know first-hand since I’ve been there myself).
The woman’s body is obviously at the very centre of these manoeuvres. However, it is also a matter that concerns the men - more than you’d think. Statistically, about half of the problems about getting a baby are to be found in low sperm quality. Still, when the subject of fertility is on the table men seem to disappear.
When the Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert and his wife, Sian Harries, decided they wanted a child, they discovered they had some problems in this field. And it wasn’t only because of some issues Harries had with her body. Gilbert was also challenged. Very soon, though, Gilbert noticed that as a man he wasn’t really part of the conversation. Nobody spoke to the men, nobody talked about the men, and quite clearly, the men themselves didn’t speak about the subject either. In other words, it was as if the male perspective on fertility officially didn’t exist. Which obviously is quite problematic. Gilbert wanted to help change this, so he helped launch an awareness campaign.
You can see for yourself how it all went in the fun, interesting and also quite moving documentary ‘Rhod Gilbert Stand Up to Infertility’.
“…A girl’s best friend is: Equal Pay!”
Santa Baby, alternatively performed by Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon and Mark Ronson.
Thanks for reading!
Until next time - Majken xx
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