Hi, I’m Erica. Welcome to the Hapless Bird.
Let me start by saying that my life isn’t entirely hapless. In fact, it’s pretty good.
I’m a life coach, yoga instructor, and personal trainer living in Perth, Australia. I love swimming, surfing and photography. I am happily married and have had the opportunity to travel to many countries.
The ‘hapless’ part of my life, has to do with fertility … or lack there of. I’m passionate about sharing my infertility journey. I first started sharing what I was going through with close friends and family back in 2013, and I learned so much from speaking up. I learned that others are genuinely really interested in learning about infertility, and supporting me and others who are dealing with it. I learned that I felt less alone by sharing my journey and that unfortunately very few people are willing to talk about it.
Brene Brown talks about shame growing when three things are present: secrecy, silence, and judgement. Alternatively, when we share our stories with someone who we trust and can empathise with us, shame disappears.
I totally agree that this has been my experience, and along the way I’ve had numerous friends and acquaintances share their journeys with me. The support we give one another makes a difficult process a little more bearable. A friend once told me that her success in finally becoming pregnant after years of IVF was mostly due to surrounding herself with couples that were going through the same thing, couples that were positive and supportive, and eventually each one of them found success in their own way. That has stuck with me.
My intention with this blog is to open up the conversation about infertility and let you know you aren’t alone. I also want to share what I’ve learned in the hope that it’ll make at least one couple or women’s experience with infertility less painful.
For those who want to better support their friends and family struggling with infertility, I’ll share what has been helpful for me, and what hasn’t.
Knowledge is power, and equipping one another with as much knowledge as possible, means that we all know our options, what boundaries to set, and when to push for what we need.
I respect that every women, man, and couple’s journey with fertility is unique and my hope is that you will take from this blog what is helpful and inspiring to you, leave anything that doesn’t resonate or isn’t helpful, share what you’ve learned with me and. Wishing you the very best in your journey.
Shame needs three things to grow exponentially in our lives: secrecy, silence, and judgement.
Brene Brown