We all know the basics of how to get pregnant. The birds and the bees are something that is taught to us in our grade school years. The reality of getting pregnant, however, can be much more complicated than health class leads us to believe.
When it is explained to us in grade school it seems as though nothing could be simpler. A man and a woman fall in love, have intercourse and make a baby. Then we grow up and we actually decide to have a baby of our own. It is then that 1 out of 8 couples realize the reality of getting pregnant is often the furthest thing from what we had expected it to be.
I believe these unrealistic expectations that are set early in life just add to the pain when a couple struggles with fertility. Couples are not prepared for the issues they are facing because it is never talked about until there is an issue. And society does not have a clue what one goes through when struggling with infertility because they were never taught about the complications. This got me thinking and asking, should there be any education on how complicated the journey can be during the birds and the bees discussion, and if so who should be responsible for helping young people understand the full picture of trying to conceive? When and where is it appropriate to share the education about the real truth on how to get pregnant?
I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions!
Niki says
I have thought many times about this. Yes, we totally didn’t see it coming. The way I remember sex ed was “he touches you, you get pregnant!” Thus I was scared…scared into not having sex until I was in my 20s. The message did it’s job. And there are plenty of pregnant teenagers out there to show that it doesn’t do it’s job.
However, there is a lack of education somewhere. Is it when you hit 25? 30? Get married? I don’t have the answers…but something needs to happen. Some education so that this doesn’t hit like a ton of bricks when you realize you are the statistic. Or at least so it only hits like a few bricks…no matter the education, couples trying to conceive will always believe “this won’t happen to me” until it does. Then there isn’t enough padding in the world to stop that ton of bricks from hitting.