My husband and I have been trying to conceive for five long years with a diagnosis of male factor infertility in the form of mild Cystic Fibrosis (Further reading: Our Experience with Cystic Fibrosis & Male Infertility.) We had been through two cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF), both of which failed, and were waiting to start our third when my best friend told me she was pregnant. I didn’t expect it. We knew immediately that my infertility and her pregnancy were not going to be compatible. Because of this, we haven’t seen each other in a while and I am awaiting news of the birth. This has been something that I have been dreading and looking forward to in equal measures. Dreading because I’m worried about how it will make me feel and looking forward to it so that I can see my best friend again. We didn’t want to damage our friendship and so made some decisions to help make this possible. This is how we prioritized my feelings to protect our friendship. Continue…
Jessica Jones, Writer 