Shine: Support for moms coping with infertility
This guest blog post is brought to you by Katie O’Connor, the founder of Shine Chicago, a unique support community for women living with infertility. Whether you have experienced infertility or you friends or family have faced challenges becoming pregnant, infertility is impacting more and more women each year. If Shine isn’t a program that benefits you, chances are you know someone who is struggling to become pregnant. Please share this essential resource with others. Katie is a mom, marathon runner, fitness instructor, and infertility advocate! Check out her blog, like Shine on Facebook, follow Shine on Twitter, and explore her Pinterest!
Shine was born from my personal journey through infertility and grew out of my dream to create a place for women and their families to come together to share, experience, learn, and celebrate our unique challenges in creating the families we so desperately desire. I was open about my struggles while trying to get pregnant, and now am blessed with a beautiful baby girl, and knew I wanted to do something to give back. Infertility support was and is something that is needed and something I am passionate about.
My vision for Shine was to create a community where women come together to laugh and cry, celebrating the successes and battling the challenges of infertility, all the while supporting each other through this difficult process. Sessions are comfortable and welcoming where women can feel secure sharing thoughts and asking questions. Meetings provide peer support through open discussion and professional knowledge from guest speaker seminars.
Membership includes eight sessions and specially negotiated discounts at local businesses that help women along their journey (such as Dailey Method, Urban Oasis, Serenity Health and Wellness, just to name a few).
Infertility can be a tough and lonely road, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Whether you are trying to conceive your first or are having secondary infertility, our sessions help you feel supported in a warm and caring environment.
Infertility affects 1 in 6 couples, my goal is that with resources like Shine, and by more and more women sharing their story, that infertility comes out of the dark and that we can shed a new light on women living with fertility issues to help them get the support and treatment they need and deserve.