We’ve all seen it. Someone posts on their social media site that they are pregnant on April 1, just to reveal later that it was only an April Fools joke. Even actress Lindsay Lohan posted about a fake pregnancy last year on April 1. What many people don’t know is that this joke is actually not at all funny to millions of people throughout the world who are struggling with infertility.
A few years ago, a woman posted a picture about the pain this kind of a joke can cause for people who have lost a child or who are still hoping for the opportunity to have a child of their own. It’s a simple picture of a sleeping baby with the words:
“Before you put what you think is a brilliant April Fools joke as your status update and tell the world that you are pregnant, take a moment to think about all the women who are enduring painful IVF treatments, women who have recently experienced the death of their baby, and those women who for whatever reason are not able to conceive a child at all. How brilliantly hilarious is your April Fools joke now?”
The woman who posted this picture experienced a stillbirth of her son a few years ago and created this photo to help people understand how this joke can be hurtful. Here’s her explanation for creating this photo in her own words:
“In a nutshell it just asked people to think about all the people missing babies and all those struggling to conceive a child before you post your “I’m pregnant” joke on facebook. I was not trying to be politically correct and yes I can take a joke (if you know me in real life you will know that I am known for my laugh) and no I do not believe that people make these jokes with the intention of hurting others. I know they don’t, I know. I just believed that the joke itself is a lame one, even if you do not offend anyone, I could not see how it is even funny.”
So, we’d like to join this woman, Carly Marie, in hoping you’ll think twice before you make a joke that might cause more sadness than happiness today.
We believe that everyone should enjoy the blessings of parenthood. If you have any questions concerning infertility, egg donation, or surrogacy, please contact us.
