The danger of writing about your struggle with infertility is that it’s all too easy to wallow in introspection. A lot of people are guilty of being their own favourite subject, and writing a book and a blog does nothing to discourage it. But anyone who knows me well, will tell you that I’m actually much more comfortable asking questions than I am talking about myself. And not any old questions. As a close colleague of mine says: ‘The thing about Jessica is she doesn’t do small talk.’ Only big questions satisfy me.
I’ve been thinking about all this for a while (whoops, there goes that introspection again) and I’ve come up with a plan. It’s called the Fertility Proust Questionnaire. It’s not about me, it’s about other people but I do get to ask the questions. I have to confess I’ve never read Proust (who really has?). I’ve shamelessly stolen the title from the Vanity Fair questionnaire of the same name and added the ‘F’ word. The questions are all mine though and each month they will be directed at a different inspirational woman who has been through her own struggle to conceive.
This month, I have interviewed Naomi, the founder of the online fertility support community Mindful Muma-to-be. And next month, it will be the brilliant blogger Barren Betty. Like me, these women are not yet mothers but hoping to be. And, like Proust, who was in search of lost time, so are we.
To read my inaugural Fertility Proust Questionnaire, click here.
And for this week’s blog question: go on, have a go. For Proust it was madeleines what food is evocative of childhood for you?
Watermelon! I used to eat so much of it when I was a child! Really loved the interview with Mindful Muma-to-be and look forward to reading the one with BB!
Thank you, and I’m delighted you are going to be my next interviewee! Jessica x