Are there any perks to being infertile? Maybe the use of the word "perks" is a stretch, but I have found some benefits to the delay in starting my family.

By the time my son came along, most of my friends had already completed their families. This meant that they had a lot of boy clothing that they no longer needed. I did not have to buy any clothing for my son until he turned four years old. In fact, I received so many hand-me-downs that I had enough to share with others. I could not even fit all of the clothing into my son's closet.

Because most of my friends were experienced parents by the time my son joined my family, I had many mentors available to answer my parenting questions. I did not have to learn many tips the hard way (such as always point a baby boy's penis down when you put on his diaper) because my friends had already learned those lessons the hard way and then passed along their wisdom to me.

I received many expensive hand-me-down baby products that saved me quite a bit of money. I did not have to purchase a baby swing, stroller, or playpen because my friends had these items ready for my baby to use. I receive so many toys for my son that I had no need to go out and purchase more.

Because everyone in my life knew how long we had tried to become parents, our friends were generous at our baby showers. Everyone made a very big fuss about our baby and bought us so many items that I did not even have to pay for diapers for several months.

I did not have to guess what to put on the baby registry because my sister was an experienced mom and knew what I needed. She wrote down products I had never heard of, assuring me that these were the things I wanted. In every case, she was right. She also told me the things I did not need, even though the baby books said otherwise, and she was right about those, too.

While I never would have chosen to spend so many years trying to become a mother, I did receive many blessings on the other end. I am very grateful for the way that my life worked out.

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Is There Anything Positive About Being Infertile?

Photo credit: Lynda Bernhardt