Last week, I was at the biggest agile conference in the world, Agile 2017. This conference has made big impacts in my life since I started attending from 2013. And this year, the impact seems even bigger! It feels larger than my life!

It all started with this question about life coaching from a good friend – “Pradeepa, What’s your thing?”. I started explaining the 3 areas I was exploring- infertility, adoption and minority professional women. Even after the conversation, the question still lingered!

“WHAT’S MY THING?”

As an agilist, I wanted to experiment on this question. So, when I started explaining my niche areas to others at the conference, I purposefully started observing myself. When I talked about coaching women going through infertility, I noticed courage & vulnerability in myself, my heart was bursting with compassion & filled with gratitude. There, I knew it, THAT’S MY THING!!!

Brene Brown talks about the power of owning our stories. “If we own our story, we get to write the ending“. Here is my first attempt to own my story in writing!

For the first time, at the Agile 2016 conference, I shared this story to a room full of attendees as a back story for my passionate listening session. That was not easy. Now its time to tell my story to an even bigger audience. It only feels right.

Why Infertility Coaching?

I have a tremendous amount of experience going through infertility. It all started in 2006. I got pregnant for the first time after 6 years of marriage. After 8 weeks, it resulted in miscarriage. It was my first heart-shattering experience. It didn’t stop there.. It was followed by 2 more miscarriages. Then we were referred to infertility specialists. I went through 3 failed IUI’s followed by 8 back to back failed IVF treatments with 3 different specialists. Doctors couldn’t find any reason and it was termed “Unexplained”.

I was completely devastated & felt emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically stuck. I didn’t want to talk about this to family or friends as I was afraid of sympathy. I was in a dark place, ashamed & felt extremely lonely. For 8 years or so, I felt like my life threw me in an ocean with high tides, tsunamis and hurricanes and I was almost sinking in the water. I suffered in silence and struggled to move on for a really LONG time. Somehow, I was able to swim to the shores. Now reflecting back, it took a very long time to finally accept the reality and saying to self- “I am OK with this”. That really helped me swim to the shores and move on with my life.

I am extremely grateful to life for allowing me to struggle & experience those dark times so that I can change this for other women suffering in silence.

Dear Lovely Souls of the World, Let’s discover your light for the dark, lonely & devastating infertility journey. You don’t have to suffer in silence. That’s my purpose in life!

Following Brene Brown’s advice, I am writing my story. I want to coach women worldwide struggling with infertility to get unstuck emotionally, physically and mentally and to help them move forward with their lives. I have a bigger responsibility now. My coach Erin told me – Pradeepa, the world needs to hear your story; the world is ready for you!