Photo of negative pregnancy test after '1,200 days of trying' hits home for thousands
A woman who shared a photo of her negative pregnancy test is inspiring others to keep fighting as they try for the baby they've always wanted.
Tara Engelberg, 33, a "mama in waiting" from Denver, Colorado, has often shared her infertility journey with over 2,000 followers.
But it was her post on Jan. 13 that hit home for thousands more after being shared by the lifestyle brand, Motherly.
"It's OK to cry, to be afraid, pray, hope and believe in miracles," Engelberg told "Good Morning America." "Your feelings and emotions are so valid and there's so many women and men going through this."
"We're not alone," she added. "Together we're stronger. I held in my journey for two years. My husband and I didn't tell a soul, but I couldn't keep it in anymore because it's such a lonely place to be."
After nearly 1200 days of trying, something inside changes.
Last week, Engelberg snapped a photo of her home pregnancy test which revealed one line. She wrote on the stick, "It will be OK" before posting it on Instagram.
"I sometimes wish there was a video camera to show the nightmare that is #infertility," Engelberg captioned. "How after the first sighting of a new period that I somehow have to muster up the courage to tell my husband that once again, we won't be pregnant this month."
She went on, "It's a scene all too familiar in my home. It is a scene that is followed by grief and utter heartbreak. Where my husband and I hold each other close as we mourn this unbearable journey. It is the part where we allow ourselves to release our pain and then try to figure out how we are going to pick ourselves back up and get through this ...
"After each negative pregnancy test, I somehow gather the courage and the hope to try again. But after nearly 1200 days of trying, something inside changes. That hope that use to flow through my body so powerfully diminishes a little more each month."
Engelberg, an aspiring holistic nutritionist, married Glenn Engelberg in 2016. The couple has been trying to conceive for over 3 years, she told "GMA."
Earlier in 2019, Engelberg underwent surgery to correct endometriosis. She was told she would never be able to have children naturally, she said.
Engelberg shared that journey and the pregnancy test on Instagram to let others know this is "real life."
Infertility is defined as the inability to become pregnant after one year of having regular sexual intercourse without the use of birth control, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The time span is shortened to six months without becoming pregnant for women age 35 and older.
My husband I didn't tell a soul, but I couldn't keep it in anymore because it's such a lonely place to be..
Over 6 million women in America struggle with infertility, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Thousands of women from around the world commented on the photo of Engelberg's pregnancy test -- many of whom shared stories of their own fertility struggles.
"It took us 7 years of negative pregnancy tests and 1 positive test that ended in a miscarriage," one woman wrote.
"I struggled getting pregnant for years and finally got pregnant with out little boy that we are welcoming into the world in May," another shared.
Many commenters offered encouraging words: "It’s worth it, I promise! Keep fighting."
Engelberg said she appreciates the sisterhood on social media.
"I was in such a bad place, I literally didn't know how I'd continue on and I've been shown [so much] love and support...what a beautiful thing to have women supporting women regardless of race and religion to show the more we stick together, we can get through it."
For the next five months, the Engelbergs are turning to holistic alternatives. If it's unsuccessful, they will begin IVF.
