Back in the day - support for people experiencing infertility happened in a circle and usually involved cookies. I know - I used to buy the cookies. In fact, I remember the “fights” about what cookies to buy! I used to buy chocolate Pepperidge Farm cookies - the deluxe mix.  My fellow volunteer used to say that I was extravagant. That vanilla wafers were good enough.  But I held my ground - and went to nose to nose. I insisted that people who showed up on a Wednesday evening to participate in an infertility support group and stayed to hear an educational lecture on treatment deserved chocolate cookies! To this day - I stand by that sentiment.

But a lot has changed since the day of monthly meetings and face to face support groups. And the change has been driven by the consumer.  Once upon a time - when I ran RESOLVE NYC and The American Fertility Association - we used to have a 100 people show up for these meetings. All we had to do was put out flyers and an annoucement on our website and newsletter. Build it and those needing fertility support and information would come.  Hundreds would turn up at our symposiums and conferences with little effort. The need for quality fertility information and support was clear - and to get it, patients had to show up in person.

And then came the internet. I remember when INCIIDwas formed - and Fertile Thoughts. These were Internet based support vehicles for the infertile.  Those of us that knew better scuffed. We knew that the only way that people could really connect was face to face. We were wrong.

Over the last ten years, getting people to turn out to face to face lectures and support groups has become a grueling process.  I remember the pressure in getting attendance for the huge fertility conferences and health fairs. It got harder and harder - and the money spent on advertising grew. And it didn’t seem to matter that the budget grew to market these events - attendance still dwindled.  People were simply less interested in showing up to get support and information - when they could go find what they needed from their home computer. I do not miss the pressure of getting live bodies to turn out for special events.  Remember, professionals show up and give their time - and money is spent to run these events and advertise them. It is simply mortifying when only ten people show up when you have promised a hundred. As the years went by - I spent many sleepless nights worrying that events that were long in the planning with excellent content would go half empty. Now patient organizations are having to promise spa services and fancy dinners to get patients to come out and listen. My fancy Pepperidge Farm  chocolate cookie mix wouldn’t bring in flies.

The fact is that people are still  seeking support and information for fertility - the only thing that has changed is how they access that support and information. And the vehicles that seem to be popping up daily to grab that market is highly competitive and often profit driven. When I look at the websites of the traditional non profit patient organizations and then surf over to a site like Fertility Authority, I wonder how they are going to compete. Well, I know how they can compete - it is to change and step up. Because oh my - so many hats are now vying for the fertility consumer market.  As I mentioned yesterday - Conceive Magazine just revamped their site, and now there is a social media site for those trying to conceive called Fertility Ties.

Fertility Authority has pod casts, bloggers, recent news feeds, articles, experts, and an interactive forum for community - the design is compelling and it is always updated with fresh material. But not to be out done, Conceive On Line has jumped in yet again with two feet with a relaunch of their previously stale website. And I quote from their press release just this week - “Conceive Magazine has relaunched its website with a new design and expanded content that includes daily fertility news updates, three new trying-to-conceive blogs, and articles about all the various factors that affect getting pregnant: reproductive health, nutrition, exercise, sex, psychology, and more”. And oh yes - it is much more attractive then before.

And  according to the press release put out by the new Fertility Ties site this site ”connects the fertility-focused with peers and practitioners, allowing members to blog about their journeys and “follow” others (comparable to Twitter), arming members with tools (and will be unveiling new tools such as an Ovulation Calendar, Fertility Doctors’ Directory and Reviews in the coming months), providing Q&As with accredited medical professionals who are dedicated to the site, forums for discussion and the latest fertility news as well as polls about timely issues”.

Frankly there are even more fertility focused sites that have just launched in recent months. Some how it all feels slightly frantic to me.  There is a race taking place for the fertility patient’s eyes and ears - and oh - dollars.

The grab is on….and it is so interesting watching it all from here.

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Posted under Conceive Magazine, Fertility, Fertility Authority, Fertility Education, Fertility Message Boards, Fertility Support, IVF, Infertility