THE road to motherhood is smooth for some and fraught with obstacles for others.
Mother's Day can be particularly painful for women struggling with infertility and yearning for a child.
They don't wake up to crayon-drawn cards saying "l Love You Mummy" or cuddles and kisses from excited toddlers.
It's another day of facing the reality of being childless, and putting on a brave face.
Motherhood seems like a distant and even impossible dream for some women.
With advances in fertility treatment, more women are inching closer to this goal, but assisted fertility comes with its own set of challenges.
The gruelling process takes a toll on the body and the emotional roller coaster of hope, excitement and disappointment (at yet another negative pregnancy test), is a journey that impacts a woman in many ways. Yet, they continue in the hope that one day it will happen.
And for some women, this journey does end on a happy note as the joy of bringing a baby home finally becomes a reality.
Tengku Ampuan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, has always spoken openly about her struggles to conceive and her experience with fertility treatments to start her family.
Her willingness to share her personal journey has, to a large extent, helped destigmatize infertility in Malaysia and encouraged more women to seek treatment.
The burden of infertility is often unfairly placed on women, resulting in those struggling to conceive facing shame and stigma, forced to answer probing and personal questions, and facing whispers (and taunts) about being childless. As we live in a society which celebrates family and motherhood, it's hard to be the odd one out.
"It took me nine and a half years and 17 attempts at fertility treatment before I could finally hold a child in my hands," says Tunku Azizah, who had her first child at 35.
In the course of this journey, she suffered six miscarriages as well, a heartbreaking experience, but still she persevered.
Tunku Azizah, who recently officiated The 21st Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society (PGDIS) Conference, says her personal experience was the inspiration for the establishment of the Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation (TAFF) in 2004.
TAFF has been instrumental in helping women who may not have adequate financial means to access fertility treatments to start their families.
"God has been kind to me. I didn't stop trying. I went through it all, so I know how it feels for those women out there who have to resort to fertility treatment. It's not cheap and it's not easy. Emotionally, it takes a lot out of you."
Tunku Azizah says in her case, with every pregnancy, she was so scared of losing the baby, that she would be on complete bed rest for months.
The fear, anxiety and tears that women go through during fertility treatments can be overwhelming.
Tunku Azizah says all women hope and pray that they will get pregnant on their very first attempt at fertility treatment, but that is not always the case.
It can take many attempts as she herself personally experienced.
TAFF has since resulted in the birth of 141 children, much cherished and wanted babies that Tunku Azizah fondly refers to as her "grandchildren". She feels love and pride for the babies born through the foundation's efforts as it defines her goal of helping women facing infertility.
She says it's unfortunate that women are left to shoulder the burden of infertility when half of all cases can be attributed to male factors.
"God gave me the inspiration to set up the foundation and help other women. I believe in the miracle of God and the miracle of science," says Tunku Azizah.
THE FUTURE OF FERTILITY TREATMENT
THE 21st Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society (PGDIS) Conference, held from May 6-8, was a platform for industry experts, professionals, students, and early-career professionals to exchange ideas and showcase the latest advancements in Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT).
PGT is a method used to screen embryos created through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for genetic abnormalities. The conference discussed cutting-edge advancements in PGT.
With Malaysia emerging as a sought-after destination for IVF treatment, the conference signifies the nation's growing influence in the field of reproductive medicine.
The World Health Organisation estimates that 1 in 6 people face infertility. Generally, infertility is defined as the inability to conceive despite 12 months of regular, unprotected sex.The birth of the world's first "test-tube baby", Louise Brown, on July 25, 1978, paved the way for millions of babies to be born the world over through assisted reproduction.
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