When I first began envisioning what Fully could look like, at the very top of the list was a space for women to gather and talk about different aspects of their reproductive journey—from managing longing, to reimagining motherhood, to living a joy-filled life even when life doesn’t go as planned.

Recently, while working on a study about the myths and misconceptions teen couples hold about sexual health behaviors and prevention tools, I found myself thinking about a different set of myths.

Motherhood is a central focus in our society. Just look online and you’ll see countless posts of celebrity baby announcements, parenting blogs, and conversations centered on navigating motherhood. In recent years, there has been a welcome expansion in the stories highlighting the spectrum of women’s motherhood experiences—the joys of motherhood, the challenges that many women and couples face in becoming pregnant, navigating postpartum depression, and consciously deciding that having children is not for them. In all cases, women are openly and courageously sharing their stories about motherhood albeit from different perspectives. And this is beautiful.

In the midst of the festive lights and joyful gatherings, the holidays can be a challenging time for many of us. During this time of year, we often think about and hold space for individuals who have lost loved ones. But the silent grief of women who desire children but don’t have them often goes unnoticed.