010: Battling Infertility - With Kiali Garrett

Living African

In episode 9, Kiali shared her “baby loss” story with us and now she is back to share that of “battling infertility” after losing her baby and trying to conceive again. Infertility is often a silent struggle and women who are struggling to conceive report feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation, and loss of control.

Despite the prevalence of infertility, the majority of infertile women do not share their stories with family or friends, thus increasing their psychological vulnerability. The inability to reproduce naturally can cause feelings of shame, guilt, and low self-esteem. These negative feelings may lead to varying degrees of depression, anxiety, distress, and a poor quality of life.

Therefore, it is our hope that Kiali’s story will encourage other women and empower our community to keep encouraging such conversations.

Meet Our Guest:

Kiali J. Garrett is an MBA with a Finance & Accounting background, and she manages large-scale projects for a living. Best known for her positivity, and managerial and leadership skills, she has worked across a broad range of industries including Banking, Hospitality, Automobile and Telecommunications, and Healthcare IT. She is an entrepreneur and founder of PeaceSteps, an organization for a cause that seeks to promote global peace. Kia also runs a style blog (www.classandasmile.com), a platform on which she expresses herself and a plinth she uses to influence, inspire, and empower women across the globe. She is a people person with a positive mindset, and she enjoys discovering new places, immersing herself in different cultures, and engrossing in adrenaline-rush adventures.

Contact Kiali:

Instagram: @classandasmile

Facebook: Kia Kia

E-mail: [e-mail]

Get Kiali’s book on amazon, better world books, and thriftbooks.

Website: www.classandasmile.com

Things You Will Learn in This Episode:

[00:01 – 03:00] Introduction

• Introducing our guest - Kiali Garrett

[03:00 – 40:00] Kiali Shares Her Journey

• Trying to have another baby two years after loss
• Getting diagnosed with idiopathic infertility
• The impact of the diagnosis on her life
• Going through the IVF procedure two times
• Having miscarriages
• Getting pregnant unaware
• Safely carrying to term and delivery

[40:00 – 1:10:24] Lessons & Words of Encouragement

• The power in vulnerability
• Why we need to share our experiences
• Dealing with insensitive words from the community
• The importance of having a support system
• We must show more empathy and less judgment
• How to purchase Kiali’s book
• How to get in touch with Kiali

[1:10:00 – 1:15:00] Final Words

• Kiali's final words
• Anyoh’s final words

Tweetable Quotes

“Be compassionate. You never know what people are going through. Just don't assume that because people got married in December so by September, they should be having a baby. And then after that, you start asking them – Oh, where's the baby? When are you guys gonna have kids? Don't do that because you have no idea what this couple is going through.” - Kiali Garrett

“Be there for your spouse and support your spouse. Try to recognize that he's on the journey with you and that he's trying to have a baby as well – most importantly, with you. So you need to try to be considerate, if you need to run errands for him, go out and do it. Just don't sit there and throw everything at him.” - Kiali Garrett

“When I got pregnant I was told by doctors and friends that sometimes when you're so stressed, your body is not a friendly environment so it expels and can’t harbor a pregnancy. But I think being calm, and being less stressed, and trying not to stress yourself will help you a lot.” - Kiali Garrett

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Connect with Living African Podcast: You can connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter, or send us an email at [e-mail].

Check out our website www.livingafricanpodcast.com for more resources and to learn more. Connect with host, Anyoh: You can connect with Anyoh on Facebook (@anyohf), Instagram (@anyohfombad), and Twitter (@anyohfombad).