top of page


Fruitfulness in faith: my journey through infertility to Catholicism
The Fruitful Hollow has been a beacon of hope and understanding for many of us carrying the cross of infertility, encouraging us to be...

Rachel Walters
May 1, 20247 min read


Through the eyes of infertility: a collection of insights, part 2
“I’m going to be honest with you because someone needs to be. At your current weight, you have no business trying to conceive”. I steady...

thefruitfulhollow
Apr 23, 20247 min read


When being open to life takes you into the unknown, part 2
(You can read part 1 of this series here .) I was staring at the ultrasound machine, hearing the explanation of how early it can pick up...

thefruitfulhollow
Mar 6, 20242 min read


Seasons of infertility: processing infertility
Before I write, I always seek God’s Word. His Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and so should my words be. He never fails to remind me...

Danielle Thompson
Feb 21, 20243 min read


Infertility on screen: part 1
It was movie night. I thought I was sitting down to watch a light-hearted horror movie (Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice). Instead, I had stumbled..

Brandy Norton
Jan 10, 20243 min read


Following the Holy Family while carrying the cross of infertility
Society wants us to believe that a marriage is only fruitful when children come from it. If that were the case, what would be the purpose...
Sonia-Maria Szymanski
Dec 27, 20235 min read


PMS and the imprints of fruitfulness
On a recent morning, I was in the throes of PMS (sometimes this verges on its more severe form, PMDD). I was tired after a restless night...
Maria G.
Dec 6, 20233 min read


Is suffering a blessing from God?
It is a precarious concept to open your mind and heart enough to ponder if suffering is a blessing from God. When I first began to write...

Brittany Wahhab
Nov 8, 20234 min read


Letters of Encouragement: loneliness in carrying your cross
Dear sister,
It’s a heavy cross, isn’t it? I know it has been hard. I know the mental load you are enduring. I know your pain. I know...
Sonia-Maria Szymanski
Oct 3, 20235 min read


When your child experiences infertility: your story
On July 26 the Church celebrates the feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim, parents of Our Lady, and the fourth Sunday of July is therefore known..

thefruitfulhollow
Jul 25, 20238 min read


RESOURCE: Levels of Self-Care
Sometimes, tough seasons can go on indefinitely, and the levels of support you need may vary depending on the day. During your infertility..

Ellen H.
Jun 13, 20234 min read


Letters of encouragement: low self-esteem
How on earth could I worship an all-loving God week after week but believe He made a mistake when He made me? ...

Mary Thissen
Jun 7, 20233 min read


Holy Saturdays of our lives
A wise and holy priest once told me that we don’t get to Easter Sunday without Good Friday. Simply put, we must go through suffering to...

Mary Thissen
Apr 8, 20233 min read


New wineskins
Our priest talked about how sin results in death – a moral death and existential death. Moral death in a person causes confusion, and the..

Brittany Wahhab
Apr 4, 20234 min read


Behold, your mother: Our Lady of the Flowering Thorn
So, my dear friend, I challenge you to take up your thorn and make it flower. It may not be the flower you hoped and prayed for, but...
Sonia-Maria Szymanski
Mar 24, 20234 min read


Sadness and despair: you are not alone
Struggling with infertility or loss can be a time of deep pain and sorrow, even to the point of having suicidal thoughts. Social media is filled with family photos and birth announcements. We open our emails to see invitations for baptisms and Holy Communion parties. Although we are happy for our friends and family, we are left wondering: “when will it be my turn?” These thoughts can escalate into sadness and despair. For some, this might become depression, for others anxiety

Lauren G.
Mar 15, 20233 min read


The hem of His garment
There have been so many times in the depths of my grief when I felt as if I, too, was hanging on to that single thread. After my losses...

Kimberly Camosse
Mar 8, 20232 min read


Visio divina: praying with art through the crucifixion
As we begin Lent, I find myself being led to this moving icon of Christ by one favorite Dominican, Blessed Fra Angelico. Art has always...

Katie Woltornist
Mar 1, 20233 min read


Forty days in the desert of infertility
Is there anything that more closely resembles the journey of infertility than the season of Lent? 40 long days alone in the desert, being denied comfort and support as we are tempted by Satan to go against God's word and teachings. Even if you know there is salvation at the end, it can easily feel as if you will never get through to see it. I met my husband on Ash Wednesday in 2017. We had both joined a young adult small group looking for answers and guidance during a period

Gillyan McCabe
Feb 21, 20234 min read


Letters of Encouragement: crisis of faith
“If only You had been here…” Martha’s words ring true over two thousand years later. How many times have I caught myself dejectedly..."

C. J. Parke
Feb 1, 20234 min read
bottom of page


