Why I started a Monthly Snail Mail Club

Dearest Gentle Readers,

You may know me as the founder of Hoopsy, working on a 100% plastic-free pregnancy test. I started Hoopsy because I went through IVF in 2021 to try to conceive, which unfortunately was not successful.

By going on my own fertility journey, I realized just how hard that journey can be for many, many women.  It is not always successful; it is often stressful, hopeful, emotional, expensive, time-consuming, and difficult.  And at the end, you may or may not end up with what you hoped for. It is like nothing else I have been through in life.  I have many friends who have been on the journey in their own way and say the same thing.

Even now, four years on, I think I’m over it, but I’m not because every now and again something pops up and I’ll be blah crying again, upset by something minor that I never thought would get me upset.  Or I will hear about a new this or that and think oh why wasn’t that around when I was trying and is it too late to go back and have another go now?

When I heard about a monthly snail mail club and how many people were part of them, it seemed a perfect fit for the fertility journey.

What is a Monthly Snail Mail Club?

Good question.  Although monthly snail mail clubs are becoming more well known thay are not mainstream- yet.  Basically, each month, someone sends you a physical letter in the mail along with some other items. Depending on the club, it could be a postcard, an art print, a bookmark, stickers, a gift, a poem, a recipe card – basically anything that is flat and fits in an envelope!

People subscribe to the club because they are looking for ways to connect offline, they don’t want more online content, they want to get away from AI and socials, and back to a slower pace of life.

Why a Fertility Snail Mail Club?

I thought that getting something in the mail was so relevant for people going on their fertility journey because it’s hopeful, it’s difficult, it’s sad, it’s lonely, even if you have a partner. I mean, I was single when I did it, and I had friends who were going through it. You want someone who’s there for you, someone who’s supporting you through this journey.

And knowing that is why I started it because I knew if I had had someone who cared about me, sending me something in the mail every month to say, ” You’ve got this, don’t worry. And have you tried this exercise? Have you done this? Look at this affirmation, make this food, care for yourself, be kind to yourself, and love yourself. Then it would have made a difference.

I am not saying it will make a difference in terms of whether you will actually get pregnant, because I can’t guarantee that. But it makes a difference in yourself, and you feel a lot better for having that support. I like to think of it as a hug in a letter. I like to think of it as someone coming up and giving you a big hug and saying, “Yeah, it’s hard, but you’ve got it. You can do this. Just keep going, and I love you.”  That is why this is important to me, and why I think women will enjoy being part of it.

What do you think?  Is this a club you’d like to be part of?