Not to be overly simplistic, but the world can be divided into those who LOVE Pinterest and those who sit on the sidelines shaking the heads either in bemusement or with fingers outstretched and crossed in the sign of a cross as if to ward off something evil. If you are already a Pinterest convert, then you need read no more. If, however, you are still a hold out, let me try to sway you if only because it is a phenomenal source of inspiration and support for what can sometimes be a lonely journey of infertility or adoption.

Just a few short months ago, I was one of the nay-sayers. I couldn’t imagine voluntarily joining another online community. I had my hands full with Facebook and Twitter, thank you very much. I didn’t need anything else to drain my time. But I have since “seen the light”, but mainly because I think you can control how far you jump into the Pinterest pool and it is such a powerful ally for the infertile or those who adopt.

The concept of Pinterest is remarkably simple—it is a virtual sharable inspiration bulletin board where you can “pin” (as in pushing a pushpin into a bulletin board) pictures with links to the site where the idea or picture was found. You can create as many boards as you want.

I had originally thought of Pinterest as a place to collect kitchen remodeling and knitting ideas, and sure enough it can be used for this. Although I’ve got no problem with using it to collect decorating or craft ideas, that isn’t what made me a convert. Pinterest is an unparalleled source of inspiration, humor and resources for infertility and adoption. It has literally brought me to laughter and tears in a single visit.

Where else could you see the following in one short visit?

    

Or be inspired by the following?

     

Or get a good laugh with the following?

      

Yes, if you aren’t careful Pinterest can by a major time suck. I have to admit that I’ve lost hours on it in the past couple of months. However, it doesn’t have to be time consuming. It is entirely up to you. Everything is picture based so it is perfect for popping in for a few minutes when you feel the need for a pick-me-up. You also don’t have to share your own thoughts and emotions or your own struggles. You can create an account so you can view boards created by others, but not pin/post a single thing.

If you decide to give it a try, make sure to follow the Creating a Family Boards, and I’ll follow you back. I’ve listed our current boards below, but it is easiest to simply go to our page and click follow all. You can find others to follow who have an interest in either adoption or infertility, by viewing our followers.

Feel free to post links to your own Pinterest Adoption or Infertility Boards in the comments.