“I'M TIRED OF BEING A DOCTOR'S LAB RAT”: METAPHORISING INFERTILITY IN NIGERIAN ONLINE TRYING TO CONCEIVE (TTC) DISCUSSION FORUM

Abstract

Trying to conceive (TTC), a hitherto covertly expressed experience in Tmany cultures has been brought to the public view through open discussions on internet message boards. The kind of discursive engagements in which metaphor is seen to be constructed in these online forums is the focus of this study. Investigating the metaphorisation strategies in these discussions by TTC persons through the lens of Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Cultural Linguistics, this study discusses how participants metaphorise their experiences. The findings revealed that the physical and emotional experiences and medical procedures were constantly metaphorised in the discussions, thereby simplifying complex, often abstract medical issues to construct resilience and hope in the process of trying to conceive. The findings specifically showed that TTC is commonly metaphorically constructed as A JOURNEY, characterised by unforeseen twists, obstacles, and disappointments; a LONG SLOW PROCESS of waiting for a complex series of steps that have to align perfectly; a mental and spiritual BATTLE often fought in isolation; AN INVESTMENT, considering the emotional, physical, and financial demands, and a SHAFEFUL EXPERIENCE, due to the impression of failure and isolation TTC couples often have to face. The perceived experimental nature of assisted reproduction is also captured in the metaphorical depiction of TTC women as LABORATORY SPECIMENS, given the constant trials, monitoring and testing of different medical procedures on their bodies during fertility treatments. Other conceptual metaphorical construals include FERTILITY IS A WINDOW and MENSTRUATION IS UGLY IN TTC. The study concludes that the metaphors engender resilience and hope, and foster communal identity, as these TTC persons create shared social space for expressing commonalities and the construction of alterity in the discourse of infertility online.