The Emotions of Fertility Treatments

It’s hard not to have your whole heart invested when you want to have a baby. The heart’s desire for a baby is not an emotion that easily tempered. The minute you start trying, it feels like your world – and of course, your social media feed – is filled with adorable babies and precious family moments.

You start thinking of baby names and the mother you want to become. The dream becomes so vivid, you just want it to happen now... yet conception one of the things in life that is out of our control.

Navigating infertility

I can seek the best fertility treatment. I can live the healthiest lifestyle. Yet at the end of the day, nobody can guarantee the outcome you want on the timeline that you want it. So how do we as endo sisters navigate this journey?

How can we be all in on our heart’s desire, yet prepared for what could be a long road to seeing it come a reality? I wish I had a secret answer to share with you. The reality is, I don’t think there is a way to make this easy. We simply have to figure out what will give us the support we need to endure it. For me, this looks like having a lot space and alone time to process the emotions. Other days, I want to reach out to a friend who has been down this road too, to be reminded that I am not alone.

Coping with the emotional rollercoaster

And then there are the days that I am impatient and frustrated, and I need to move my body to get the emotion out. These are my days, but yours may be completely different. I know some women who are an open book. They process and heal by sharing every detail of their journey with others. One is not better than the other, it’s just finding what works best for you.

Leaning on others for support

But there is a common bond, spoken or not, for those of us going through fertility treatments. One of my friends who’s gone through IVF text me the other day to check in. I had just spoken to her a few days prior about the injections I was taking.

I admitted, “I’m doing well with the injections, but the whole IVF process was a lot.” Without having to say anything more, her response was so simple yet so validating. “It’s SO emotional.”

We didn’t go on about the details, but that one line just allowed me to have little more compassion on myself in this journey. There’s a lot going on in our body when it’s trying to conceive a baby. There’s even more going on in your heart. That combination (sprinkled with lots of back and forth to the doctor’s office and calls to the insurance company) is a lot.

Everyone is different

Give yourself the time and space you need to heal. Again, this is just my experience. While I hope it’s helpful, I know I’m just one of many of us on this journey. I would love to hear from you. What do you find helpful to navigate the emotions of fertility treatments?