Infertility isn’t just a medical diagnosis, it’s an emotional, physical, and mental rollercoaster that so many people ride in silence. This National Infertility Awareness Week, we wanted to create space for those voices. We asked our community to share their stories and you did, with courage and honesty.
There’s nothing we could write that’s more powerful than what you’ve shared. So we’re stepping back and letting your words take the spotlight.
These are your stories.
"We got pregnant on our first round of IVF after 6 years of trying. I should’ve been happy but instead I spent the whole pregnancy terrified something would go wrong. Infertility does that to you. It robs you of joy and makes you suspicious of good news. I didn’t buy baby stuff until the third trimester. I barely told people. I was scared to jinx it. Now I have this beautiful baby boy and I love him more than anything, but I’m still working through all the pain and trauma of what it took to get here. It’s weird because people assume that once you get pregnant the sadness disappears. But it doesn’t, you carry it with you."
"We did six IUIs. Six. Every one of them felt like a new hope and a new heartbreak. People kept telling me to ‘just relax’ or ‘go on vacation.’ If I could erase one thing from this journey, it would be those well-meaning but soul-crushing comments. Sometimes all we need is someone to say, "This sucks. I’m sorry. I’m here.""
"We’ve been trying for 2 years and it feels like our whole life is on pause. No trips, no plans, everything revolves around ovulation and timing and tests. It’s exhausting. I miss feeling like myself."
"I wish more people talked about how infertility impacts your relationship. Me and my partner love each other but this has tested us in every way. Sex stopped being fun. Everything became medical and scheduled."
"This journey of unexplained infertility has taught me resilience, new self-care practices, how to advocate for myself, and has even challenged my marriage to find new strength I didn't know it had. Infertility is truly the path that no one wants or expects to walk, but it feels comforting to know I am not walking it alone and the online community gives me hope for the light at the end of the path."
"I got pregnant after 3 years of trying and honestly I still don’t believe it. I’m 22 weeks and still check for blood every time I pee. All I want to feel is happiness and relief but most of the time I'm just anxious that something bad will happen and I'll lose it."
"Infertility has been the most isolating thing I’ve ever gone through. Everyone around me getting pregnant so easily, meanwhile I’m crying in my bathroom over another negative test. It just hurts. all the time. People mean well but the ‘just relax’ comments make me want to scream."
"I was 37 when we started trying and 40 when we finally conceived through IVF. I wish I hadn’t waited so long, but I also refuse to blame myself. Society puts so much pressure on women to plan their careers, their finances, everything but fertility doesn’t follow a plan. That’s the lesson I keep coming back to."
"I had a miscarriage on Christmas Day. I was 9 weeks along and it was our first pregnancy after 3 years of trying. That grief lives in me now. Even after giving birth to our rainbow baby last summer, I still light a candle for the one we lost. Infertility taught me that joy and pain can live side by side."
"After 5 years, 3 IUIs, and 2 miscarriages, we finally got our baby girl last year. But, the trauma of those years doesn’t go away. Sometimes I still hold my breath before doctor appointments. I’m so grateful, but also still healing."
"My husband and I were labeled ‘unexplained infertility’ after 2 years of trying, it felt like a cruel joke. There was no diagnosis, but still no baby. I felt broken, invisible, and so angry. We eventually adopted our daughter and I wouldn't change a thing, but I wish more people understood that infertility isn't always fixable. Sometimes the path just changes."
"We did IVF twice and it didn’t work. Now we’re in a weird limbo where we don’t know what’s next. Adoption? Donor eggs? Giving up? It's all so expensive and I have no idea how I'm supposed to choose. I want a baby more than I've ever wanted anything but I have no idea how to decide what to do next. I honestly still can't believe that this is my life."
Infertility is much more common than people think, but it still doesn’t get talked about enough. That’s why we wanted to share these stories, to remind anyone going through it that you’re not alone.
Whether you’re in the middle of treatments, grieving a loss, celebrating a long-awaited win, or just trying to figure out what’s next, we see you. We’re with you. And we’ll keep showing up for you.
Love,
Ovry