Infertility Feelings

Let’s talk about the mom club. When you are struggling to get pregnant, it feels like people keep getting into the “mom club.” It’s annoying. All they do is talk about mom club stuff. It feels like every conversation is about what it’s like being a mom. It hurts to hear it. It’s overwhelming to be around. You want to be in the mom club, but you are annoyed with the mom club. You want to be a mom,...

The sad reality is that when you go through infertility, you can feel unseen . Here is what that is like.  In this episode Jesse and Doug talk about why people struggle to talk about the pain of infertility with those who are going through it.  Why can't our friends and family understand how hard this is? Why do I feel so unseen by so many people in my life? We look at the conundrum that we f...

Infertility can make ANYONE anxious. But... what if you are ALREADY an anxious person?! That is what this podcast episode is about.  In this special episode, Jesse is interviewing a special guest who is an expert in knowing what it's like to be an anxious person going through infertility.  If you feel like you are a bit more anxious, this episode is for you. We talk about the three ways that...

Infertility impacts intimacy! Like... a lot.  In this episode, Jesse and Doug are talking about how infertility impacts intimacy in a relationship. Infertility changes things like sex and closeness. Sex and closeness can be special, wonderful parts of a relationship. Then infertility changes them. Sex and closeness become means to an end. What the heck, that sucks.  There is a very unique pressure...

1 in 6 people struggle to get pregnant. 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. Infertility is part of life for millions of people around the world. The chances are that most people know someone struggling to get pregnant.  So that means the world knows a lot about infertility and is ready to care for people struggling, right?! Wrong! It's so hard to make people aware of infertility.  This epi...

Your period (your cycle) is such a central part of fertility. When you are struggling with infertility it becomes so much more. In fact, it feels like it's everything. It's the thing you wait for. It's the thing you are terrified of. If the thing you hate, and it's the thing you can't avoid.  How do you deal with your period? You can't avoid it. In a way you need it....

In this episode Jesse and Doug have two little thoughts about infertility, decisions, and gratitude. How do you make decisions during infertility? It feels literally impossible. Jesse has a way forward! Infertility gives us nothing to be grateful for? So what do we do with that? Doug has a thoughts.  In this special episode we dive into two really important ideas that help us all make it through i...

How are we supposed to make sense of infertility? No, literally how?! Infertility, for many people, just doesn't fit with the way they view the world. Struggling to make sense of it all becomes this overwhelming, anxiety-provoking thing. Will there ever be a meaning to all this? Will we ever look back and see why this happened to us?! Was there no meaning to this? What does that mean about li...

Infertility can feel like it's full of fails. This test failed, this cycle failed. All the disappointment and fails can start to make you feel like YOU are a failure.  It's not true, you are not a failure. But gosh, it can feel that way sometimes.  This episode is all about these feelings. Why can we feel like failures during infertility. What do you do with those feelings? How can you d...

Let's talk about why infertility is so hard! In this episode, we look at what the Uniquely Knitted following says about why infertility is so hard. We look at why it's so difficult for Jesse and Doug, and we talk about how infertility may be uniquely hard for each person.  When you can verbalize why infertility is so uniquely hard for you as an individual, you have a higher likelihood of...

A candid conversation about how and why infertility makes us so exhausted! In this episode, Jesse and Doug recap the year at the Infertility Feelings Podcast and at Uniquely Knitted. We talk about what this year means to us and what we are excited about in the future.  In this episode, we also look at why infertility is so exhausting. We talk about how the end of the year is exhausting and how dea...

During infertility, we can often blame ourselves for everything. This episode is about what that feels like, and WHY we do that! Blame shows up when we’re desperately trying to make sense of the senseless. It can feel protective, even logical, but it slowly chips away at our sense of worth and hope.  In this episode, we explore how blame sneaks into our thinking, what it does to our bodies and rel...

Infertility is always overwhelming. When you are feeling sensitive, it's almost unbearable. In this episode, Jesse is joined by our wonderful process group leader, Krista! Together, they explore what infertility is like for sensitive people.  If you feel like you are a more sensitive person, this episode is for you! If you feel like you have ever been sensitive during infertility, this episod...

Infertility is deeply physical. It's physically really hard. On the Infertility Feelings Podcast, we often talk about the mental and emotional challenges of infertility. In this episode, we are jumping into the PHYSICAL challenge. We have the honor of speaking with Dr. Meredith Brower, MD , from Reproductive Partners Medical Group in Beverly Hills. She is an excellent guide to what someone go...

Infertility can make you feel old, at 28!  Infertility messes with your own view of your age. Sometimes you get told that you have all the time in the world. That "you're young" and "you still have time."  Then, in a weird twist, people will say, "You don't have forever." There are SO many emotions that come up when we talk about infertility and your age. In...

Infertility and God. There is a lot, where do we start? Many people believe in God. Not everyone, but many. For those who believe in God and believe that they have a relationship with God, infertility might be hurting that relationship. Infertility might be changing how you view God or putting pressure on your thoughts about God.  This episode is all about that. In this episode, we talk about the...

Sometimes, when we are going through infertility, it can feel like we are letting people down. This episode is about what that feels like.  But first, You are NOT letting anyone down. Infertility let US ALL down.  During infertility, it can feel like your reality is making other people sad or disappointed. Many say they feel like they are letting their spouse down. Many people say they are letting...

When is infertility annoying? Always. Those thoughts and MANY more on today's episode of The Infertility Feelings Podcast.  Yes, there are many major pains during infertility, and there are very real traumas. But we rarely talk about millions of little things that annoy us when we are struggling to get pregnant. From talking about "fertility stuff" to the nagging reality that we are...

In this episode, we explore what it feels like to be emotionally stuck during infertility. (It sucks BTW) We talk about the numbness, the overwhelm, and the longing for clarity when everything feels murky.  You’ll hear real stories and reflections on why infertility can make you feel paralyzed, and what it actually means to start “moving” again—emotionally, relationally, and personally. This episo...

Feeling left out because you don't have kids is one of life's cruelest aches. Feeling like friends, community, and life are moving on without you hurts more than anyone could imagine.  This episode is about that.  In this episode, we dive into the deep ache of feeling left out during infertility and how isolating it can be when your story doesn’t match everyone else’s milestones.  We unp...

What does the research say about infertility and mental health? How should we approach our mental health in light of what the research says? This episode will answer these questions! Doug and Jesse are joined by Infertility Researcher, Professor, and Therapist, Dr. Brennan Peterson , to explore the research behind the mental health impact of infertility.  In this episode, we talk about how inferti...

How are we supposed to think about our story of infertility? How are we supposed to talk to people about our story of infertility? How do you bring it up? What do you tell people? Should you just avoid people? How do you handle small talk? How do you talk about your story!? These are the questions that Doug and Jesse are bringing to Katie Quesada today. Katie is a Professional Storytelling Consult...

Infertility is scary. There are so many truly terrifying things. What if things don't work out? What if we can't have kids? What if...  In this episode, Jesse and Doug look at infertility and fear.  What is it that we are truly afraid of during infertility? What does it cost us when we push off the fear we have during infertility? These are the questions looked at in this episode! If inf...

For many, infertility leads to isolation. But what does that mean? Is that a bad thing? Do we need to get out of isolation? How do we escape isolation without opening ourselves up to all the bad advice people have?  These are the questions answered in today's podcast! Jesse and Doug look at what it feels like to be isolated during infertility and provide two clear steps to come out of isolati...

In this episode, Doug and Jesse explore how infertility creates a deep sense of loss of control and emotional chaos during infertility. We talk about all sorts of ways that infertility makes us feel out of control and how losing control shows up differently for each of us. We break down the following ideas... Dynamics and Coping Mechanisms when we Feel Out of Control We look at how contrasting cop...