What is the hardest thing for you to ... - Fertility Network UK

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What is the hardest thing for you to manage as you try to conceive?

HannahTramaseur profile imageHannahTramaseurPartnerFertility Network UK510 Voters
352
Everyone else seems to be having babies
150
The cost of IVF and/or other treatments
128
Expectations or questions from family / friends
114
Cannot make plans future career plans
106
The pressure on my relationship with my partner
29
Media / Society pressure
29 Replies
Bubblez profile image
Bubblez

It is completely out of your control...

111fff profile image
111fff in reply toBubblez

yes, it is. but everyone seems to expect all kinds of stuff from you. but I can't do miracles.

GreenApples profile image
GreenApples

For me it's more of a control issues- you are at the mercy of your clinic and planning anything is a nightmare!

krw345 profile image
krw345

I'd also add just the sense of complete powerlessness over your life. I feel I have no control or ability to make decisions or plan anything: my body, my career (I want to move jobs but can't with everything going on), our living situation (we want to move but can't face doing anything while having treatment). Even planning anything nice, like booking holidays is impossible as you're at the mercy of waiting lists and clinics that give you no indication of timings.

Blondyboo profile image
Blondyboo in reply tokrw345

I so agree with you I could have wrote this !! x

7AVA profile image
7AVA

My friendships as friends become pregnant and have babies

kelsbels88 profile image
kelsbels88

The upset, hurt and sadly little bit of jealously you get for people who fall pregnant when they don't want to or accidentally or right after coming of contraception. Its really hard.

in reply tokelsbels88

its always hard to take when someone else gets pregnant especially when its unplanned.

hannahi profile image
hannahi

At the moment I'd say the waiting & feeling of lack of control

emmmmmz profile image
emmmmmz

Despair, depression and jealousy. Why can everyone else have a baby and not me?

Toothfairy2750 profile image
Toothfairy2750 in reply toemmmmmz

You've summed it up emmmmmz

Oakey80 profile image
Oakey80

Waiting waiting & more waiting...Basically waiting for your physical life to check on and catch up with your emotional life!

Georgina78 profile image
Georgina78

The envy and feeling of being left behind as so many people around you seem to fall pregnant relatively easily, the jealousy when it's someone close, especially family and everyone else is so excited and you're just sad.

The fear that it'll never happen and what life will look like for you 😔 x

Newqgirl1 profile image
Newqgirl1

The inability to make plans, total lack of control, the crushing devastation when yet another colleague/ family member/ friend falls pregnant, the feeling of sadness while I watch my partner struggle with this journey

in reply toNewqgirl1

when others find out they are pregnant and its announced im sure part of you is glad for them but devastated for you. I have cried a number of times when I have found out someone else is pregnant and of course im glad for them just sad about my own situation.

Jen82 profile image
Jen82

Not being able to have intercourse let alone try naturally for a baby...and being told you have to do ivf by 37 to have any chsnce and that's only two years away

kelsbels88 profile image
kelsbels88

When the period is late and the test says negative then the the period arrives and the last of your hope is shattered

An uncertain future and not knowing how long I'll have to live through this horrendous chapter in my life.

Ndy23 profile image
Ndy23

Being told sarcastically that age is against you when so many women much older have had successful ifv procedures and icy gestures and remarks from family and friends. Help me God, it's unbearable painful

The possibility of having bad news with every step.the emotional rollercoaster and just the strain it puts on everything..work,relationships ,body etc

robbie03 profile image
robbie03

That compared to any other situation in life - time does not heal.

The longer it goes on for, the feeling of "it'll never happen for me" gets stronger. Tested my patience to its absolute limit'

Lilli79 profile image
Lilli79

We found the time management of appointments the most difficult, my husband has used up most of his leave and I left my job & didn't work for months so I could attend appointments. There was very little understanding about this from consultants. The fertility clinic was much better though

Also the pain, heartbreak the continued effort it takes to not think how much a failure you are, the pain when it's within reach and you lose your baby, the insensitivity of some close to you and others around you. The guilt for feeling people Le need to walk in egg shells because your on a path not all people would remotely want to understand at some point.

The decision when you realise that you must get of this miserable journey even though the destination you were planning to get to won't be reached or the argument to go just 1 more time...

for me its feeling envious when others fall pregnant easy and despair and resentment and feeling that pregnant women and buggies pop up out of cracks in the pavement on purpose to upset you.

insensitive comments and questions and patronising advice and having to take precautions to avoid things out and about that might upset you like baby showers and parent and baby clubs.

nomonkeys profile image
nomonkeys

For me it's the waiting. The endless and endless waiting. Waiting for doctor's appointments, waiting for treatments to start, waiting through the tww, waiting for scans, waiting to overcome the last cycle so you can start again, then starting the whole waiting process again.

On top of that, at some points (the happier, or less physically taxing points) I can turn to keeping myself busy to get through the waiting (doing sports, going out) but there are parts of the process where that is either not possible or I'm not emotionally strong enough to do these things. So I end up alone and doing nothing, which makes the waits even longer.

wendazzler profile image
wendazzler

The feeling of failure the rows and nit picking with my other half, The why me and then the guilt for that feeling as I obviously would never wish it on anyone else, The guilt and anger and lack of control, all of it and the fear it may not even work is almost crippling but they say don't get stressed stay positive etc yeah and another favourite , don't feel embarrassed, difficult not to feel a bit more dignity leaving with each visit and each internal though or to not feel angry and fed up each month it has nt gone to baby making again :( I wish each and every one of you the best of luck xx

Couldn't agree with these comments more. It has an impact on every area of your life and the lack of understanding from the rest of the world makes it unbearable. It should be much, much higher on the agenda for NHS, NICE, etc, because it's not just a physical health issue but a serious mental health issue too xxx

For me it's a tie between seeing everyone else getting pregnant successfully and feeling as if we are being left behind, and the pressure it causes on our marriage. We have had our share of arguments triggered by this, mostly because I have a hard time coping with losses (he does too), and I struggle to deal with emotions so I frequently but not purposely aim my anger and frustration at my husband. No one knows we are ttc (judgemental family, easier to keep it to ourselves), so we don't have anyone but each other on this, which really should mean it brings us closer but sometimes it doesn't

CostaSolG profile image
CostaSolG

1 point to every comment by me, I'd say it's this huge burden coming from everywhere around you...

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