IVF as a Strange Taboo

Today, we are becoming increasingly open about topics that were once considered too private or uncomfortable to discuss. And yet, infertility and IVF still remain surrounded by a certain silence.

Although IVF is widely known and increasingly talked about, many women are still hesitant to share their personal experience. I understand why. Trying to conceive is deeply personal, and when pregnancy does not happen, the journey can become emotionally and physically exhausting.

That is why I decided to share my own experience with women who are going through IVF — but also with anyone who is struggling to get pregnant and searching for clear, accessible answers.

My own journey began online. I wanted to understand what IVF really meant for me. How would the treatment affect my body? What would the hormones do? How difficult would the process be emotionally? How should I prepare? And what happens if the first attempt does not work?

There were so many questions, yet the answers often felt scattered across websites, forums and personal stories.

Fertility clinics provide important information about procedures, medications and treatment options. But IVF is much more than a medical process. It is also waiting, uncertainty, hope, fear and disappointment.

It is waiting for test results. Wondering how many eggs will be retrieved, how many will fertilize, whether the embryos will continue developing — and finally, whether the treatment has worked.

This emotional side of IVF is often much less visible.

If you are trying to conceive and it is not happening, your feelings deserve space. You can feel hopeful and exhausted at the same time. You can want to continue while also being afraid of another disappointment.

There is no single “right” way to go through infertility or IVF.

And talking openly about IVF does not mean that every woman has to share her story. Everyone has the right to decide what to keep private. But those who do want to talk should be able to do so without shame.

Because behind the abbreviation IVF there is much more than a medical treatment.

There are women, relationships, fears, difficult decisions, disappointment — and an enormous amount of hope.

And sometimes simply knowing that someone else understands can make the journey feel a little less lonely.