the sheer amount of work that comes with caring for a new baby can completely upend your relationship, shoving both of you straight into survival mode. Those visions of relaxing date nights or cozy evenings together? Not happening.

The experience of sex feeling like a chore is common among couples trying to conceive, though it varies depending on where they are in their fertility journey.

Whether you are embarking on this process as an intended parent or a surrogate, having the right kind of relationship can significantly impact your experience, both emotionally and logistically.

You’re placing the most precious thing—the baby you’ve dreamed of for so long, invested a lot of time and money in, and possibly endured so much heartache for—into the hands of someone else, often a stranger. It’s a monumental leap of faith. 

Egg freezing is all the buzz, from social media posts to advertisements and even employers offering coverage. It may seem like the perfect insurance policy, but unfortunately, the reality is that it’s not.

for those with a history of heightened body image dissatisfaction or an eating disorder, these postpartum changes can be extremely persistent, impacting daily functioning, how they dress, their nutritional habits, exercise routines, and how they show up for themselves and others.

For women struggling with PCOS and fertility, it can be daunting, especially if they have felt dismissed in the past.

Athletes aren’t the only ones affected by this issue. It also impacts individuals with a disordered relationship with their bodies who have restrictive food patterns and/or overexercise. To the average person and even to many doctors, these individuals may appear healthy unless they exhibit signs of severe malnourishment, such as extreme anorexia.

What becomes even more disturbing is it’s usually not just an internal feeling, but accompanied by behavior such as yelling, throwing something, crying uncontrollably, feeling physically weak, or even something as severe as physical violence toward another person or yourself.

An idea you never in your wildest dreams thought you would even consider, and maybe even earlier had turned down with a hard no, slowly becomes more tolerable. This decision is profound and life-changing, and it’s important to navigate this process thoughtfully and with care.

Selecting an egg donor involves many considerations and can feel overwhelming and emotionally draining. Here are some important factors to keep in mind: