*Aliases are used to protect privacy, and responses are edited for clarity.
This Halloween, the twoplus Fertility team decided to do a poll to round up true horror stories from our users and followers, TTC-edition. And by TTC, we mean trying to conceive, of course.
You’ll be amazed, or more accurately, horrified to hear what these people have experienced on their conception journeys. From unwanted advice to miscarriages after miscarriages, read on for some truly chilling stories (reader’s discretion advised).
The Spirit Is Willing, but the Flesh Is Weak
*Lynn, Insurance Agent, 35
My husband has ED (erectile dysfunction). It’s a sensitive topic, so we don’t talk about it much in company. But it has made trying to get pregnant SO HARD! We will be in the moment but he will have performance issues when it comes to the main act. This, and the narrow window of my ovulation period, means we only have a limited time to try every month.
Lesson learnt:
I’ve learnt not to talk about “making a baby” before we get frisky, as it only gives him performance anxiety and worsens his ED issue. We’ve also tried Viagra and going to the therapist. At the moment, we’re looking into self-insemination at home with the twoplus Fertility Applicator Extra. Hopefully, that will take some of the pressure off my hubs.
I Got My Hopes Up Too High…
*Sabrina, 28, home baker
Waiting for the pregnancy test results made me feel like I went back in time and was a kid on Christmas Day again. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the ‘present’ I wanted as I did when I was younger. Instead, I got a false-positive even though I’ve heard they are supposedly rare. Not in my case, though.
Lesson learnt:
Instead of putting myself through an unnecessary emotional roller coaster after TTC for 13 months, I should have used twoplus Fertility’s Sperm Count Test Kit and Hormone Test Kit to check if my partner or I have any fertility problems. Still, I won’t rule out at-home pregnancy tests, as they are mostly accurate and easy to use.
Unexplained Infertility: A Lot of Questions but No Answers
Benjamin Tee, co-founder of twoplus Fertility, 41
Two of the scariest words you can hear when trying to conceive are “unexplained infertility.” My wife and I have tried literally everything under the sun to get pregnant, only to end up in the doctor’s office to hear that we’re diagnosed with this issue in our mid-30s.
Lesson learnt:
Even though we struggle with unexplained infertility, we didn’t let it get to us. For the record, we did use fertility treatments like IVF and IUI. Unfortunately, they were pretty invasive and pricey. Still, we are glad that we managed to get pregnant after four years of treatments. That said, I wished there had been an alternative, which is why twoplus was born, to provide an affordable solution to natural conception.
Miscarriage After Miscarriage
*Tim, 38, data analyst
The worst heartbreak for anyone TTC is a miscarriage. But I wasn’t that fortunate as I’ve experienced two miscarriages in a row with my wife — one up to 5 weeks and the other until 9 weeks. To add salt to our injury, two friends who have also been trying to have a child told us they were a few months pregnant during that time. Needless to say, we shed a few tears after hearing about their news.
Lesson learnt:
While the saying, “everything happens for a reason” applies to TTC too, I believe that proactiveness is key. After our miscarriages, we doubled down on our efforts by researching everything we could get our hands on — fertility-boosting foods, alternative medicines like TCM, and supplements.
Also, my wife and I try to manage our mood and stress levels, as we’ve heard that poor mental health can affect our chances of getting pregnant. Now, my wife is on her third pregnancy which we hope will carry to term. You know what they say, the third time’s the charm! (*fingers crossed*)
Foot-in-Mouth Disease
*Nancy, Software Engineer, 36
I’m sure you’ve heard about hand, foot, and mouth disease, but maybe not so much about “foot-in-mouth disease.” That’s when people around you give you seemingly well-meaning but unwanted advice and comments.
For example, whenever someone hears that I’ve been trying to get pregnant for quite some time now, they will say, “Let nature take its course.” Not sure about most people, but this comment just gets on my nerves so much! It’s useless and doesn’t really add value to the conversation.
Another top one would be, “Is it really that difficult to get pregnant? Usually, the people who really want a kid are the ones who cannot get pregnant.” I cannot say how much this comment stings! It’s like rubbing salt onto a wound that’s already open and bleeding.
Or they will bring up the age factor and say stuff like, “"You think you're still very young? You're already past 30 and your shelf life is expiring." And for the kicker, ““Oh…but don’t you think it’s natural selection that some people just can’t get pregnant?”
One of my friends who is also trying to conceive told me that her mother-in-law said that it’s because my friend drank so many bubble tea and cold drinks that she couldn’t get pregnant.
Lesson learnt:
Be mindful of who you choose to share your updates with, especially if someone has a track record of giving unsolicited advice. If that’s not possible, listen politely and say something unassuming, then end the conversation there.
Remember, you’re not obligated to respond to them. You and your mental health come first, especially when trying to get pregnant.
That Chilling Tingle Down Your Spine Is Real
Perhaps you’re on your quest for a child now and can relate to some of the stories above. If so, we hope you’ve gained quite a few valuable lessons. If not, our wish is that you never have to encounter any of these situations!
On a less chilling note, if you have gotten pregnant after using one of twoplus Fertility’s products, we would love to hear about your experience! Simply drop us a note via our “Contact Us” form. In the meantime, check out other customers’ success stories who have conceived with twoplus.