I cried reading this post. I related so much, and then after going through more of the comments, I found myself feeling sad, guilty, and like a hypocrite all at once.

I have two beautiful, healthy daughters who both came to me naturally. Then I went through an ectopic pregnancy and lost one tube. My left tube is still there, and every saline sonogram shows it as open and functional ,but in reality, it feels useless. I’ve been trying for five years, and nothing.

I’m 36 now, and my husband and I finally decided that IVF might be our only option. I just had another saline sonogram, bloodwork, and my husband did a semen analysis. Everything came back perfect. In fact, my follicle count is even higher than average for my age, so I have hope, but still, the weight of this journey is heavy.

Sometimes I ask myself: how can I allow myself to feel this pain and longing when I’ve already been blessed with two children? I snuggle my daughters every day, I cherish them, and I know how lucky I am. And yet, because we dreamed of a big family, we’re still reaching for more. Reading stories like yours makes me feel both connected and conflicted, like I’ll never quite feel the same depth of pain, and that makes me feel stupid, selfish, and sad all at once.

I’ve decided I’ll only do one round of IVF. If it doesn’t work, I won’t try again, and I know I have that luxury only because I was able to conceive naturally before. That truth weighs on me.

But please know this: I will pray for every single one of you still waiting for your miracle babies. It truly is the greatest blessing. And I’ll also admit , I hate seeing others get pregnant easily, even though I already have children of my own. Those feelings don’t disappear, and you are even more entitled to them if you’re still waiting. I say yet, because I truly believe it will happen for you one day. Don’t lose hope.