How To Cope With Pregnancy Jealousy

Navigating Pregnancy Envy: How to Cope When Everyone is Pregnant (and You’re Not)

There was a time in my life when it felt like everyone was getting pregnant except me.

Baby showers. Gender reveals. Ultrasound pictures on Instagram. Even casual run-ins at the grocery store somehow ended with, “Guess what? We’re expecting!”

And while I was genuinely happy for the people I loved, it still hurt. Deeply.

The hurt you feel when struggling to get pregnant is complex and emotional. If you are going through fertility treatments like IVF, it can feel like you’re working so hard for something that comes so easily to everyone else.

It’s important to remember that your feelings are valid and there are ways to care for yourself through it.

Here are a few things that helped me cope when it felt like the whole world was moving forward without me.

1. Let yourself feel it.

You don’t need to “just be happy for them.” You can be both happy for someone else and sad for yourself. Two different things can be true.

Pushing away your pain or feeling ashamed to feel jealous or hurt doesn’t make those emotions disappear. It just buries them deeper. Give yourself permission to acknowledge what’s hard, without shame or judgment.

2. Protect your environment.

You don’t have to unfollow everyone who’s pregnant (unless you want to!), but you might consider muting some social accounts for a while, skipping a few events, or creating more boundaries around conversations that feel triggering.

Protecting your peace isn’t rude, it’s self-care and self-respect.

3. Say no when you need to.

Baby showers, birth celebrations, and other child-centered events might be especially triggering and difficult. You are not obligated to go to every event. You don’t have to smile through every bump photo. You’re allowed to say, “I love you, but I need to take care of myself right now.”

People who truly care about you will understand or at least try to.

4. Find support that actually supports you.

Sometimes it feels like no one really gets it especially if your closest friends or family haven’t struggled with infertility.

Connecting with others who are walking this road too (or have before) can be a lifeline. Whether it’s a support group, an online community, or working with a fertility coach surrounding yourself with people who get it can make all the difference.

5. Focus on what you can control.

IVF and fertility treatments are full of uncertainty. You can’t necessarily control the outcome, but you can control how you care for yourself in the process.

Whether that’s advocating for better communication with your clinic, creating a calm routine around your medications, or finding tools to manage the emotional toll, it all adds up. It helps you feel more grounded, even when everything else feels out of control.

You’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re not alone.

If no one has told you lately… what you’re doing is brave.

Pursuing fertility treatments or IVF is not the easy way. It takes grit, heart, and relentless hope. You don’t have to keep pretending it’s easy. You don’t have to carry this alone.

If you’ve stumbled here today because you’re feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, or just incredibly alone I hope you found some comfort in this space.

You deserve support that understands how complex this journey really is.

BTW – I created a free resource called The Busy Woman’s Guide to IVF Success to help you feel more in control, more informed, and a lot less alone in all of this.
Click here to download your FREE copy