Manage episode 521198470 series 2979516
Episode 192: How Childless Women Can Navigate the Holidays Ahead
The holiday season can feel emotionally heavy when you're childless after infertility. In this episode, Lana explains why Thanksgiving and Christmas can stir up overwhelm, anxiety, numbness, and confusion when you always imagined this season with a child of your own. You'll learn how your brain and nervous system respond during this time of year, why nothing about your reaction means you're doing anything wrong, and how to feel more grounded and supported as the holidays approach.
The holidays can feel complicated when you're childless after infertility. That knot in your stomach during Thanksgiving or Christmas is not your imagination. Whether you are done with fertility treatments, still navigating IVF or IUI, or childless by circumstance, this season can shine a spotlight on the life you thought you would be living by now.
In this episode, you learn why the holidays often stir up so much emotion and why nothing about your experience means you're doing anything wrong. You'll understand how your brain and nervous system interpret this season, why old neural pathways get activated, and why your reactions are very normal for women who are childless after infertility or childless not by choice.
Inside the episode, you'll learn: • How neural pathways built during your fertility journey impact your holidays • Why unpredictability around the holidays activates your nervous system • Why numbness is normal when the season feels emotionally loaded • Why family gatherings can trigger isolation even when you're loved • How to stop blaming yourself for how you feel this time of year • How to stay grounded when traditions center around children • Why you don't have to sit out of Christmas just because you don't have kids
If you want real tools and support to help you feel more prepared and confident this year, join my free live class on Tuesday, December 16 at 11:30 AM Central:
How to Deal with Your Family, Create Traditions, and Manage Celebrations Without KidsYou deserve to feel grounded, steady, and in control of the rooms you walk into this season.
And if you want help responding to the comments people make when they don't understand your experience, download my free guide HERE! The Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless and How to Respond.
199 episodes