Have you ever sat in a doctor's office, or come home after a difficult appointment, and told yourself: it's probably not that bad. Maybe I'm overreacting. It was only early. If you have, this episode is for you. In this conversation, Miriam sits down with Elise to hear her infertility story in full. Elise has been trying to conceive for three and a half years. She has Hashimoto's disease, PCOS and insulin resistance. She has had two miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy that resulted in the loss of her left fallopian tube. She has done everything right — the tests, the lifestyle changes, the supplements, the specialists — and she is still here, in the middle of it, not knowing how her story will end. This is not a story told in hindsight. This is what it feels like from the inside. In this episode, Elise and Miriam talk about: - What it is like to start trying to conceive already knowing something is wrong with your body and how that shapes your hope from the very beginning - The confusion and loneliness of navigating a medical system where every doctor tells you something different, and none of them quite see you as a whole person - The moment Elise sat in an endocrinologist's office, crying, while the doctor didn't even look up — and what she decided at the bike parking station afterwards - What changed when she started working with a fertility coach, and why finding someone who looked at her as a complete person made all the difference - The emotional weight of doing everything right — the morning routines, the diet rules, the supplements — and still not getting the result you worked for - Her first pregnancy, her first miscarriage, and the strange mix of grief and unexpected gratitude that came with it - Her second pregnancy and the moment she knew something was wrong before she could explain why - What an ectopic pregnancy actually feels like to live through: weeks of bleeding, pain, uncertainty, two surgeries, and a medical system that kept sending her home - The experience of being told there is no sign of a baby here and why the words doctors use can either acknowledge or erase what you have been through - How she is learning, slowly and imperfectly, to ask for help, to receive support, and to trust the signals her body sends her - Where she is today: not hopeful, not hopeless but finding her way forward one cycle at a time Resources mentioned in this episode: - Fertility coach Nora Deborah: find her at Naturally Nora on Instagram and podcast - Real Food for Fertility by Lily Nichols and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack - The Worst Girl Gang Ever a community for women who are going through loss at every stage of pregnancy - Cycle tracking as a tool for understanding your body, pinpointing your fertile window and identifying potential health issues. Elise has been tracking her cycle for over eight years and teaches other women how to do the same Find us on Instagram and Substack This podcast is for those who are still in it, not knowing how their story will unfold. These are the stories of women in the midst of infertility. Welcome to the InFertility Stories Podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit infertilitystories.substack.com
