What does the research say about infertility and mental health? How should we approach our mental health in light of what the research says? This episode will answer these questions! Doug and Jesse are joined by Infertility Researcher, Professor, and Therapist, Dr. Brennan Peterson , to explore the research behind the mental health impact of infertility. In this episode, we talk about how infertility is a developmental interruption, how infertility stigma increases our search for meaning in life...
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 116
How are we supposed to think about our story of infertility? How are we supposed to talk to people about our story of infertility? How do you bring it up? What do you tell people? Should you just avoid people? How do you handle small talk? How do you talk about your story!? These are the questions that Doug and Jesse are bringing to Katie Quesada today. Katie is a Professional Storytelling Consultant and an expert in helping people understand their story and talk about it in an effective way. Le...
Jun 02, 2025•56 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Infertility is scary. There are so many truly terrifying things. What if things don't work out? What if we can't have kids? What if... In this episode, Jesse and Doug look at infertility and fear. What is it that we are truly afraid of during infertility? What does it cost us when we push off the fear we have during infertility? These are the questions looked at in this episode! If infertility has ever made you feel fear, then this episode is for you. Uniquely Knitted is a Non-Profit Organizatio...
May 19, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 114
For many, infertility leads to isolation. But what does that mean? Is that a bad thing? Do we need to get out of isolation? How do we escape isolation without opening ourselves up to all the bad advice people have? These are the questions answered in today's podcast! Jesse and Doug look at what it feels like to be isolated during infertility and provide two clear steps to come out of isolation in a healthy way. If you feel like infertility has ever made you feel isolated, this episode is made fo...
May 05, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 113
In this episode, Doug and Jesse explore how infertility creates a deep sense of loss of control and emotional chaos during infertility. We talk about all sorts of ways that infertility makes us feel out of control and how losing control shows up differently for each of us. We break down the following ideas... Dynamics and Coping Mechanisms when we Feel Out of Control We look at how contrasting coping styles during infertility can lead to tension in our lives and our relationships. Loss of Contro...
Apr 21, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Infertility can make it hard to prioritize your mental health, especially when success feels just around the corner. In this episode, Jesse and Doug explore the challenges of self-care during this journey and offer a real path forward. If you've struggled to care for yourself while pursuing your dream of growing your family, know you're not alone. This episode is here to remind you that you are worthy of care and support. Want to know more about process groups? uniquelyknitted.org/group-sign-up ...
Mar 31, 2025•47 min•Season 1Ep. 111
NO REGRETS! Well maybe not in this case. The reality is that many people experience regret during infertility. There are a million decisions to make, so much to grieve, and so many things that go wrong! Avoiding regret can feel impossible. In this episode we look at what is going on with regret during infertility and we explore how we can build the resilience to handle regret and make it through infertility! Build some resilience and process your experience with infertility in the Uniquely Knitt...
Mar 17, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Infertility impacts pretty much EVERY PART of your identity. It changes the way that you feel like you ARE. It changes how you view your future and impacts who you are becoming! How does infertility impact your identity? What even is our identity anyway? How can we stay connected to who we are while going through this?! These are the questions of today's podcast. If you have ever felt like infertility impacts your identity this episode is for you! Uniquely Knitted is a nonprofit organization ded...
Feb 25, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 109
We definitely need boundaries during infertility... But making boundaries during infertility is not easy. How on earth are you supposed to make boundaries when you are dealing with the stress of trying to get pregnant. It's overwhelming, confusing, and just well... a lot. In this episode we look at boundaries during infertility. We define the goal of boundaries, look at 3 reasons making boundaries might be difficult, and offer a way forward. Boundaries during infertility are so hard, hopefully t...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 108
How do you celebrate a season of rest when you are struggling with infertility? It's complicated... In this episode Jesse and Doug look at the different ways that infertility disrupts our rest. We look at the things that happen in this end of year season that can be triggering, and we look at how resting when you are not in a place where you feel like you want to be is difficult. Uniquely Knitted is a Non-Profit Organization serving all who are emotionally affected by infertility. We are on a mi...
Dec 18, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 107
Infertility feels so unfair, let's talk about it. In this episode Jesse and Doug look at what that feeling of unfair really FEELS like. They explore why infertility feels unfair, and what we can do with our feelings of unfairness. If you have ever felt like infertility is unfair, this episode is for you! Uniquely Knitted is a Non-Profit Organization serving all who are emotionally affected by infertility. We are on a mission to bring healing to the traumas of infertility and end the isolation th...
Nov 26, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Today, Jesse and Doug are thrilled to be joined by the incredible Dr. Janet Jaffe to dive into how infertility can disrupt our reproductive stories. We all weave narratives about our lives—stories about our families, our pasts, and our dreams for the future. At the heart of these narratives lies our reproductive story, filled with hopes and dreams of becoming parents. In this episode, we explore the emotional impact of losing or altering this story. Dr. Jaffe helps us understand the pain that co...
Nov 12, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Infertility and Politics both bring up lot's of feelings, let's talk about it. In this episode Jesse and Doug take a NEUTRAL stance on politics but a hard stance on your (you, the listener) mental health and emotional needs during infertility. We talk about the feelings around infertility and IVF being included in political conversations. We talk about a possible way to approach this election season in light of infertility and our mental health. This is not a political podcast and we know that p...
Oct 29, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Infertility is an extreme challenge to any marriage. Finding a way to make it through is so important. In this 3rd episode of our Marriage Series Jesse and Doug look at how becoming a growing person individually and in our marriages can create hope and a path forward during infertility. However, growing will look different for each couple and include different things depending on the couples needs and unique experiences. In this podcast Jesse and Doug talk about why growing is an emotional and p...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 103
In this second episode of our three part marriage series we are looking at all the ways infertility impacts our relationship when we go out into the world! We will be looking at how infertility impacts family dynamics , friend group dynamics , and what the future will look like as a couple. We are diving into all things, in-laws, brothers, sisters, friends, feeling left behind, and wondering what the future will look like for you as a couple. This episode is all about the ways infertility impact...
Oct 14, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 102
Infertility impacts every part of your Marriage! Literally... every part. Over the next 3 episodes Doug and Jesse will be looking deeply into the topic of marriage. In this first episode we are looking at the ways infertility impacts our personal relationship together! We will look at communication, intimacy, processing differently, fighting, and all the other ways infertility impacts the interpersonal part of marriage. For many, marriage plays a huge role in our life and understanding how infer...
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 101
Infertility is so stressful that it can cause you to burn out. But how do you know if you are approaching burnout? What do you do if you are burnt out? What does it feel like to experience burnout? In this special 100th episode of the Infertility Feelings Podcast Jesse and Doug are jumping into the topic of BURNOUT! THANK YOU to all of our listeners and thank you for making the first 100 episodes so amazing! Cheers to the next 100! ✨ Uniquely Knitted is a Non-Profit Organization serving all who ...
Sep 03, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 100
When you struggle with infertility you are faced with many difficult decisions. Decisions about how long to try for things, when to switch things up, how much money to spend, where to seek support, and the list goes on and on. These Decisions can be overwhelming, anxiety provoking, and cause us to shut down. How are we supposed to emotionally cope with all these decisions! Then, on top of that! How are we supposed to make healthy decisions that we feel good about!! In this episode Jesse and Doug...
Jul 31, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Jesse, Doug and all the Uniquely Knitted Process Group Leaders talk about what infertility makes us feel toward our body. Jesse talks about how getting pregnant was what her body was "supposed" to do. Doug talks about how he felt like he was the butt of a joke. Kelly talks about how she felt like her body had failed her. Krista talks about how her body is sensitive. Natalie talks about learning to be kind to her body. Infertility makes us feel a lot of things towards our body and is deeply conne...
Jul 16, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 98
Stress and Infertility seem to go hand in hand! Does stress cause infertility? Does infertility cause stress? How do we reduce stress during infertility? Should we reduce stress during infertility? If we reduce stress will we get pregnant? What if we reduce our stress and don't get pregnant? All these questions can twist you into a stress pretzel. Ugh. 😵💫 In this episode Jesse and Doug look at how stress makes us feel during infertility. Specifically they look at how we should approach the co...
Jun 04, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 97
Sometimes Infertility can make you feel numb. Whether it's the chaos of trauma or the forever-long process of struggling to conceive, infertility can leave you feeling emotionally numb. When your foot falls asleep it gets a funny fuzzy feeling. When you struggle with infertility that funny fuzzy feeling seems to land on your brain, making it hard to think, feel, and be present. In this episode, Jesse and Doug look into what it feels like to feel numb during infertility. Where does it come from? ...
May 15, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 96
Infertility is life-changing, let’s talk about what that feels like! From physical changes in your body to emotional changes in your sense of purpose, infertility can MESS with YOUR LIFE. For many the first step in figuring all this out is going to a Fertility Doctor! So in this episode, Jesse and Doug are joined by Dr. Lora Shahine Dr. Lora Shahine is a fertility doctor, author, and speaker who shatters stigmas about miscarriages and fertility. She is double board-certified in reproductive endo...
Apr 23, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 95
Infertility can be an incredibly lonely and isolating experience. The pain and anxiety of struggling to get pregnant can isolate even the most connected person. The loneliness can become unbearable, it's so hard to know what to do. You add in the isolating nature of Covid, a culture of independence, and an epidemic of loneliness, it can be overwhelming. In this episode Jesse and Doug are talking all about it! If you have ever felt like infertility is lonely this episode is for you. Uniquely Knit...
Apr 02, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 94
What does the grief of infertility feel like? In this episode Jesse and Doug explore the difficult topic of grief. They look at the unique nature of grieving infertility, and how share how they each approach grief in different ways. They look at how Doug overly avoids grief and Jesse dives to deep into grief. If you have ever grieved infertility, this episode is for you. Uniquely Knitted is a Non-Profit Organization serving all who are emotionally affected by infertility. We are on a mission to ...
Mar 19, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 93
If you ever wondered about the ethical issues within infertility and reproductive technologies then this episode is for you! In this episode Doug and Jesse dive straight into the ethical issues someone might face during infertility. They look at some simple (this is sarcasm) questions like: What are ethical issues? Does someone even face ethical issues when they use reproductive technologies? What are the different thoughts about when life begins? One special note! This episode is not arguing an...
Mar 05, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 92
Infertility is profoundly sad, so what does it feel like when positivity is forced on you? What does it feel like to be force-fed Toxic Positivity? It sucks... If you feel like you have ever had to deal with toxic positivity then this episode is for you! In this episode, we explore the specific emotions we experience when encountering Toxic Positivity and what we can do to cope with it. Uniquely Knitted is a Research-Backed Non-Profit Organization serving all who are emotionally affected by infe...
Feb 13, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 91
How can we get to a place where we feel our lives have worked out when everything during infertility feels like it doesn't work out? Even more... What if things don't work out? Will I be ok? Will I work out? In this special episode, we dive into the story of Aven Kane and her long experience of infertility. We look at how you can find life after years of things "not working out." Uniquely Knitted is a Non-Profit Organization serving all who are emotionally affected by infertility. We are on a mi...
Jan 30, 2024•1 hr 41 min•Season 1Ep. 90
If infertility has ever made you look up into the sky and ask... What does all this mean? This episode is for you. Infertility can deeply impact our sense of meaning in life. This episode explores those feelings. We cover what it feels like to lose your sense of meaning, and how to rebuild the meaning in your life during and after infertility. Uniquely Knitted is a Non-Profit Organization serving all who are emotionally affected by infertility. We are on a mission to bring healing to the traumas...
Jan 16, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 89
In this special episode, Jesse and Doug are answering ALL your questions! What is Jesse's favorite cereal? What is the difference between Adoption and Foster Care? What is the nicest event you can wear yoga pants to? How do you know when it's time to move on from treatment? All those questions in more for the last Episode of 2023! Uniquely Knitted is a Non-Profit Organization serving all who are emotionally affected by infertility. We are on a mission to bring healing to the traumas of infertili...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 88
How do you grieve something that is so hard to explain? How do you grieve the life of someone who did not get to exist? How are you supposed to feel about the grief of infertility when it is such a unique grief? THESE are the questions that all who deal with infertility must face and THEY are the question we are looking at today! Join Jesse and Doug as they attempt to tackle the difficult idea of processing grief over the idea of someone, or the beginning of someone who did not get to fully exis...
Dec 08, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 87
