Navigating Fertility Treatments During the Holidays: Finding Support in Vermont

Holidays can be Painful for People Trying to Conceive

The holiday season is supposed to be full of family, connection, and joy. We share our thankfulness for promotions, new friends, and first steps. We share stories under twinkle lights. We toast to all the joy the next year will bring.

However, if this season brings you more pain than celebration, you are far from alone. For many people trying to get and stay pregnant, the holidays can be truly painful. All of the pregnancy announcements, questions about when you’re going to have a kid, heteronormative assumptions about your family planning, and unwelcome opinions about things like donor conception or IVF take a toll. 

On top of that, you might be taking hormones that make you bloated and irritable. You might have to skip a cycle to travel or have to attend appointments you can’t reschedule. You might feel like you should turn down that bubbly drink “just in case” but not really know what to do. A transfer. A two-week wait. A pregnancy test. Maybe a loss. Another try… the waiting, costs, and emotions can feel endless. So many people go through this pain, and so many feel alone in it. 

What a Fertility Doula Does

If you relate to this feeling, a fertility doula can help. Most people think of birth support when they hear the term doula, but doulas actually assist many different types of people going through a range of life experiences. A fertility doula provides non-medical emotional and informational care for those who are considering or actively exploring pregnancy. 

How Bello Beginnings Supports Families in Vermont

At my practice Bello Beginnings, I provide fertility doula care in and around Burlington, Vermont. I primarily work with people using assisted means to try to achieve and sustain pregnancy, whether for medical reasons, because they are hoping to become a single parent by choice, or because they are queer and need donor support to conceive. I help people who don’t know where to begin as well as those who are years into their journeys. Through emotional and practical assistance before, during, and after treatments I help clients prepare questions, advocate for their needs, and process outcomes. I also support during waiting periods, early stages of pregnancy, and pregnancy loss.

Helpful Resources for Fertility Support

As the holidays approach, I am thinking of everyone in the thick of it. There are some great free resources available to help:

• RESOLVE, the national infertility association, has virtual support groups that are targeted to specific topics, like donor conception, IVF, LGBTQI+, and single parent by choice
• Empty Arms Vermont is an incredible local resource for those who’ve experienced pregnancy and infant loss
• Vermont Birth Network can help you identify local perinatal-focused mental health providers

You Don’t Have to Go Through This Alone

If the holiday season feels heavy as you navigate fertility treatments, know that you don’t have to do it alone. Bello Beginnings offers compassionate, queer-inclusive fertility doula support for individuals and families across Vermont. I invite you to schedule a free 30-minute intro call to explore how personalized support can ease this season’s load.

If someone you love is facing these challenges, consider gifting them fertility doula support this season. It can be a powerful way to offer comfort, care, and practical help. Reach out directly to meghan@bellobeginnings.com to learn how gifting works and how you can make a difference for someone you love.

I serve clients in-person within an hour of Burlington, Vermont, and virtually throughout the state.