Anticipatory Grief?

Rant

My husband and I (both in our mid-late 20s) have recently decided to start trying for a baby. Let me add by 'recently' I mean a few months ago. I understand that it can take some time to become pregnant and we just started, but with every negative test we get I feel an immense feeling of grief. My husband also gets upset, but it seems like he easily gets over it in a matter of a hour. As for me it will ruin my mood for a day or two. I feel this almost sense of guilt and disappointment in myself. Has anyone else experienced this or something similar? Everyone, including my husband, keeps saying 'it will happen when the time is right' and I know that's true, but it doesn't help the way I feel. It doesn't help that my husband's family (grandparents, parents, aunts/uncles and cousins) are younger parents. They all started having kids at 16 years old-20 years old (not on purpose). With the holidays coming up seeing all of his cousins, who are my age if not younger, with their little happy families feels like a punch in the gut. Obviously I love seeing them all and am beyond happy for them, but it is upsetting to know they didn't have to put in such an effort to make their little ones.

Posted Dec 1, 2025, 4:18 AM UTC

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