★ You’ve tried every method, yet your body gives no response.
★ This book directly addresses the anxiety, jealousy, self-doubt, and despair that accompany failed attempts to conceive, confronting the deepest insecurities about self-worth that many women experience during their fertility journey. It guides readers to face the challenges of infertility head-on and rebuild their inner confidence.
★ Written by Yulia Navatskaya, a reproductive trauma psychologist from Belarus, the book draws on the author’s own nine-year struggle with infertility, recurrent miscarriages, and extensive medical treatment—combining professional expertise with deeply personal experience of pain and resilience.
★ The book dispels long-standing myths about infertility and IVF, systematically explains standard medical procedures such as ovarian stimulation, intrauterine insemination, and in vitro fertilization, and offers practical strategies for mending intimate relationships with partners, managing societal pressure to have children, and setting healthy emotional boundaries.
★ Grounded in Gestalt therapy and the EMDR trauma-healing framework, it provides a comprehensive self-help program tailored for women grappling with infertility, experiencing IVF setbacks, or coping with the loss of a pregnancy—and caught in cycles of emotional exhaustion.
★ Those who have been there understand.

Experiencing difficulty conceiving can evoke a host of complex emotions: anxiety, fear, jealousy, and loneliness. This book offers you genuine understanding, as its author, Yulia Navatskaya, is not only a reproductive psychologist but also a woman who has endured nine years of infertility, undergone treatment, and experienced miscarriage—she is now a mother. With deep respect for all your feelings, Yulia will guide you through the challenges of fertility with sensitivity, offering no pressure and no false promises. Here, you will find not only support but also a clear self-help system grounded in evidence-based psychology and modern medicine.

This book will help you: regain the belief that “I will get pregnant”; debunk myths about infertility and assisted reproductive technologies; learn to care for your mental health; improve your relationships with your partner and family members (even if they don’t fully understand you); master the art of setting boundaries and handling those who keep asking, “When are you having a baby?”; and gain clarity about your path forward.

[Author] Yulia Navatskaya
Yulia Navatskaya is a reproductive and crisis psychologist, certified Gestalt therapist, EMDR therapist, and trainer. She graduated from the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts in 2013 and 2017 with a degree in social work, and her graduation thesis focused on preventing eating disorders among girls. She worked in journalism for over a decade, at radio stations and in the media, where she learned how to tell stories and listen to people’s experiences.
After experiencing the perinatal loss of her daughter and undergoing years of personal therapy, she chose to become a reproductive psychologist and completed two professional retraining programs: Clinical Psychology (2024) and Perinatal Psychology (2021). In 2021, she became a certified Gestalt therapist and began actively supporting women facing infertility, IVF failures, the challenges of motherhood, and the loss of a child. She has completed numerous specialized courses in reproductive and crisis psychology under the guidance of Anna Matulyak and Yulia Sushkova, participated in educational programs run by the Light in Hands Foundation, and engaged in international projects involving Gestalt therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and the EMDR method. In addition to her therapeutic practice, Yulia shares her expertise with colleagues and is preparing to become a supervisor. She is the author of the book “Empty Heart,” which explores the topic of perinatal grief.

I. Self-Awareness: The Breaking Point of Despair
“I once held high hopes, but my dreams have completely shattered.”
“I do everything perfectly, yet nothing seems to move forward.”
“Everyone else can get pregnant easily—why not me?”
“What exactly is wrong with me?”
“Maybe motherhood just isn’t meant for me?”
“It feels like I’m the only one clinging to this obsession.”
“What if he leaves me because I can’t have children?”
“I’ve already lost a child—how can I find the courage to keep trying?”
“What if I never get my wish in this lifetime?”

II. External Pressure and Misconceptions About Infertility
Hurtful Gossip
How to Set Emotional Boundaries
Common Myths About Infertility
Myth 1: Infertility is always the woman’s fault
Myth 2: Women who have given birth before cannot become infertile
Myth 3: The more often you have intercourse, the higher your chances of conception
Myth 4: Certain positions during or after intercourse increase the likelihood of pregnancy
Myth 5: Infertility is caused by previous miscarriages or uterine curettage
Myth 6: Incompatibility in blood types between partners causes infertility
Myth 7: Oral contraceptives, antidepressants, and antibiotics lead to infertility
Myth 8: Psychosomatic therapies can cure infertility
What should you believe? Where can you find reliable information?

III. Inner Conflict
Why do I want to be a mother?
A Sense of Control vs. Helplessness
Reconciling with the Identity of Motherhood
Self-Worth and Self-Identity
The Meaning of Life

IV. What Can I Do?
Ovarian Stimulation Hormone Therapy
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): Principles and the Complete Process
Rumors Surrounding IVF: Severe Pain, Birth Defects, Permanent Damage to Women’s Health
Rumor: “Children born through IVF are mostly frail and sickly”
Rumor: “IVF guarantees 100% pregnancy success”
Rumor: “If IVF fails once, there’s no hope left”
Rumor: “The IVF process is extremely painful”
Rumor: “IVF almost always results in twins or triplets”
Rumor: “IVF severely harms women’s bodies”
Rumor: “IVF goes against nature”

Other Alternative Paths
Donor Egg/Sperm Assisted Reproduction
Surrogacy (Note: Surrogacy is strictly prohibited in China)
Adoption
Action Plan

V. Infertility and Intimate Relationships
“Close in Body, Distant in Heart”: How to Cope When Facing Infertility Alone
“Sex Becomes a Routine Chore”: How to Rebuild Intimacy Between Partners
“Together We Will Get Through This”: Small Daily Acts of Emotional Support

VI. Sources of Support
Psychological Counselors
Attending Physicians
Support Communities
Podcast Programs
TV Shows and Films
Related Books

An Ongoing Life Story