Childless After Infertility? You Still Belong

If you've ever felt like everyone else moved forward after IVF while you were left trying to figure out where you fit… this episode is for you.

In Episode 205 of The "So Now What?" Podcast, Lana Manikowski shares a deeply personal recap of The Other's Day® weekend in Chicago, where women from 13 states gathered for connection, friendship, healing, and belonging after infertility and childlessness.

But this episode is about much more than a weekend event.

It's about what happens when you stop seeing yourself as the outsider.

You'll hear honest conversation about the emotional aftermath of infertility, the loneliness many women experience after fertility treatments end without a baby, and why so many women quietly question who they are now once the future they imagined never happened.

Lana shares:
• Why Mother's Day weekend can feel emotionally exhausting when you are childless not by choice.
• The hidden identity shifts that happen after IVF failed.
• How infertility impacts friendships, marriage, confidence, and connection.
• What it was like watching women who once felt disconnected instantly connect during The Other's Day® celebrations.
• Why you already belong, even if motherhood didn't happen.
• The emotional experience of meeting Thrive After Infertility clients in person after years of coaching together online.
• Why healing is not about becoming someone different, but reconnecting to yourself and your life again.
• How women are building meaningful, connected, joy-filled lives after infertility.

This episode is for you if:
• You feel disconnected from friends after infertility.
• Mother's Day still feels hard after IVF failed.
• You wonder where you fit now that fertility treatments are over.
• You are struggling to picture a meaningful future without children.
• You want to feel connected, grounded, and hopeful again.

You are not broken.
You are not behind.
And you do not have to keep navigating this alone.

✨ Mentioned in this episode:

Join the waitlist for The Other's Day® 2027 in Chicago (May 7–8, 2027):
The Other's Day® Waitlist

Participate in the confidential Northwestern University research study for women whose fertility treatment ended without a live birth:
Northwestern Fertility Treatment Research Study

Schedule a free Thrive Call with Lana:
Book a Thrive Call

Download the free guide: The Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless and How to Respond
Get the Free Guide Here

Learn more about Thrive After Infertility

Connect with Lana on Instagram:
Instagram @lana.manikowski

If you've ever felt like friendships got harder after infertility, you're not imagining it.

When IVF failed and your life didn't include children, you didn't just lose the dream of motherhood. You also lost the built-in ways friendships often form.

No school drop-offs.
No sports schedules.
No automatic community.

So now you're left wondering… how do you actually make meaningful friendships as a childless woman?

In this episode, you hear a real, honest conversation about what it looks like to create connection when your life doesn't follow the traditional path.

💛 What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why friendships can feel more complicated when you're childless after infertility

• The hidden ways IVF failed can impact your sense of belonging

• How to form real friendships with other childless women, even online

• The key to building connection as an adult

• What it looks like to turn Instagram connections into real-life friendships

• How to stop waiting for connection and start creating it

🌿 Meet Melissa Miller @autoimmuneresilience on IG

Melissa Miller joins this episode to share her experience of becoming childless not by choice after years of infertility, IVF, and surrogacy.

After leaving fertility treatments without a baby, she found herself asking the same question so many women do:

Where are the others like me?

What she discovered was a community of women who are building full, connected, meaningful lives without children and creating friendships that feel just as deep, if not deeper, than the ones they expected to have.

✨ The Other's Day® — Chicago (May 8–9, 2026)

If you've been craving connection with other women who don't have kids, this is where it happens.

The Other's Day® is a two-day experience created specifically for women who are childless, whether by choice or not, to feel welcomed, connected, and completely themselves.

A restorative evening designed to help you arrive into Other's Day weekend feeling grounded and supported.

You'll experience:

• Beginner-friendly yoga

• Guided meditation

• A sound bath experience

The signature experience where women gather, connect, and leave feeling like they belong.

You'll walk into a room where:

• No one asks if you have kids

• No one assumes your life is easier

• You don't have to explain your story

👉 Get your Chicago tickets here:
https://lanamanikowski.com/othersday/

🌿 Seattle Other's Day® Brunch (Hosted by Melissa Miller)

Seattle gathering is hosted by Melissa Miller, an Other's Day® Ambassador bringing this experience to the Pacific Northwest.

📅 Date: May 9, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Location: The Locöl Kitchen & Bar
7902 35th Ave SW
West Seattle

You'll enjoy a private brunch experience with meaningful connection, great food, and a room full of women who understand life without children.

👉 Reserve your spot in Seattle:
https://lana-manikowski.myflodesk.com/seattlebrunch

🔗 Resources & Links

• Chicago Other's Day® Tickets: https://lanamanikowski.com/othersday/

• Seattle Other's Day® Brunch: https://lana-manikowski.myflodesk.com/seattlebrunch

• Free Guide: Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless
  👉 Get the free guide here: https://lana-manikowski.myflodesk.com/thingspeoplesay

• Book: "So Now What?"
  👉 Learn more or grab your copy: https://www.lanamanikowski.com/book

💬 A Thought to Take With You

Friendships don't have to look the way you thought they would.

You don't need kids to create meaningful, lasting connections.

Sometimes it starts with a message.
Sometimes it starts with showing up.

🎧 Loved This Episode?

Follow the podcast so you don't miss what's next.

And if this episode resonated, share it with another woman navigating life after IVF failed who's ready to feel more connected.

If you went through IVF or fertility treatments and didn't leave with a baby, you already know this part of the story.

The treatments end… and then what?

No follow-up.
No plan.
No one checking in to ask how you're doing after years of trying.

In this episode, you hear the truth that so many women experience but rarely say out loud. When fertility treatment ends without a baby, you are often left to figure out your life on your own.

You'll hear why this gap in care exists, how it impacts women who are childless after infertility, and most importantly, how you now have the opportunity to help change it.

This episode introduces a research study from Northwestern University that is focused on understanding what actually happens after fertility treatment ends without a live birth.

Because your experience matters.
And it's time it was counted.

• What really happens after IVF failed and treatment ends
• Why women who are childless after infertility are often left without support
• The gap in fertility care that no one is tracking or measuring
• How your experience can directly influence future patient care
• Why taking 20 minutes to share your story can create real change

You spent years navigating fertility treatments, appointments, and uncertainty.

When it ended, you were expected to move on without guidance.

This study is your chance to make sure that experience is no longer ignored.

When your voice is included in research, it helps shape how clinics support women in the future so they are not left asking the same question you once did:

So now what?

If this is your experience, take the survey today.

👉 https://redcap.nubic.northwestern.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=LM4TX4MJN3HRR7ER

✨ Download: The Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless (and How to Respond)
Get the free guide here: https://lana-manikowski.myflodesk.com/thingspeoplesay

✨ Book a Thrive Call
https://calendly.com/lanamanikowski/strategy-session

✨ Read Chapter 1 of "So Now What?"
https://lana-manikowski.myflodesk.com/chapter1

Northwestern University researchers are conducting a research study to understand the experiences and
support needs of women whose fertility treatment ended without a live birth.

Study: "A Needs Assessment of Women Who Remain Childless Following Infertility Treatment"
IRB #: STU00225720
Principal Investigator: Susan C. Klock, PhD

You may be eligible if you:
• Are 18+ years old and were biologically female at birth
• Previously underwent fertility treatment without a live birth
• Are currently childless and not planning additional treatment
• Can read and understand English

Participation:
• Confidential online survey (~20 minutes)
• Voluntary
• No compensation

Take the survey:
https://redcap.nubic.northwestern.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=LM4TX4MJN3HRR7ER

Questions? Alexandra Herweck, MD, MPH | alexandra.herweck@nm.org
PI: Susan C. Klock, PhD | 312-695-9939

This is a research study conducted through Northwestern University. This study has been reviewed and
approved by the Northwestern University Institutional Review Board.

When IVF failed and fertility treatments ended without a baby, you did not just lose a dream. You often lost trust in your body.

After years of hormones, medical procedures, weight changes, and emotional whiplash, it can feel almost impossible to want to care for yourself again. Movement can feel loaded. Exercise can feel like punishment. And sometimes the quiet thought underneath it all is:

Why should I take care of you?

In Episode 200, you are getting a grounded, practical conversation about rebuilding your relationship with your body after infertility.

You will hear from Holly Perkins, a women's fitness expert with 30 years of experience helping women build strength through science-backed, sustainable approaches designed for women in their 30s, 40s, and beyond. This is not about chasing a smaller number on the scale. This is about strength, muscle, metabolism, bone health, and feeling better in your body after everything it has been through.

If caring for your body has felt complicated since IVF failed, this episode is for you.

• Why it makes sense that self-care feels hard after fertility treatments end.

• How emotional healing and physical strength support each other.

• Why "just lose weight" is not the right goal after hormone disruption.

• What happens to muscle and metabolism in your 40s and 50s.

• Why muscle is more important than the scale for long-term health.

• How strength training supports bone density and aging well.

• What a realistic starting point looks like when you have felt disconnected from your body.

You are not broken because it feels hard to care for your body right now.

When IVF failed, your body can start to feel like the enemy. This conversation helps you shift from punishment to partnership so you can rebuild trust in a way that feels steady and sustainable.

If you are ready for practical guidance on building strength in a way that fits your life, Holly is offering a free 3-day workshop called Muscle for Life. It starts March 5, 2026!

Inside the workshop, you will learn:

• Why BMI and body weight are outdated metrics.

• How to think about muscle-to-fat ratio instead of just the scale.

• The strength training principles that matter most for women over 30.

• How to support bone density and long-term health.

• Nutrition strategies that support blood sugar, energy, and metabolism.

You can register for FREE here:

👉 https://www.hollyperkins.com/lana

This is the direct link to save your seat.

Holly Perkins, BS, CSCS, CISSN is an established expert and thought leader in women's health. For 30 years, she has guided thousands of women through physical performance, nutrition, and mindset management. She is the author of Lift to Get Lean, and her upcoming book Muscle & Bone will be released in early 2026.

Free guide:
The Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless (and How to Respond)
Get it here: https://lanamanikowski.com/thingspeoplesay

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to The "So Now What?" Podcast so you do not miss what is coming next. You can rebuild trust with your body after infertility when IVF failed. And you can do it without turning your life into another thing to perfect.

I hope you have a beautiful week. I love you, and remember that it's never too late to discover your meaning. I'll talk to you next week!

When you're childless after IVF failed, life can look steady on the outside.

You go to work.
You answer emails.
You show up to events.
You keep functioning.

But inside, something feels different.

You might find yourself thinking,
"I don't know how to enjoy being me anymore."

When fertility treatments end without a baby, people assume the hardest part is over. The injections stop. The appointments end. The constant waiting slows down.

But when you're childless after IVF failed, this is often when the identity questions begin.

Who am I now?
What does my future look like?
How do I build a meaningful life when motherhood didn't happen?

In this episode of The "So Now What?" Podcast, we talk about:

• Why life can feel directionless after IVF failed

• What disenfranchised grief really means when you never had a positive pregnancy test

• Why comparison feels louder when you are childless after infertility

• How grief quietly takes up space in everyday moments

• Why performing strength keeps you disconnected from yourself

• Small, practical ways to rebuild trust and enjoyment

When you're childless after IVF failed, your grief is valid.

Even if there was never a pregnancy.
Even if there was never a baby to hold.
Even if no one around you recognizes it as a loss.

Enjoying being you again does not mean you are leaving the dream of motherhood behind.

It means you are learning how to live alongside what you lost.

You are allowed to feel steadiness.
You are allowed to feel relief.
You are allowed to build something meaningful in this life.

If you're ready to connect with other women who are also childless after infertility, The Other's Day® Brunch was created for you.

Happening May 8–9 in Chicago, this two-day experience is designed specifically for women without children. It's about connection, meaning, and walking into a room where no one asks how many kids you have.

Learn more here:
👉 https://lanamanikowski.com/othersday

If you are tired of awkward comments and unsolicited advice about becoming a mom, download your free copy of:

The Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless (and How to Respond)

Get it here:
👉 https://lana-manikowski.myflodesk.com/thingspeoplesay

When you're childless after IVF failed, your story is not over.

You are still becoming.
You are still building.
And you are still allowed to enjoy being you.