Trying For A Baby In 2026

If this is the year you’re trying to bring home a baby or at least be on track for 2027, then you’re in a period of life transition. We don’t acknowledge it enough as a life transition, regardless of how the trying game goes. That comes with a new level of patience and an identify shift. Yes, I’m getting right into it.

It’s normal to have a million different feelings and thoughts. I had a mix of excitement and anxiety, feeling ready enough and also sad to say goodbye to my past life and a different level of autonomy.

Will there be pain? Do I have what it takes?

Will I get pregnant easily?

What if I have a miscarriage?

Would I feel too tied down?

Is it normal to have these thoughts or is it just me?

Whatever thought you have, I guarantee that someone else has or will have that exact same thought. We just don’t talk about this openly. I’m here as a rebel, saying it.

Let’s also get into the social side, getting your body baby ready, getting your mind parent-to-be-ready and basically reorganizing your life, slowly and gently. Together.

Getting your body pregnancy-ready

There are a number of ways to get your body and mind ready and this is some of the high-level ways that might need support from a visit with your family doctor.

1. Start your prenatal if you haven’t already. Now.
2. Book a prenatal visit in with your primary care provider and a full hormone panel and STI testing.
3. Start supporting egg + sperm quality now. The egg takes a few months to have any impact and sperm takes about 90 days. Your uterus and whole body health is ready for healthy changes anytime but great for having your fertilized sperm and egg to stick and stay. Now is the time to make those lifestyle changes. It’s not necessarily an easy switch, so I say this with grace because it can take a lot of supports if it’s part of your daily routine.
4. Track your ovulation so you know your body and the fertile window. Ideally, it’s 3 months worth or more to get to know your cycles. Look at your LH patterns, cervical mucus if you’d like to and cycle length trends. Use at-home devices or apps.
5. Book a session with me if you’d like my support.

Getting your finances ready

The costs of having a baby, maternity leave and other unforeseen costs. For more detail, I’m here.

Getting your work pregnancy ready

1. This is a great time to reflect on your career, how it could be impacted by pregnancy and having a baby. These are some big questions and supports are available.
2. Is it time to adjust what your next projects or portfolios because of a potential pregnancy and leave? It’s so dependent on your kinds of work. Also keeping in mind the timeline might be very different than you expect.
3. Who to tell at work is very personal but please consider putting yourself and your family first.

Getting your relationship ready

With a partner – If you have a partner, this is a great time to start family meetings. You’re a family of 2. If you have ever done a marriage course or anything like it, this is the time to revisit your learnings.

Without a partner – If you’re doing this as a single mom by choice, this is a time to lean into your team of people more.

For more, I’m here. (Noticing a pattern of my sharing my link?)

Getting your fertility team ready

It takes a village. This might look like that prenatal visit with your family doctor, health check with your naturopath, starting acupuncture, hiring a fertility coach to deal with all these different aspects of fertility, and/or telling your select people.

It’s a very personal decision about telling anyone that you’re trying. Maybe it’s your mom or a best friend. I always give the heads up, telling others is like squeezing a tube of toothpaste and if you change your mind you can’t put it back in. But, you can change your mind and ask for others to respect your need for privacy, or specific boundary. We just can’t control how they actually act or respond to that. It’s tricky.

Your fertility team might also include strangers. What I mean is the online TTC (Trying to Conceive) community on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, or wherever you need to feel connected and tap into resources from others trying.

Getting your mind pregnancy ready

This is the mindset, social connections, and all the hidden behind-the-scenes prep that you may lean into that feels like you’re setting yourself up for being more fertile. That incudes the mind-body connection.

1. It can look different for different people, wanting a mindset that feels hopeful, present and resourceful.
2. Making space to check in and working with a professional.
3. Might be spiritually, feeling connected and aligned in that way. Maybe start going back to church or synagogue or temple if you haven’t in a while. Starting a baby journey can be a pull back to that, but not for everyone.
4. If you have unprocessed trauma, this is the time to give it focus with the professional like a registered clinical counsellor. No matter what happens next, trust me, it will come in handy to clear up and feel like you have more control over your nervous system. That’s my advice to anyone who wants to become a parent or be on that path in that direction. Perfection is not the goal, it’s a lifelong journey.

For more, I’m here.

Heads up if you run into challenges

Talk to a fertility doctor early not after a year of trying if you’re trying at home unassisted or if you’re working with known donor sperm at home. Waiting 12 months is outdated advice. Get checked even earlier if you:

• have irregular cycles,
• PCOS, painful periods,
• past miscarriage,
• endometriosis
• or other health concerns such as anatomical issues.

Medical infertility is about 1 in 6 people and pregnancy loss is about 1 in 4 pregnancies.

For more, I’m here.

If you previously froze eggs or embryos

You’ve preserved your fertility with your partner or froze eggs on your own and are ready to fertilize. All the above applies, but varies depending on :

• Whether you did PGT-A
• Other health issues and reason freezing if social or health reasons

Either way you are hoping to do a fresh (eggs) or frozen embryo (embryos) transfer with the above planning.

For more, I’m here.

If you are on the donor conception path

If you are using donor sperm, donor eggs, or donor embryos or doing a double donor route, then you are navigating what it’s like to face having a baby without all your genetic lineage. This is a journey within the journey and lots of research and understand alongside your fertility journey.

• Review all the ins and outs of donor conception which can take months.
• Find your LGBQT+ mentors, if applicable.
• Fertility lawyers perhaps.
• Where to find them: sperm, eggs or embryos.
• Who to tell others in your life and when.
• When to tell your future child – this can be helpful to think of early based on the kind of donor you’re looking for and type of contact with them – e.g. open ID, semi open.
• For more, I’m here.

Manage your fertility journey with a certified fertility expert

A medical fertility expert is one thing, but an expert in all the areas and how they impact one another is another. That’s what I do as a certified fertility coach. Book to learn more.

One last time, because I’m such a believer that doing together is better, I’m here. I’m not going to try and upsell you, and I don’t have any financial ties to any pharmaceutical company or fertility clinic. It’s me with my extensive knowledge and coaching with kindness.