25 Things Only Baby Hungry Women Understand

Are you longing for a child? Miscarriages, infertility, and situational infertility (not being partnered with someone who wants to co-parent with you) create heartache in millions of men and women every day. The sight of babies, pregnant women, and everything related to them can make you angry, anxious, or depressed. If you’re on fertility meds, you might be more emotional than ever, so hearing about a friend’s pregnancy might make you tear up. Holding a friend’s baby can be sweet sometimes, but other times it makes you ache so bad you can’t hold back the tears. Wrinkles and birthdays are scary, not necessarily because you’re vain, but because they remind you that you’re getting older and less fertile.

Here are 15 things “baby hungry” women avoid at all costs.

15 Things Baby Hungry Women Love to Hate

1. Baby showers
2. Holidays
3. Pregnant women
4. Dizzy-in-love couples
5. Baby clothes
6. Maternity stores
7. Wedding announcements
8. Matching mother-daughter clothes
9. Kid sized furniture
10. Little shoes
11. Big family events
12. New moms pushing babies in strollers
13. Living 2 weeks to 2 weeks
14. Social media (too many friends with babies)
15. Friends who complain about their pregnancies

10 Things Baby Hungry Women Do to Cope with Childlessness

Being childless when you wish you were a parent creates a lot of aching and sadness. Anxiety and depression are the most common side effects of infertility (including situational infertility, when you don’t have a partner who wants to have kids with you). And getting through the holidays is like hell! Here are 10 things you can do to minimize stress, anxiety, and depression at this stage in your life.

1. Parks are full of happy children. You don’t have one. So you get a dog instead.
2. Travel. But everywhere you travel, you notice the children.
3. Make friends with singles. (Because all your coupled friends are having kids.)
4. Skip family parties, baby showers, and other events when it’ll be too hard to attend.
5. Plan vacations during the holidays.
6. Yoga. (Everything’s better when you’re calm.)
7. Pick out future baby names. (But you’ll never tell your boyfriend.)
8. Judge other parents. (“I’ll never do that!”)
9. Visit a fertility specialist. (Because waiting it out doesn’t help anyone!)
10. Plan small parties and events. (Just don’t ask me to schedule a cruise 12 months in advance, because I hope I’ll be pregnant!)

Being baby hungry can make everyday situations (like a walk through the park, or a get together with friends and family) painful enough to spark weeks of depression and anxiety. Use this list to stay away from situations where you’ll feel most vulnerable, and find positive ways to cope with the emotional ups and downs.