IVF Failed You - The "So Now What?" Podcast cover art

IVF Failed You - The "So Now What?" Podcast

IVF Failed You - The "So Now What?" Podcast

By: Lana Manikowski
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About this listen

 I am an infertility survivor—the kind you never hope to become: childless. After enduring multiple rounds of IUI and IVF at some of the leading fertility centers, I was advised to discontinue treatment. When my fertility journey ended, I was offered no resources to help me navigate the reality of an unexpected childless life. I was left asking: So now what? In the years that followed, I tried to convince myself I’d be OK, but I wasn’t. I felt shattered, alone, and failed—not just by the process but by my own body. I longed for someone who truly understood the pain I felt, a guide to help me navigate a life without children. But I couldn’t find it. So, I decided to create it. Today, I am still childless, but I’ve redefined what that means. I’ve learned that a meaningful and purposeful life is possible, even without motherhood. I’ve learned to love myself and embrace the body I once felt had let me down. Through my certification in life coaching and my own transformation, I’ve discovered tools and insights that helped me thrive—and I’m here to share them with you on The "So Now What?" Podcast. If you’ve been on this journey, join me as we build what we were never offered: a sisterhood for the bravest women I know. Together, we’ll rewrite the narrative, shedding labels like failed, unexplained, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, not-viable, or advanced maternal age. Follow me on Instagram: @lana.manikowski for resources, inspiration, and opportunities to live a fulfilling life without the children you dreamed of. Personal Development Personal Success Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Infertile, Childless, and Taking Back Control

    Infertile, Childless, and Taking Back Control
    Jun 24 2025
    If you’re childless after infertility or IVF and wondering how to move forward in a life that looks nothing like what you imagined, this episode of The “So Now What?” Podcast is for you. You did everything you could to become a mother. You prayed, tried, hoped, and gave it your all. And now you're living in the aftermath of a dream that didn’t come true, with no guide for how to feel whole again. Maybe the world has led you to believe that without children, your life is supposed to be quiet, sad, or incomplete. Perhaps you’ve been carrying that weight so long, it feels like part of your identity. But what if it isn’t? In this episode, I’m offering you one of the most radical truths I’ve ever learned on the other side of IVF and infertility: 👉 You get to choose how you feel. I share how I went from living reactively and constantly triggered by baby showers, pregnancy announcements, and other people’s comments, to learning how to stop bracing for emotional pain and start creating emotional freedom. Inside, you’ll hear: Why you’re not wrong or broken for grieving the version of you that never became a mom How the grief of infertility includes not just a baby, but an identity, milestones, and meaning you expected to have How you’ve inherited outdated beliefs about women without children, and how to stop wearing them like a stained old t-shirt What post-traumatic growth looks like when you’re ready to create purpose, peace, and joy without the children you dreamed of The power of choosing your thoughts, your emotions, and your next chapter You don’t have to stay stuck in sadness or silence just because motherhood didn’t happen for you. And you don’t have to accept a narrative that was never written with your truth in mind. There’s a different path available...and I’ll help you find it. ✨ Resources to support your next steps: 📘 Get your copy of my #1 bestselling book, So Now What? Rediscover purpose and meaning after infertility. 👉 Buy it now 🧭 Book your free 45-minute Thrive Call Let’s create a personalized plan for what fulfillment can look like for you now, even though life turned out differently. 👉 Schedule your Thrive Call 💬 Download your free guide: The Top 27 Things People Say When You’re Childless (and How to Respond) Get real scripts to help you navigate intrusive questions and comments — without having to explain yourself. 👉 Download it here 📲 Let’s stay connected: Instagram: @lana.manikowski TikTok: @lana.manikowski YouTube: Watch here Website: lanamanikowski.com You’re not less than. You’re not invisible. You’re just living a life no one taught you how to navigate. But you don’t have to do it alone. 💛 If this episode speaks to you, share it with a friend or leave a review so more women who are childless not by choice can find the hope, healing, and community they deserve.
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    15 mins
  • Childless After Infertility: You’re Not Meant to Just Survive This

    Childless After Infertility: You’re Not Meant to Just Survive This
    Jun 18 2025

    If you’ve ever wondered if this is just how life feels when you don’t become a mom, this episode is for you.

    • Maybe your fertility journey ended with heartbreak instead of a baby.
    • Maybe you’ve been told (by the world, by your inner voice) that life will always feel incomplete, lonely, or second-best now.
    • Maybe you scroll past pregnancy announcements and family vacation photos, not because you’re bitter, but because they hurt.
    • And maybe you’ve started to believe the quiet story that society tells women like us: That life without children will always feel like you’re just holding on.

    But what if that story isn’t true?

    In episode 172 of The “So Now What?” Podcast, Lana shares:

    • The truth about the emotional aftermath of IVF and infertility that no one talks about.

    • Her own story of navigating the grief of a chromosomally abnormal embryo (Trisomy 16) and what came after fertility treatments ended.

    • Why the world’s attempts to “fix” you with adoption, donor eggs, or surrogacy often leave you feeling more invisible.

    • How guilt, shame, and comparison can keep you frozen in time, and what it takes to finally move forward.

    You'll hear how women inside her 12-week coaching program, go from surviving each day to actually loving their lives again. One client shares how she stopped obsessing over what people with kids were doing and started finding confidence, peace, and simple joys in her everyday life.

    This episode invites you to imagine a summer, and a life, where:

    • You wake up excited for your day, not dreading another reminder of what’s missing

    • You reconnect with your body and stop treating it like it failed you

    • You feel connected to your partner again, building a future that feels like yours

    • You finally stop pretending to be okay, and actually are

    If you’re ready to stop surviving and start living a life that feels meaningful and fulfilling—even without the children you always dreamed of—this episode will show you what’s possible.

    💬 Ready to Take the Next Step?

    Don’t let another summer pass you by in a fog of comparison and sadness.

    ✨ Book your free 45-minute Thrive Call with Lana to create a plan for what comes next:
    👉 Click here to schedule your call

    This is your first step toward creating a life that fits again...one that you love, even though it turned out differently than you expected.

    📲 Stay Connected with Lana

    • 💻 Website & Coaching Info: lanamanikowski.com

    • 📕 Buy the book "So Now What?" HERE!

    • 📥 Free Download: The Top 27 Things People Say When You’re Childless (...and How to Respond) → Download Here

    • 📸 Instagram: @lana.manikowski

    • 🎥 YouTube: Lana Manikowski

    • 🎵 TikTok: @lana.manikowski
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Father’s Day When He’s Childless Too

    Father’s Day When He’s Childless Too
    Jun 10 2025

    If you're a woman who went through fertility treatments like IVF or IUI and now find yourself childless after infertility, this episode will speak directly to your heart.

    This week, we talk about a quiet kind of grief.
    The grief carried by the man who never got to become a dad.

    Whether it's your husband, partner, brother, or someone else close to you, Father’s Day can feel invisible for the men who once dreamed of fatherhood but never got to live it. And if you’ve been focused on your own pain after infertility, you might not have realized how much he’s grieving too.

    In this episode, you’ll hear:

    • How infertility affects your partner even if he never talks about it

    • Why the guilt you’ve been carrying is not yours to hold anymore

    • Ways to show up for your partner on Father’s Day without it being complicated or performative

    • A reminder that your relationship is still meaningful, even without children

    💬 “I thought I was the only one grieving, but I wasn’t. He was just quieter about it.”

    📖 Want more support around Father’s Day?
    Chapter 25 of my bestselling book, So Now What?, is dedicated to helping you understand and support your partner when he didn’t get to become a biological dad.

    If you’re wondering how to bring up this conversation, how to honor him, and how to let go of the guilt you’ve been carrying, this chapter is for you.

    📚 You can read Chapter 1 and the foreword by Jody Day for free:
    lanamanikowski.com/book

    🎁 Free Resource
    Download: The Top 27 Things People Say When You’re Childless (...and How to Respond)
    Your script for those awkward or painful conversations.
    lanamanikowski.com/thingspeoplesay

    💬 Want help creating a life you love, even if you never became a mom?

    Book your free 45-minute Thrive Call with me.
    We’ll create a personal plan to help you move forward with confidence, connection, and purpose.

    Book your Thrive Call

    📲 This week on Instagram, I’m sharing a series called “A Letter to My Childless Husband.”
    Follow along at @lana.manikowski

    If you’re childless not by choice, grieving after infertility, and want to feel more connected to your life and your partner, this episode will help you start.

    Your story isn’t over.
    It’s just beginning.

    #InfertilitySupport #ChildlessAfterInfertility #IVFDidntWork #FatherlessFathersDay #LifeAfterInfertility #SoNowWhat #LanaManikowski #IUIJourney #LifeWithoutChildren #FertilityTreatments
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
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