Free Virtual Infertility Support Group
At 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, I was awake and searching.
I wasn't looking for medical answers. I was looking for a person. A woman who looked like me and was living what I was living. Donor eggs had come up as an option, and I wanted to hear from someone who had been there.
I stayed up for hours doing this. More than once.
Months passed before I found one woman talking about it on YouTube. One.
That is a long time to go without hearing your own life said out loud by someone else. I have not forgotten how I felt back then when I was looking for answers and support. That's why I started the group.
Why I'm Starting an Infertility Support Group
Infertility is lonely in a way that's hard to explain to people who haven't lived it. The people around you mean well, but often they don't know what to say or do. And when they do speak, they sometimes say things that hurt, and they don't always know or understand why their comments are more painful than helpful.
This was the case for me, but I did eventually find community in Facebook groups, but those groups are not always the most helpful. When you are in the thick of it, it can be hard to read about women in their getting pregnant on their first IVF attempt. It can be devastating reading about women on their sixth and eighth cycles. Each story made me measure myself against others, and it didn't bring me any closer to peace.
A room with a host and ground rules is different. It's smaller, it's more intimate, and it's more personal. That is what I needed and couldn't find and that is what I wanted to build. The Waiting Season is a virtual support group for women living with infertility. It is peer-led, which means I'm not there as your nurse or your doula. I'm there as a woman who has walked this road, holding space for you.
You shouldn't have to search for hours at 2:00 in the morning to find a room like this, friend. And I made sure you don't have too.
Who this group is for
This group is for you if you are:
Trying to conceive, and it isn't happening
Newly diagnosed and trying to understand what comes next
In the middle of treatment, like IUI, IVF, medication, or testing
Grieving a pregnancy loss
Trying to grow a family you've already started, and feeling like nobody understands why that hurts
Between treatments, taking a break, or deciding what's next
Tired of pretending you're fine
You do not need a diagnosis to come. You do not need to be in treatment. You just need to be a woman who on a fertility journey who doesn't want to walk this road alone.
What a meeting looks like
The group meets for 90 minutes on Zoom. I open with a short welcome and a reminder of the ground rules. Then each woman checks in and shares as much or as little as she wants. Some sessions, the group sits with one topic together, like handling the holidays, talking to family, or getting through a two-week wait. Most of the time is open sharing and support. You can keep your camera off. You can pass when it's your turn. You can log on and just listen. All of that is welcome in the group.
Here are the ground rules:
What's said in the group stays in the group. No names, no stories, and no screenshots leave the room.
No advice unless it's asked for. Share what worked for you. Don't tell anyone what to do.
Every path counts. IVF, IUI, natural conception, donor, adoption, surrogacy, still deciding. No path is ranked above another.
All kinds of waiting are real. Everyone is in some type of waiting season. Nobody has to earn a seat in this group.
Come as you are. You don't have to be positive. You don't have to be strong. You don't have to have it together.
What this group is not
This group is not therapy or counseling. It isn't medical advice, and I won't recommend clinics, doctors, or treatments. If you're struggling with your mental health, please reach out to a licensed professional. RESOLVE keeps a directory of therapists who specialize in infertility, and I'm glad to help you find support.
How to join
Here are the details:
First meeting: Saturday, November 14, 2026
When: The second Saturday of every month
Time: 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. Central (10:00 Eastern, 8:00 Mountain, 7:00 Pacific)
Where: Online by Zoom. You'll get the link after you sign up through RESOLVE.
Who: Women only, 18 and older, anywhere in the U.S.
Cost: Free. Sign-up is required.
The group is hosted through RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. You can find it in RESOLVE's support group directory. Search for "The Waiting Season," then click Support Group Sign-Up. You'll get a confirmation email with the Zoom link and what to expect. This link takes you straight to it.
Then show up, friend. You don't have to prepare anything.
The listing isn't up yet. If you don't see it when you look, or if you have a question, email [email protected]. No question is too small. I hope to see you there.
Quisha Umemba is a Registered Nurse, Yoga Instructor, and Fertility Doula who has experienced the physical and emotional toll of infertility and now walks with others on their journey. Find out more by visiting Fertile Ground Fertility Doula Services at https://www.fertilegroundus.com/
DISCLAIMER: The blog is not medical advice, and it does not replace care from your doctor or another licensed provider. Please talk with your own care team about your health and your treatment.
