I tried to get pregnant for so long – but when it happened I only felt guilt

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Because I’d been through so many emotions during our struggle to conceive, I was strangely floored when I took a pregnancy test – “just in case,” I told myself – and the result was positive. “I call this ‘relief grief’ – a cocktail of emotional overwhelm sometimes involving guilt, anxiety, confusion and even a sense of disbelief.” Perhaps this is why I struggled to celebrate at all in the early stages of my pregnancy. But it’s important to approach these feelings with self-compassion, seek support when needed, and understand that experiencing ‘relief grief’ is a natural part of the human emotional comparative experience.” This is obviously good advice – and most of us do seem to find our way through moments like these when they hit. “When people say, ‘don’t think about it’, they really do mean it.” My beautiful, unexpected, magical little boy is – without irony or hesitation – the best thing to ever happen to me.