Trying to conceive can take up far more mental and emotional space than most people expect.

The waiting. The symptom checking. The constant decisions. The hope that this month might be different. The disappointment when it isn’t. The comparisons, age pressure, relationship strain, and feeling like your brain never truly switches off.

In this episode of Beyond AMH, Dr. Marc Sklar is joined by psychologist, mindfulness teacher, and author Elisha Goldstein for a conversation about the hidden mental load of fertility struggles and what may help when TTC begins to feel emotionally consuming.

Rather than telling people to “just relax” or stay positive, Marc and Elisha explore why uncertainty can send the mind into repetitive emotional loops, how stress can show up physically in the body, and how becoming more aware of those patterns may create space for a different response.

Elisha also shares the four-step framework from his book Tiny Shifts: Recognize, Release, Refocus, and Reinforce.

Together, they explore how these small psychological shifts can be applied to fertility stress, disappointment, comparison, communication, relationship strain, and the everyday moments when the journey starts to feel overwhelming.

This Episode...

• Why fertility uncertainty can feel so consuming
• How stress can show up mentally and physically
• Fear, comparison, and repetitive thought loops
• The Tiny Shifts 4R framework
• Creating space between what you feel and how you respond
• Why partners may cope very differently
• Fertility stress, intimacy, and disconnection

Connect With Elisha Goldstein

• Website: https://www.elishagoldstein.com
• Instagram: @drelishagoldstein
• TikTok: @drelishagoldstein
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drelishagoldstein

Free 3-Day Tiny Shifts Experience

Try Elisha’s free 3-day introduction to the Tiny Shifts method: https://3days.elishagoldstein.com

Tiny Shifts book is available wherever books are sold.

Work With Dr. Marc Sklar

Book a Free Fertility Assessment: https://bit.ly/hopebeyondamhpodcast

Sponsorship

This episode is sponsored by the HOPE Fertility Program, Dr. Marc Sklar’s personalized fertility coaching program designed to help you look beyond the numbers and uncover what may be affecting your fertility.

Apply to join the HOPE Fertility Program: https://bit.ly/hopebeyondamhpodcast

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always speak with an appropriately qualified healthcare or mental health professional about your individual circumstances.