{"id":25106,"date":"2025-09-29T19:58:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T19:58:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/?p=25106"},"modified":"2025-10-02T23:59:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T23:59:32","slug":"how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/","title":{"rendered":"Talking to family and friends about starting a family"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:15px\">Updated by the Progyny Editorial Team \u2014 September 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you\u2019re thinking about starting a family \u2014 or actively trying \u2014 support from loved ones can make a world of difference. Family and friends can provide comfort and help you navigate uncharted territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, these interactions can also feel overwhelming. Feeling supported during this time starts with knowing when to set boundaries and what you need from others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get comfortable establishing boundaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to talking about personal subjects such as trying to conceive or parenthood. What feels easy for one person may be off-limits for another. Getting to know your \u201cgreen\u201d versus \u201cred\u201d topics can help you set boundaries and better understand your emotional needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even with good intentions, it can feel frustrating if your body becomes a frequent topic of conversation. Questions like, \u201cWhen are you going to have kids?\u201d or comments like, \u201cStress won\u2019t be good for the baby,\u201d may seem harmless. Still, they carry the implication that your reproductive health is open for discussion, which can feel overwhelming or even triggering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When facing unsolicited advice or prying questions, having simple responses on hand can help. Try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cI\u2019m not comfortable talking about this right now\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cI\u2019d prefer to keep this information private\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you know someone will be receptive, you might explain why the topic is difficult and reassure them that you\u2019ll share if things change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the same comments keep coming up, you may want to set boundaries ahead of time. A quick text or email can strike the right tone while giving clear direction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m so excited to see you this weekend! Your advice last time meant a lot, but I\u2019d prefer not to discuss ____ right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ask for what you need<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advocating for yourself by communicating your needs is a skill that will serve you now and in the future. Setting expectations about what support looks like for you can prevent discomfort later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, when talking with friends or family, you can clarify whether you\u2019re looking for advice or simply want to vent. You can also share how you\u2019d like to stay in touch\u2014through calls, texts, or emails\u2014and how often. You might say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt really helps when you check in with me. If you called once a week, that would be great.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you find yourself feeling drained by these conversations, give yourself permission to step back. Protecting your emotional well-being is just as important as staying connected. Lean on the people who bring comfort and set boundaries with those who don\u2019t. Remember: you get to decide how much to share and when.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Progyny is here for you. If you have any questions, please contact your Progyny Care Advocate for support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated by the Progyny Editorial Team \u2014 September 2025. When you\u2019re thinking about starting a family \u2014 or actively trying [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":29059,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[275,230,240],"tags":[236,477,434],"class_list":["post-25106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-emotional-support-and-awareness","category-education","category-trying-to-conceive","tag-emotional-support-and-awareness","tag-preconception","tag-trying-to-conceive"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Talking to family and friends about starting a family | Progyny<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When thinking about starting a family, or actively trying to, support from loved ones can make a world of difference.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Talking to family and friends about starting a family | Progyny\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When thinking about starting a family, or actively trying to, support from loved ones can make a world of difference.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Progyny\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Progyny\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-29T19:58:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-02T23:59:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0005_GettyImages-1400584567.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mae Fang\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Progyny\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Progyny\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mae Fang\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mae Fang\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0524236fcb8c1766b65ca3e2df5dce28\"},\"headline\":\"Talking to family and friends about starting a family\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-29T19:58:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-02T23:59:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":474,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/0005_GettyImages-1400584567.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"emotional support and awareness\",\"preconception\",\"Trying to conceive\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Emotional Support + Awareness\",\"Fertility Education\",\"Trying to Conceive\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/\",\"name\":\"Talking to family and friends about starting a family | Progyny\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/0005_GettyImages-1400584567.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-29T19:58:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-02T23:59:32+00:00\",\"description\":\"When thinking about starting a family, or actively trying to, support from loved ones can make a world of difference.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/0005_GettyImages-1400584567.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/0005_GettyImages-1400584567.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"seated professional women\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/education\\\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Talking to family and friends about starting a family\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Progyny\",\"description\":\"Smarter benefits for life&#039;s milestones\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Progyny\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/Progyny-Logo-no-tag-Blue-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/Progyny-Logo-no-tag-Blue-1.png\",\"width\":925,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"Progyny\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/Progyny\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/Progyny\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/progynyinc\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/progyny\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/progyny.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0524236fcb8c1766b65ca3e2df5dce28\",\"name\":\"Mae Fang\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b2b74e416599ee96cd4c99adecb3b5376a0da15696fa59d178fa404ed8ba945c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b2b74e416599ee96cd4c99adecb3b5376a0da15696fa59d178fa404ed8ba945c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b2b74e416599ee96cd4c99adecb3b5376a0da15696fa59d178fa404ed8ba945c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Mae Fang\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Talking to family and friends about starting a family | Progyny","description":"When thinking about starting a family, or actively trying to, support from loved ones can make a world of difference.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Talking to family and friends about starting a family | Progyny","og_description":"When thinking about starting a family, or actively trying to, support from loved ones can make a world of difference.","og_url":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/","og_site_name":"Progyny","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Progyny\/","article_published_time":"2025-09-29T19:58:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-02T23:59:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0005_GettyImages-1400584567.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Mae Fang","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Progyny","twitter_site":"@Progyny","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mae Fang","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/"},"author":{"name":"Mae Fang","@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0524236fcb8c1766b65ca3e2df5dce28"},"headline":"Talking to family and friends about starting a family","datePublished":"2025-09-29T19:58:50+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-02T23:59:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/"},"wordCount":474,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0005_GettyImages-1400584567.jpg","keywords":["emotional support and awareness","preconception","Trying to conceive"],"articleSection":["Emotional Support + Awareness","Fertility Education","Trying to Conceive"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/","url":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/","name":"Talking to family and friends about starting a family | Progyny","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0005_GettyImages-1400584567.jpg","datePublished":"2025-09-29T19:58:50+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-02T23:59:32+00:00","description":"When thinking about starting a family, or actively trying to, support from loved ones can make a world of difference.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0005_GettyImages-1400584567.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0005_GettyImages-1400584567.jpg","width":768,"height":400,"caption":"seated professional women"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/education\/how-to-talk-to-family-and-friends-about-trying-to-conceive\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Talking to family and friends about starting a family"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/","name":"Progyny","description":"Smarter benefits for life&#039;s milestones","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/#organization","name":"Progyny","url":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Progyny-Logo-no-tag-Blue-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Progyny-Logo-no-tag-Blue-1.png","width":925,"height":300,"caption":"Progyny"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Progyny\/","https:\/\/x.com\/Progyny","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/progynyinc\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/progyny"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0524236fcb8c1766b65ca3e2df5dce28","name":"Mae Fang","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b2b74e416599ee96cd4c99adecb3b5376a0da15696fa59d178fa404ed8ba945c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b2b74e416599ee96cd4c99adecb3b5376a0da15696fa59d178fa404ed8ba945c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b2b74e416599ee96cd4c99adecb3b5376a0da15696fa59d178fa404ed8ba945c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Mae Fang"}}]}},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25106\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progyny.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}