TTC quotes and affirmations: Positive thinking for your fertility journey

When it comes to fertility and trying to conceive (TTC), there’s a lot of focus on preparing your body. But what about preparing your mindset? As you begin your journey to parenthood, the expectations, hopes and challenges can feel overwhelming. Affirmations are a great tool to protect your mind and heart, with the intention of breaking cycles of negative thinking. Ultimately, TTC quotes, affirmations or mantras — whatever you choose to call them — can help maintain a crucial emotion for TTC: hope.

How TTC affirmations can make a difference

As you start family planning, it’s easy to get bogged down with the details and logistics. How should you track your fertility window ? When should you start taking a prenatal vitamin? Will you need to consider fertility treatments like IVF? Piled on top of work, busy schedules and new demands on your body, it’s no wonder TTC can be just as taxing as it can be exciting.

Your mindset while TTC does matter, since mental health is so closely tied to physical health. For example, according to the CDC, depression increases the risk for long-term illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.¹ Chronic stress can lead to headaches, sleep disruption, changes in sex drive, high blood pressure and more. Those conditions can cause a decrease in libido or even anovulation — when your ovaries fail to release an egg during your menstrual cycle — both of which can affect your chances of getting pregnant.

So how do affirmations come into the picture? Affirmations are positive statements that celebrate your value and worth, and have shown effectiveness in improving self-esteem and resilience.² Those positive changes may include reduced production of cortisol, a stress hormone that at higher levels is linked to weight gain, sleep difficulties and an increased risk of heart disease.² Affirmations aren’t a magical fix-all, but are powerful tools to challenge negative thoughts and improve self-perception. Along with your affirmation practice, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about any depression, anxiety or stress so you can work through a treatment plan together.

Tips for building your practice

Affirmations need to work for your lifestyle. You can say them out loud or silently. You can repeat them once before your morning coffee or throughout the day as needed. Building them into your routine realistically is just as important as creating the phrases themselves.

As you start to think about your personal affirmations, here are a few considerations:

• Picture the change. Think of an area of your life or self that could use encouragement and empowerment. Are you making lifestyle changes while TTC, like getting active or eating well? Are you trying to cultivate deeper intimacy with your partner? Understanding your areas of focus will help you build mantras that feel relevant to you.
• Be present. Keep your affirmation in the present tense, like changing “I will have a baby someday” to “I am dedicated to growing my family.” This is a subtle, positive change that helps keep you grounded.
• Make them specific, but believable. “I am going to conceive this week” is a great thought, but might only lead to more frustration. “My heart is open to motherhood” or “Each cycle brings new possibilities” speak to the process without fixating on false promises.
• Be authentic to yourself. Affirmations aren’t one-size-fits-all. Dig deep and create one that works for your taste. You won’t want to repeat (or believe) something that doesn’t ring true.

TTC affirmation examples to try

Need some ideas to get started? Try these, or swap a word or two to make them your own.

Affirmations for conception

• My body knows how to create life.
• I release what I can’t control.
• My heart and body are ready to nurture life.
• I am brave through the uncertainty of this journey.
• I hold hope for parenthood in my heart.

Mantras as you’re in the two-week wait

• I am patient with my body’s timing.
• Uncertainty doesn’t mean impossibility.
• I can handle whatever comes next.
• I choose hope over fear.
• I let go of stress; I welcome peace. 

Quotes for after a disappointing test result

• One cycle doesn't define my fertility journey.
• I am resilient and capable of healing.
• I still hold room for hope.
• I cherish my body for everything it does.
• I am worthy of love and grace.

Positive mantras for IVF or fertility treatments

• Progress isn't always visible, but it's happening.
• I am not alone on this journey.
• I am worthy of becoming a mother/parent.
• I trust the process and rise to the challenges.
• I am grateful for what my body is capable of.

Quotes for adoption or fostering

• My path might be different, but it’s no less wonderful.
• I am capable of embracing the unknown.
• My home and heart are ready to welcome a new member.
• I am flexible and open to whatever comes next.
• I hold space in my heart for someone else’s hurt.

Sticking with your TTC affirmations

Incorporating affirmations into your daily self-care routine can help keep TTC stress under control, though you may still have bad days and waves of bad feelings. Let yourself feel sadness, frustration or anger. Acknowledging and making space for those emotions is healthy. The path to parenthood is rarely linear, so experiment with affirmations and see what works for you. Start with just one phrase or thought that resonates, and see how it might help you hold onto hope.

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