Feeling guilty over not being happier about our friends' non-IVF pregnancy
We have some close friends who started TTC around the same time as us, over 2 years ago. Eventually, we both got pregnant, but both of us had miscarriages this year (theirs was much later in the pregnancy). We started TTC again after I recovered, but after a few months of no luck, we decided to move onto IVF (38F, unexplained infertility). Our friends are the same age as us.
At the same time as our IVF, our friend had a complication that caused their miscarriage and needed surgery for it, but had to wait until some of her underlying medical conditions were stable (conditions that are known to contribute to fertility issues).
Fast forward some months, she was able to finally take care of everything. We did IVF, had a successful FET and are now 9 weeks along. We just found out they are also 9 weeks along. Honestly, I was very surprised because she had just recovered from her surgery a few months ago, so I guess they conceived rather quickly after that. I was thinking that they could have more trouble given all the health issues, but obviously I didn't wish that would happen to them.
I do feel happy for them, but I also felt very triggered. Like, how did they get pregnant so fast, when we struggled so much? My husband and I are overall healthier than they are, don't have any known medical issues like they do, yet no one can tell us why we had trouble TTC other than my age.
Even though we are pregnant, these same pre-pregnancy feelings have resurfaced. We feel like we have this chip on our shoulder that no one will understand unless they've been here too. Just cause you get pregnant doesn't mean you forget the struggles you overcame to get here and certainly doesn't put you on the same page as women who conceive naturally. I'm trying not to adapt the "it's not fair" attitude, but really, unless you've experienced the unique combo of the mental/physical/financial toll that is IVF, it's not the same. Of course I don't regret doing IVF because we would likely still be TTC right now, but we paid $60K to conceive, while most other people do it for free.
Our pregnancy just doesn't feel the same as with other people's. I don't know when or if this feeling will ever go away. I want to feel only joy for them because they deserve it after everything that happened to them, but I can't help but feel a little bitter.