Australian model and television presenter Erin Holland has candidly shared the challenges and emotional toll of her ongoing IVF journey, describing the process as “incredibly difficult and taxing.”
The 35-year-old, who has been trying to conceive for several years with her husband, cricketer Ben Cutting, revealed that fertility struggles have dominated her thoughts. “It’s been a really challenging couple of months,” she told Confidential. “This journey to motherhood has been so much harder than I ever imagined.”
To cope, Holland said she immerses herself in work as a form of escapism from the relentless emotional burden of fertility treatments. “When you’re struggling, your fertility becomes the only thing you think about,” she explained. “So any distraction, for me, that’s work.”
Physical and Emotional Toll of IVF
Holland has openly discussed the physical impact of her fertility treatments, recently sharing a photo of her bruised stomach from multiple IVF injections. The grueling regimen has affected her both mentally and physically, leading to hormonal imbalances, mood swings, and breakouts linked to her polycystic ovary (PCO) diagnosis.
“Some days, I don’t feel like myself at all—it’s just the hormones and the stress taking over,” she admitted.
In a raw Instagram post, she detailed her struggles:
“HORMONES SUCK. Especially these IVF-induced ones. Between the twice-daily injections, the fertility supplements, and the constant hormonal shifts, I feel like a mess.”
She added, “As I start my third round of egg collection, I just want to send support to the underground army of women going through the same thing. Be kind to yourself.”
Heartbreak and Inadequacy
Holland also expressed her deep sorrow for her husband, who longs to become a father. “If this wasn’t something I wanted, I wouldn’t be so upset. But seeing Ben so ready and eager to be a dad makes me feel a real sense of inadequacy.”
She described her grief over failed pregnancy attempts, admitting that despite never being particularly maternal before, her struggles with infertility have deeply affected her.
“I was shocked by how much it hurt. I felt a real sense of loss, mourning the idea that pregnancy should be a natural process,” she told Stellar Magazine.
Holland continues to navigate the emotional highs and lows of IVF, offering honest insight into the unseen struggles many face on the road to parenthood. “When people ask how I’m doing, sometimes I just can’t say ‘I’m fine’—because I’m not.”
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