In this episode, we speak with Lana Manikowski, an author and certified life coach who navigated a seven-year infertility journey that ended at age 44 after multiple rounds of IUIs and IVFs left her without a baby. Lana candidly discusses her decision to forgo further routes like adoption to avoid additional heartache, reframing the choice to stop treatment not as a failure, but as a courageous act of choosing oneself and one’s partnership. Lana opens up about the isolation, self-judgment, and “tiered grief” she experienced when her body didn’t work as expected, and how she eventually found the strength to move forward with intention.
Lana shares how she transformed her struggle into a mission to help others rediscover their purpose beyond parenthood. The conversation explores practical strategies for reclaiming joy and relevance when the dream of motherhood does not come to fruition and the ways that Lana introduces a roadmap for life beyond infertility through her coaching program, Thrive After Infertility, her own podcast, and book, So Now What?. We also dive into her creation of The Other’s Day Brunch, an annual event in Chicago designed to provide a supportive community for childless women during Mother’s Day weekend, and her advocacy work with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) to improve the continuum of care for patients whose treatments do not result in a baby and tips for people tackling the broader social challenges of being childless.
Lana Manikowski is an author, certified life coach, and infertility advocate dedicated to helping women thrive after infertility. She is the founder of The Other’s Day Brunch and host of The ‘So Now What?’ Podcast, creating spaces where childless women feel seen, understood, and empowered.
After a seven-year journey through fertility treatments that ended without a child, Lana experienced the isolation, self-judgment, and grief of navigating a future she never planned for. When she couldn’t find the support she needed, she built it herself. Now, through her coaching, advocacy efforts, and community outreach, she helps women rediscover their relevance, connection, and purpose beyond motherhood.
With an advanced coaching certification in grief and post-traumatic growth, Lana helps women process the loss of the dream of motherhood and move forward with intention. Her coaching program, Thrive After Infertility, guides women in rebuilding relationships and creating meaningful milestones that bring fulfillment in the decades ahead.
Her book So Now What?, offers a transformative roadmap for embracing life beyond infertility, helping women reclaim joy, meaning, and a sense of belonging without the children longed for. Lana is known for her powerful message: your story isn’t over, it’s just beginning. She lives in downtown Chicago with her husband and their furbaby, Coco.
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