A Korean star confessed to the guilt she felt while preparing for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and how her mindset has changed.
On October 15th, a video titled “Letting go of guilt while preparing for pregnancy” was released on YouTube.
In the video, Seo Dong Joo revealed she had a hard time as she experienced empty follicles two months in a row. She said, “I felt discouraged after getting empty follicles twice consecutively. I made videos alone on Instagram and YouTube Shorts, and many people comforted me, so I felt a bit better.”
She continued, “When I thought about it, I realized there was nothing lacking in my life. Whether I have a child or not, whether I get pregnant or not, I am already someone overflowing with happiness.” She added, “What I realized at that moment was that wanting a child, and if a child comes, it would be an additional happiness in a way.”
In particular, Seo Dong Joo compared her life to a cake. She said, “It’s like the last topping on an already delicious, perfect cake. Even without it, I am a whole cake that’s tasty and valuable enough.” She added, “After realizing that, I felt I shouldn’t cling too much to it, and I shouldn’t focus and obsess over it.”
She also said, “It was painful when empty follicles appeared because I am human. But I keep reminding myself that I am already a happy person with nothing more to wish for,” adding, “I’m trying not to be swallowed by that sadness.”
Seo Dong Joo also revealed how her lifestyle changed while preparing for pregnancy. She said, “I really dislike herbal medicine and, respectfully, I didn’t believe much in its effectiveness. I thought Western medicine would be enough.”
She explained her past thoughts about herbal medicine, saying, “After all, aren’t herbal medicines just boiled plant roots? Thinking that way, I wondered if I could just eat salads at home.”
However, her determination for pregnancy even changed her usual beliefs. Seo Dong Joo confessed, “I was so stubborn, but I even went to Gyeongju to get herbal medicine prepared and ate it daily without missing a day, realizing how desperate I really am.”
She also said, “I usually dislike taking medicine, but now I take it carefully. At cafes, I drink jujube tea or ginger tea instead of coffee.” She said, “I’ve been doing things I didn’t do for seven months now.”
Seo Dong Joo, who is in her third year of preparing for IVF, also confessed to the guilt she feels looking back on the past. She said, “I feel guilty thinking that if I had quit coffee or slept better three years ago, I might have been able to have a baby.“