Dear people who are struggling with or have struggled with conceiving:
Have you ever made an innocent decision to stay home and watch a good movie, and then suddenly an unwanted fertility trigger pops up in the plotline and ruins it all?
After personally experiencing my share of infertility and secondary infertility for over 12 years, infertility PTSD is real. And there are triggers, many of which seem to invade movie plotlines all too often. Cute babies, successfully conceiving at the blink of a scene, even miscarriage or infertility itself... One minute, you’re watching a cheerful wholesome family animated movie about elves (which you picked because an animated movie about elves is a definite safe zone), and the next minute the plot reveals a character's backstory of infertility (thanks, Klaus)! You go from a leisurely viewer to a sobbing mess in a few seconds flat. And when I say you, I mean me. That actually happened. Did I mention it’s an ANIMATED movie?? It was unnecessarily emotional.

Mainly, it was unexpected. Had I known that was part of the movie, I would’ve chosen not to see it, or at least had the head’s-up. I thought there must be other people out there who can relate to these experiences, so here’s my attempt at curating a starter list of trigger-free, infertility-friendly comedies. These movies can also be handy for anyone trying to have some laughs while going through fertility treatments like IVF, or are in the two week wait.

I love watching movies, especially good comedies. Comedies also happen to be good for you! Go ahead and skip this next part to go straight to the list, or continue reading for a short summary of the many health benefits of laughter.

It’s been scientifically proven that laughter releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones, which reduce the stress hormone cortisol. Laughing improves circulation, and immediately increases the blood flow to the heart, similarly to what happens when you're doing aerobic exercise. Just in case that wasn’t enough goodness for you, laughter also decreases anxiety, helps with memory and concentration, eases depression, and lowers blood pressure. In short, laughter is good for you.

Infertility-Friendly Comedy Movies: PART 1

(Please note that these movies are based on my personal opinion only, listed in alphabetical order. Some are funnier than others, but I’ve watched these movies, laughed, and found them free of infertility triggers. Personal tastes will vary, and your opinions and suggestions are welcomed. Part 2 will be posted soon)

Bridesmaids

Bring It On

Elf

Grownups

Hitch

Identity Thief

Jack and Jill

Legally Blonde

Let’s Be Cops

Life of the Party

Love Stinks

Mean Girls

Office Christmas Party

Pitch Perfect 1,2,3

Princess Diaries

Sisters

Spy

The Boss

The Heat

The Hustle

The Internship

True Memoirs of an International Assassin

We’re The Millers

Why Him

Yesterday

Zookeeper

Zoolander

I hope these make you laugh, too. Have you enjoyed any of these movies? Let me know what you think :)

*I neither work for nor am affiliated with any of these movies or their production/distribution companies. This is solely a personal recommendation following regular consumer use.