What a Baby Eagle Can Teach Us About Hope on the Fertility Journey

When was the last time a story about wildlife made you ugly cry? I didn't think it would be a baby eagle reunion, but here we are. If you caught the recent ABC News piece about Sunny the bald eagle returning to her Big Bear nest after everyone believed she was gone for good (watch it here), then you know exactly what I mean. I watched it on a random Tuesday, cup of coffee in hand, and suddenly found myself overwhelmed with hope—and more than a little snot.

But this wasn’t just about eagles. For anyone riding the rollercoaster of trying to conceive—especially via at-home methods—Sunny’s story hits deep. Here’s why.

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The Fledgling Flight: When Hope Takes Off (and Sometimes Flies Away)

Scientists said Sunny was gone. At just 90 days old, she’d “fledged the nest”—meaning she took her first brave leap into the world, as all baby eagles must. Normally, they don’t come back. But Sunny did, and not just for a quick hello. She reunited with her sister, Gizmo. Against the odds, against the scientific trends, Sunny came home.

Doesn’t that sound eerily familiar? If you’re in the thick of a fertility journey, you know what it’s like to watch your hopes take flight—sometimes soaring, sometimes disappearing into the unknown. I remember staring down yet another negative pregnancy test and thinking, “That was it. My shot just flew away.”

But what if it hasn’t? What if there’s more to the flight than what we can see from the ground?

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Nesting Instincts: Building Your Own Cozy Place of Hope

Let’s talk about the nest. For the eagles, it’s more than twigs and feathers—it’s a labor of love, a safe haven, a place built together for something precious. Isn’t that what we’re doing each time we try, hope, research, and assemble our own toolkit for conception?

For those of us choosing at-home insemination, that nest might include ovulation trackers, late-night chats with partners, or fertility journals covered in hopeful doodles. For many, it also includes the right kind of support in your own home—tools that make you feel in control and cared for without the sterile, impersonal feeling of a clinic. (If you haven’t checked out the info and real stories on MakeAMom’s site, it’s honestly a game-changer for shifting the mood from stress to empowerment.)

But here’s the kicker: even the best-built nests get rattled by wind, predators, and passing storms. It’s normal to feel shaken.

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Open Loops & Second Chances: The Secret Power of Returning

What makes Sunny’s story so powerful isn’t just that she left, but that she came back. She did what scientists didn’t expect. In the fertility community, we call that resilience.

• Maybe you’ve “left the nest” before, taking a break because the emotional weight felt too heavy.
• Maybe a cycle didn’t work, or your partner needed a pause, or life circumstances forced a detour.

Here’s what few people say out loud: you can always return—to hope, to trying, to building your family in your own way. There’s no expiration date on possibility. Like that eagle, sometimes the best, most surprising reunions happen when you least expect them.

And yes, science is amazing, but real life throws curveballs that stats can’t predict. (Did you know MakeAMom’s at-home kits have a 67% success rate for clients? But it’s the stories—the ones that beat the numbers—that inspire us to keep going.)

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My Nest, My Journey: Finding Community and Comfort in the Unpredictable

When I first started talking about at-home insemination, I felt isolated. It was vulnerable, a little messy, and let’s be honest, not the kind of thing that gets discussed at baby showers. But every time I opened up—even just anonymously online—someone else would swoop in with a “Me too!”

That’s our flock. The ones who’ve been there, or are still there, or who have their own stories of coming back after they thought hope had flown the coop. If you’re reading this and thinking, “But I’m not sure I can keep trying,” you’re not alone. Your feelings are valid, and maybe, just maybe, your Sunny moment is coming sooner than you think.

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So, What Do Eagles and At-Home Conception Have in Common?

• Both require bravery and patience.
• Both mean trusting the process, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
• Both remind us that no journey is a straight line.
• Both prove that reunions, and second chances, are real.

Your next chapter might involve a new kit, a new community, or simply a new perspective. If you need resources, stories, or even just to know you’re not alone, this nest is always open.

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Final thought: What would happen if you believed you—or your hope—could come back, even after a long flight away? Share your “Sunny moments” in the comments. You never know whose nest you’ll help rebuild.