One Man's Experience with IVF: Masculinity and Healing

Find your brotherhood in Authentic AF. Visit https://www.skool.com/authenticaf/about Cuzzin Justin on IVF: Men, Grief, and the Intentional Path to Fatherhood Host Andy Grant interviews entrepreneur and podcast host Justin “Cuzzin Justin” Abrams about his six-year IVF journey, emphasizing that infertility and pregnancy loss affect men too. Justin describes feeling pressure to be strong and hide emotions, the emasculating sense of having little role beyond supporting his wife Tara, and how the medical process felt “sterile,” ambiguous, and businesslike. After years in an “unexplainable” category, they learned Tara had endometriosis, following multiple failures and miscarriages. Justin discusses trauma from the uncertainty, private grief, faith/spirituality, and coping through suppression and solitary “walkabouts,” while noting his cousin Todd was his main confidant. Justin explains their determination to build a family by any means, the desire to continue his family name, and their plan to end doctor-assisted attempts by August. He advises supporters to ask needs-based questions and stresses there’s no playbook—just keep going. 00:00 Men in IVF Too 00:18 Meet Cousin Justin 01:08 Beyond the Roles 02:57 Legacy and Divorce Wakeup 05:37 IVF as Uncontrollable Creation 07:46 Unexplained Infertility Years 10:29 Family Name Pressure 13:59 Emasculating Sterile Traumatic 19:51 Trauma and Fear of Loss 23:47 Why Keep Trying 26:21 Manhood and Testing Results 27:31 Carrying Her Burden 29:14 Atlas Mode and Anger 32:17 Validation and Deflection 35:07 Grief in Different Ways 37:30 Cousin Todd Safe Space 40:08 Marriage Bond and Next Goal 43:12 How to Support Men 46:46 Talking to Kids About IVF 49:10 No Playbook Keep Going 51:00 Final Reflections and Invite Connect with Justin Justin Abrams — https://cuzzinjustin.com/ LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/ Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Resources Podcast — Strictly From Nowhere Connect with Andy: Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group Instagram | @realmenfeelshow & @theandygrant Andy Grant | https://theandygrant.com for coaching, healing, and book info! Real Men Feel | https://realmenfeel.org YouTube | https://youtube.com/realmenfeel #RealMenFeel ep 417