Anniina Valtonen shares journey of motherhood amidst infertility struggles in Finland

TV presenter and meteorologist Anniina Valtonen faced a challenging journey to motherhood. In 2019, she and her partner decided to start a family during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after a year of trying without success, they were surprised by the difficulties of conceiving. Valtonen had always been told that women in her family easily became pregnant, with jokes about needing only to walk over men’s boxer shorts for it to happen.

After two years, the couple sought help from public fertility services but chose not to share their struggles with anyone. Valtonen describes the process of getting pregnant through treatment as a group effort involving doctors, which felt overwhelming for the couple. They wanted to keep their experience private and avoid updating friends and family about their situation.

Infertility affects many, with nearly 400 responses received when a Finnish media outlet solicited experiences on the topic. Common reasons cited for infertility included endometriosis, repeated miscarriages, and barriers to accessing treatment due to weight or age. Long wait times and high costs for private treatments contribute to the challenges many face.

Valtonen endured numerous fertility treatments and dealt with side effects from medications, ultimately finding out about a benign tumor in her uterus that hindered her ability to conceive. After three unsuccessful artificial inseminations, they turned to IVF, which finally succeeded. Last year, on April Fool’s Day, Valtonen took a positive pregnancy test, leading to the birth of their first child later that same year.