Social and medical understandings and misunderstandings of women have established a long-standing belief that women’s primary responsibility is to produce children. As a result, women who are unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term bear the burden of shame and stigma. Even though several complicated factors can contribute to infertility, medicine and society have historically identified childless women as the primary cause. This paper will trace the historical trajectory of the stigmas women faced and still face as it relates to infertility. By examining this topic from Colonial America to present day, we can see how, despite advances in medical knowledge and technology, women remain the default explanation for infertility. The goal of this study is to use a variety of primary and secondary sources to uncover this history and raise awareness of unjustified blame placed on childless women.