Navigating the Emotional Journey

Infertility is becoming more and more of an issue in the lives of couples in North America. In fact, one out of every ten couples experiences difficulties conceiving a child. As fertility treatments such as IUI and IVF

become better and better, your chances of conceiving a child do increase. However, infertility diagnosis and treatment remain accompanied by a variety of challenging emotions. Here are some tips on how to manage your emotions while navigating your way through infertility.

 

Your Emotions

Shock
Shock is often the first emotion that occurs after a diagnosis of infertility. We are all aware of infertility and the need for various types of fertility drugs and treatments. Most of us know of someone who is battling with fertility issues. However, rarely do we expect to be the one with the fertility difficulty. Most of take conception for granted, and assume that pregnancy will happen when the time is right. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

It is important to let yourself experience the initial shock and grief that comes along with an infertility diagnosis. Though it can be very distressing it is important to talk with your partner about what you are feeling. Try to:

 

  • devote some time to crying together
  • write down your immediate thoughts and feelings
  • let your partner share his emotions

 

Initial shock can be very disturbing, but usually only lasts for a short time period.

Denial
Along with shock, feelings of denial may also be quite strong when you are first made aware of your fertility issues. Denial often works as a coping mechanism, helping people to deal with difficult situations. Most of us grow up with the idea that if we work hard, we can achieve anything. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and it can be desperately hard to accept when it comes to fertility. But in order to move on with fertility treatments or future endeavors, it is important to move past the denial stage. Denial can lead to ineffectual treatment or even prevent treatment from ever happening. In order to deal with denial be sure to:

 

  • Talk with Your Health Care Provider: Your reproductive endocrinologist can offer you a lot of information about your infertility. She can also offer you advice when it comes to choosing the right treatments for you.
  • Do Your Own Research: Visit the library, join a support group, or find online information about infertility. This information can often help patients to overcome denial.
  • Speak with a Counselor: Fertility counselors can help you to overcome the denial stage and learn to accept a diagnosis of infertility.

 

Table of Contents
1. The Emotional Journey
2. Facing Infertility
3. How to stay positive
 
 
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