Infertility Counseling

Emotional Impact

Infertility impacts every person differently. Anxiety, depression, and grief are common in those who go through infertility treatments. A roller coaster. This is the visual that comes to mind for many who face infertility.

 

Infertility impacts each individual and partner differently. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, loss and grief are common in those who go through infertility treatments.

 

You’re also mourning the loss of having a “normal” pregnancy and path to growing your family.  

 

I would be honored to assist you no matter which stage you are at…. Whether you’re at a hopeful high point or a low point and feeling hopeless.

 

When faced with infertility, your first inclination is to worry. It’s important to have support along with useful and individualized coping techniques in place. The worry and feeling of loss can quickly intensify and lead to significant symptoms of anxiety and/or depression.

 

Common symptoms of depression may include:

• Sadness that doesn’t lift

• You might find it difficult to stop crying

• Change in sleep patterns (sleeping too much or too little)

• Lack of interest in activities you usually enjoy

• Social isolation and/or strained relationships with your partner, other family members, friends and colleagues

• Intense feelings of guilt, hopelessness, worthlessness, or pessimism

 

Common symptoms of anxiety may include:

• You find it difficult to focus or concentrate on anything other than infertility

• Increased and persistent feelings of bitterness, frustration, and even rage

• Excessive worrying or feelings of doom

• You feel restless and are unable to relax and/or sleep

• With or without the above, you may also experience physical symptoms such as nausea, stomach cramping, sweating, headaches and heart palpitations.

 

Also, please remember that if you have a prior history, or are currently experiencing depression and/or anxiety, learning of infertility may exacerbate symptoms.

 

Couples Counseling

Do you feel disconnected?   Recognize that treatment may be impacting your relationship? Couples counseling is a great way to reconnect and find improved support from your partner.

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Infertility can pull and gnaw away at even the strongest and healthiest of marriages and relationships. Infertility often comes as a shock to many couples. And when you’re on an infertility journey, your minutes, hours, and days are filled with doctor visits, treatment appointments, research, and waiting.

 

The disappointment of not becoming pregnant, or suffering the loss of a pregnancy, are devastating. One partner may feel blamed, even if it isn’t intentional blame. Another partner may feel more pressure, as if they are left with the burden of the work of becoming pregnant, especially when it comes to the medication and treatments. The financial stress of infertility can also wreak havoc on a relationship.

 

It’s easy to feel disconnected and unsure of where your relationship stands when it feels like combating infertility demands all of your time and attention. If you are in need of more support from family and friends, we can also discuss on how to best gather this as well. Couples counseling is a great way to reconnect and find improved direction and support as partners.  

 

Medical Procedures

Going through an IUI, Egg retrieval, Egg donation, or IVF procedure and the waiting period after can be extremely anxiety provoking. Counseling can help you learn skills to relax and manage the wait and worry.

Navigating Infertility Treatments

 

As a counselor, I help couples wade through the emotional process of their medical treatment and procedures.   

 

Going through IUI or IVF procedures along with the waiting period is heart wrenching and may provoke depression and anxiety. It’s hard not to worry. You worry over the cost of treatments. You worry about the stress and pain caused by intrusive treatment or having a bad reaction to the medication. And foremost, you worry you will never become a parent.

 

Counseling can help you strengthen coping skills you may already have in place as well as learn new skills to find calm, and manage the worry and wait.

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What’s Next?

What is the next step in your treatment? Whatever point you are at on your infertility journey, having a plan for “What’s Next” is beneficial. Maybe you’re just learning of your infertility. Or perhaps you are considering alternative treatment possibilities and exploring other family building options? Or the possibility of “third party reproductive assistance” of a surrogate or gamete donation. Or you might be at a stage of ending all treatment and considerations.  

 

Counseling can help individuals and couples navigate and work through their options and “next steps.”

 

Call today to schedule your appointment.