Infertility and Its Emotional Impact
At this stage, you are likely to be under a lot of stress. There may be questions that you are yet to find the answers for. You may be scared and feel that the situation is not in your control. This is when we step in to help you cope with the stress. At IVF Spring Fertility Centre, we can help you to become more connected and educated and have sufficient resources and stress coping strategies. Given below are a few tips on coping with the emotional stress of infertility.
Acknowledge the Feelings and Let them Flow
It is important at this stage that you should acknowledge the impact that infertility can have on your person. The feelings can be overwhelming and can include stress, depression, feeling out of control, and physical sensations such as dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, etc.
Infertility can Affect your Relationships
In addition to taking a toll on your feelings and emotions, infertility can put a strain on your current relationships. It is important that you are aware of this. There will be financial strain also and can be exhausting. At this stage, it is important that you seek professional help.
Educate Yourself
Be informed of all the options. It is a good idea to be proactive and write down all the questions that you have before your appointment with a fertility specialist. Try to understand all aspects and clarify all the points that are not clear. The doctor will only be too glad to clear all doubts that you may have.
Take Care of Yourself
During these stressful times, it is important that you take time to keep yourself healthy and fit by not worrying, exercising your body and eating and sleeping well. You can de-stress yourself in any way that you want and it may include meeting friends, meditation, or taking a walk.
Go through the Difficult Conversations, Do Not Avoid Them
Conversation topics may be difficult at this stage. It is best not to avoid these difficult topics. It is most comfortable, to be honest, and open. Do not blame or hurt and set limits at the very start as to how much you can talk. You and your partner should be aware of both the limits and the expectations. It is a good idea to be proactive. It is disappointing if both of you are not on the same line as regards the communication and conversations.
Get a Realistic Estimate of the Situation
At this point in time, it is important to speak to your physician and get the most realistic picture of the situation. Your plan can then be set up accordingly.
Set the Limits. Do Not be Afraid
It is crucial to know to isolate yourself from gatherings or people that may further depress you (invitations to baby showers or girls’ outings can be turned down). Make connections with other couples that are like you and who can support you during these times. This will help.
Recognize Signs and Symptoms of Depression and Nip them in the Bud
The following are signs that you may be heading into a depression. If you experience any of these, seek help immediately.
- Change in sleeping patterns
- Change in hunger and eating patterns
- Disinterest in activities that you once enjoyed doing
- Incapable of thinking of anything else other than the loss
- Loss of hope
- Helplessness
- Suicidal thoughts
- Insomnia
- Difficulty in making decisions
- Clouded thinking
- Inability to concentrate
- Feelings of loneliness
Exploit the available resources.
At this stage, it is very important to look after your emotional well-being. We are fully aware of that and understand that the needs vary by the individuals. The needs of different couples are different. We at IVF Spring Fertility Centre are therefore armed with different resources that are integrated into the program to look after the couple’s emotional needs. We provide counseling sessions for males and females as well as have free support groups that couples/individuals can be part of. These are available throughout the region and can help in the following situations:
- Loss of child in pregnancy
- Unsuccessful IVF treatment cycle
- When third-party reproduction is considered: donor sperm, donor eggs, surrogacy, etc.
- When considering transitioning from one treatment mode to another or giving up treatment altogether
- When the financial, emotional or physical stress is too much to handle
- When you have feelings of helplessness, isolation, depression or that everything is out of control
- If the current coping strategies are no longer helpful or seem to be not working
At IVF Spring Fertility Centre, we recognize the emotional impact of fertility problems and have the resources to reduce the associated stress. We encourage our patients to reach out to us so that you can tap into our resources.
To diagnose a pelvic adhesion is usually difficult. However, our doctors at IVF spring suggest you undergo laparoscopy. It is a process where our doctors will insert a narrow fiber-optic tube near your navel which will allow them to view the adhesions present in the abdominal cavity if any. This surgery will show the clear picture of the pelvic cavity and the adhesions present in it so as to cure it further.