How to Deal with Infertility

Infertility is a major challenge that some married people have to deal with. Nobody enjoys waiting for children when they desire to have them. Waiting to become parents can be a long, unbearable journey, particularly when it’s as a result of infertility. Studies show that 12 percent of women aged 15 to 44 have used infertility services in the United States That’s about 7.3 million people. So rest assured that this challenge is not unique to you, and there are solutions. There are also ways to manage the situation while you`re going through it. There are ways to cope with infertility as you find solutions.

Dealing with infertility is required to attain a positive family. If you don`t pay attention to how you react to the situation in this phase, the emotional and physical effects of struggling with infertility can negatively affect the rest of your life. So what are the paths to overcoming infertility? Let`s get talking!

11 Ways to Deal with Infertility

Acknowledge your Feelings

Dealing with infertility is definitely a difficult emotional journey. It is important that you acknowledge the emotions, instead of pretending they don’t exist. The feelings of grief and loss are natural at this time, especially when people around you are having children.

Your inability to manage your emotions could lead to emotional distress and even have physical side effects. Being honest about how you feel will help you to properly address your feelings and move forward in finding a solution.

Be Honest with your Partner

Infertility can make you build up anger and resentment and anger toward your partner. Even though these are normal feelings you will sometimes have, you need to overcome them. Remember that your partner is the one who will be there for you the most at this time. You two should do everything to remain a strong team throughout this journey, and feel free to seek help if you both can`t manage the situation. A therapist or counselor might just be who you need in this phase.

Open up to a Trusted Counselor

A fertility counselor or trained therapist will be super helpful at this time. Open up to them about your feeling of stress and disappointment, as well as other ways you may be feeling and the challenges you`ve had with your partner while trying to deal with the situation.

Seek Advice on Healing Options

While struggling with infertility, you will sometimes feel helpless and not know what to do. Your healthcare professional can help you better understand what your options are, and the steps you should take in exploring the options.

Join an Infertility Support Group

In trying to help you, family and friends will give a lot of advice, some of which will be unhelpful. This can be frustrating. Getting advice and support from experts and others who have gone through infertility may be helpful. You can find such people in an infertility support group.

Don’t Compare your Journey with Other People`s

It is important to remember that no two people have the same life. You should consider the possibilities that your situation may have different challenges or that it may take a little longer for you. Don`t get too attached to other people`s stories, thinking it will turn out the same way for you. While you and your partner wait to conceive, have it in mind that your lives are not put on hold. Have fun, go out for dinner, enjoy each other`s company. Do all that you can to make the best of what you have now, and have faith that you will have your own children someday.

Find Healthy Outlets for your Emotions

It`s okay if you don`t always feel like talking about how you feel, however, don`t bottle it up. Just find other ways to express your feelings. You could write a journal, exercise, go for a walk, or volunteer to do something you enjoy.

Be Optimistic

By all means, try to remain optimistic and hopeful at this time. Work with your infertility counselor to have a better understanding of the situation and what the chances you have. Set goals for yourself on getting solutions, and try not to get worked up when the solutions don`t yield the expected results. Remain optimistic and keep trying.

Reestablish Intimacy with your Partner

After trying for so long to conceive, your intimacy with your partner may begin to wane. By all means, try to reestablish your intimacy and reignite your sex life with your partner. You could go for a romantic stroll in the city park, go for a vacation, or go for dinner.

Don’t Blame yourself

You will sometimes feel like blaming yourself. It`s normal to feel that way but don`t. In most cases, infertility or difficulty conceiving is not the fault of the sufferers. It could be a combination of genetics and other factors that are beyond your control. Instead of blaming yourself and feeling depressed, focus your energy on the positive steps you can take to reach your goals.

Take Care of yourself

You may have realized that many of the tips we have discussed have one thing in common: self-care. Dealing with infertility can be overwhelming, so it’s important to focus on yourself throughout this time. The healthier and happier you feel, the less disturbing your infertility journey will be. Remember that you also have other things to focus on like your work and relationship with your spouse and family. Remember that this is only a phase. Don`t get drowned in it.

Facts About Infertility

• Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system that impairs the body’s ability to perform the basic function of reproduction.
• With conventional IVF, many sperm are placed with the egg for fertilization. If that fails, they can opt for intercytoplasmic sperm injection, in which the egg is held in place, pierced, and one sperm is injected into the egg.
• Fertility care encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility.
• Equal and equitable access to fertility care remains a challenge in many countries, particularly low and middle-income countries.
• Infertility affects 6.7 million women in the U.S.; that`s about 11% of the reproductive-age population.
• 1 in 8 couples has trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy.
• 11.9% of women in the US have received infertility services in their lifetime.
• A couple aged 29-33 with a normal functioning reproductive system has about 25% chance of conceiving in any given month.
• Infertility affects men and women equally.
• Studies show that 25% of infertile couples have more than one factor that contributes to their infertility.
• About 85% of infertility issues are treated with conventional medical therapies such as medication or surgery.
• 12% of all infertility cases are due to the woman either weighing too little or too much.
• In approximately 40% of infertile couples, the male partner is either the sole cause or a contributing cause of infertility.
• Abnormal or irregular ovulation causes approximately 25% of female infertility problems.
• Women with bodyweight disorders can`t reverse their infertility by attaining and maintaining a healthy weight.
• Chlamydia causes about 4 to 5 million infections annually in the United States. Untreated chlamydia can cause infertility.
• Women and men who smoke have decreased fertility.
• Women who smoke are at a higher risk of miscarriage.
• Up to 13% of female infertility is caused by cigarette smoking.