The decision to start fertility treatment is not one that is made lightly. While the driving motivation of our patients is the desire to become parents, we have to acknowledge the accompanying frustration that comes along with, in many cases, years of unsuccessfully trying to conceive naturally.
Ups and downs
Throughout the course of the treatment process, our patients experience a multitude of emotions. At the first appointment, doubts can arise; it’s a natural part of the process to wonder if fertility treatment will really work for you. Later, during the hormone stimulation phase, initial optimism can turn into anxiety before certain milestone appointments. At these times, our patients often feel physically tired but closer to their partners. Anxiety and stress can build up during the two-week waiting period for pregnancy test results. It’s also natural to feel sad and despondent if the results are not what had been hoped for.
The professionals
Studies have shown that one of the main reasons patients discontinue fertility treatments is the emotional toll the process takes. Professional help is absolutely indispensable for our patients in order to help them get through the emotional rollercoaster. The burning desire to become parents, the hope, the frustration… it can all become too much to bear without professional help. Most clinics have psychology teams to support patients with personalized guidance through their most difficult moments. Women often prefer to take advantage of psychological help and support groups, while men tend to rely on medical professionals.
Communication
Different studies indicate that men and women experience infertility differently. While women experience higher levels of depression and stress before treatment, men, although more stoic in supporting their partners, tend to feel more isolated during treatment. To avoid infertility posing a challenge to the couple, communication between the two should be paramount in dealing with the stress and ups and downs that will arise along the way. Although it is not easy, a sincere relationship and communication helps both partners to see themselves as participants in the project, to share their fears, to regain their intimacy and sometimes, necessarily, to disconnect from the stress that treatment may cause.
Becoming parents is sometimes not an easy journey, it can be a rollercoaster ride of emotions. You should never be afraid to look for professionals to accompany you on this journey.
