concerningINFERTILITY

Many people plan to have children and assume that doing so will follow a natural, straight-forward process. It can be very distressing to find that you or your partner may have a fertility problem. For many couples fertility problems come as a great surprise as no prior reproductive health issues had been known. Even very strong relationships can be challenged by infertility as both partners manage their own feelings while trying to support each other.

There are different kinds of fertility problems for both men and women and various treatments that might be used with these problems. Your GP may have begun tests and possibly referred you or your partner for specialist treatment. This process may seem frightening as couples wait to learn the basis of their fertility problem. Both infertility and its treatment may bring about feelings of fear and anxiety.

While counselling and psychotherapy are not seen as treatment options for those with fertility problems, therapy can be very helpful in reducing the stress and other emotions that often come with infertility.  Men and women can experience a multitude of emotional and psychological responses to fertility problems and the ensuing treatments. These emotions can feel overwhelming. A sense of loss, anger, jealousy, guilt, denial, shame, fear of abandonment, a sense of inadequacy and feelings of being less masculine or less feminine are just a few of the feelings some people with fertility problems experience.

When going through fertility treatment it's difficult not to let infertility take over your life. Many couples struggle to maintain a sense of balance when so much is focused on the success or failure of various treatments. It can seem like infertility (and it's treatment) is all that matters and many couples feel their life, and plans for their future life, suddenly seem very uncertain.

Counselling can be useful for either partner who may be struggling with their own feelings about infertility or its treatment. Infertility problems are a common concern brought by women to therapy. Equally, couples sometimes seek therapy together to help explore and resolve the impact that infertility or its treatment is having on their relationship. Whether it's personal therapy or couples therapy, counselling has been used to help alleviate much of the fear, apprehension and difficult feelings that often come with ferlitity problems and treatment.

Please get in touch if you would like more information about counselling for fertility problems.

Or click here if you would like to read more about our relationship counselling services.

sources

The Infertlity Network UK, www.infertilitynetworkuk.com

www.bbc.co.uk/relationships/