09 Sep When to Seek Infertility Counseling
If you have received an infertility diagnosis, then you’ve probably been informed that the road to conception may be longer than anticipated, and may have more than its fair share of downs than ups before you experience the joy of giving birth to a baby.
It is a journey that requires courage, stamina, and the ability to manage a wide range of emotions. This is why we recommend starting infertility counseling as soon as couples receive an official infertility diagnosis.
5 Benefits of Starting Infertility Counseling ASAP
Even if you simply connect every once in a while, forging a trusting, comfortable relationship with a counselor who specializes in infertility issues, you’ll know you have an “ally in your pocket” if the road ahead is bumpier or more painful than you thought it would be.
If you don’t want to seek counseling from a proactive angle, then we recommend keeping a list of top infertility counselors bookmarked on your phone or gadget so you can call them if you find yourself in emotional crisis.
Here are some of the core benefits of starting infertility counseling as soon as possible:
1. They understand where you are, where you’ve been and where you’re headed
The large majority of therapists or psychologists who specialize in infertility counseling have personal experience. In fact, we recommend asking if that’s the case before booking your first appointment. As a result, you gain a trained therapist who can support you mentally and emotionally – and you also have the comfort of knowing they can both empathize and sympathize with your experience.
2. You’ll benefit from a well-rounded perspective
Most individuals and couples navigating the fertility treatment journey develop a laser-like focus. This is supported by their fertility specialist because – together – you are on a mission. However, your fertility counselor can be there to provide a more well-rounded, big-picture, and longview perspective around your choices if you need one.
This is especially helpful if you wind up with multiple failed fertility treatments that force you to consider choices you didn’t want to consider in the past, such as using a donor egg or sperm, a donor embryo, the use of a gestational carrier (surrogate), or the idea of migrating away from fertility treatment options altogether in lieu of adoption.
3. Support the romance and your partnership
Fertility treatments take their toll on a couple. Sex, which used to be fun, intimate, and playful, may have become “a chore.” Then there are the physical and mental side effects of fertility medications (hormonal ups and downs, bloating, pelvic tenderness, etc.). And, finally, there is the emotional roller coaster you find yourself riding – with no ability to control when you get off.
Your fertility counselor can help you weather the emotional ups and downs, and can also provide you (or both of you) with tips and tools to keep your romance alive.
Is your relationship taking a hit? Visit our post, Keeping Romance Alive…, to help reignite the sparks.
4. They are there to hold you if/when you collapse
While some lucky couples experience fertility treatment success the first time around, most do not. This means the typical infertility story includes the heartbreaking reality of failed infertility treatments, or the even more traumatic miscarriage(s) after what seemed to be a successful cycle.
An infertility counselor can play an invaluable role in helping you to pick up the pieces and to reduce the more extreme levels of anxiety and/or depression that can blot the infertility timeline.
5. Unconditional infertility support
Even the most patient friends and family members can have a hard time serving as your only means of infertility support. This is one of the reasons why we try to promote a variety of fertility support available in Dallas and the surrounding area. If you are a private person, you may have opted not to share your struggle with friends and family, which can make it even harder for you to have the outlet you need to process your feelings and emotions.
Your fertility counselor is there to serve as an unconditional line of support, and even if all you do is rant, wail, cry, and scream in his/her office for an hour – it will be well worth it if it relieves your emotional pressure cooker.
Are you having a hard time striking a mental and emotional balance in the wake of your infertility diagnosis or treatments? The Fertility Center of Dallas is here to help you in any way you can, including providing referrals to some of the most trusted infertility counselors in the area.