The Emotional Toll of Infertility

Ever notice how time seems to slow down when you’re waiting for something? An hour still consists of 60 minutes but the minutes feel like hours and the hours like days!

Time is constantly passing. However, this concept goes to show that depression and anxiety can really throw off our sense of time. The take us out of the moment (mindfulness) and move us into the realm of “what ifs” and “should haves“.

For those women and couples facing fertility issues, waiting for time to pass is one of the most distressing and challenging hurdles one can face in life.

The two-week wait (generally defined as the time from ovulation to confirmed pregnancy) can really take a toll on your emotional well-being if you are trying to conceive. Women can become hyperaware of their bodies constantly asking themselves, “Am I pregnant?”

Infertility & Mental Wellness

When we talk about infertility treatment, you probably think about physical treatments like IVF, IUI, and other medical options. But, society sometimes neglects the emotional toll infertility can cause. Couples who can’t conceive might be left with feelings of disappointment, anxiety, sadness, and frustration month after month.

Thankfully, there are many treatments that can help struggling women and
couples who need help getting pregnant. These medical appointments and decisions only add to the stress and uncertainty surrounding infertility.

Some women might even feel out of control of their own bodies which can spark continual feelings of loss, sadness, depression, and anxiety.

Infertility By The Numbers

We need to lift the stigma that stands in the way of building families because infertility doesn’t discriminate.
• 7.3 Million: Number of women aged 15-44 who have ever used infertility services: 7.3 million (source CDC)
• Infertility affects men and women equally (source: reporductivefacts.org)
• Twenty-five percent of infertile couples have more than one factor that contributes to
their infertility (source: reproductivefacts.org)
• Up to 13 percent of female infertility is caused by cigarette smoking
• Infertility is common. Out of 100 couples in the United States, about 12 to 13 of them have trouble becoming pregnant

It’s important that those facing infertility know where to turn for emotional support during one of life’s toughest challenges. Perhaps you’re heartbroken at yet another negative pregnancy test, and you don’t understand why everyone around you can get pregnant but you haven’t been able to. Maybe you’re struggling with guilt over the choice to terminate a pregnancy and you’re not sure you can forgive yourself or move forward.

Wherever you’re at in your journey of loss, you would want to feel better and, to have the pain go away to make sense of your situation. Therapy could help you process your feelings and thoughts in a safe space with a caring provider that can help you walk through the grieving process.

You don’t have to suffer alone. You can move forward with hope. We’re here for you!