Coping with infertility: Tips on talking to your family about infertility
If you are trying to have a baby without any luck, your issues with infertility can easily creep into your ongoing relationships with family and friends. Often, the well-meaning people closest to you can end up causing additional hurt and frustration. At our Northern Louisiana fertility clinic, David T. Vandermolen MD, MS, and our entire team recognize that talking to your family about infertility and your fertility treatment can be a challenge.
Dealing with infertility and fertility treatment can take over your life
When you are undergoing fertility treatment, the physical and emotional stress will take a toll on you and your partner. Even though 1 in 8 couples faces infertility, many patients and their partners feel isolated and alone, which can make it hard to consider talking with your family. The fear of insensitive or negative responses can cause you to treat further inward, which only increases your solitude.
Helpful hints for talking to your family about infertility
We believe that our patients need a strong support system to lean on during the fertility treatment process. It can feel especially daunting to find the right words to share your struggles. If you are having trouble opening up to family and friends, Dr. Vandermolen has tips to make talking to your family about infertility a little easier.
What is the best way to talk to your family about infertility?
- Decide what to share. Before you talk to anyone, spend time with your partner and get on the same page. Agree in advance about open topics and those that are off-limits, so that you both feel comfortable with the plan.
- Practice in advance. While you probably don’t need a full rehearsal, it may calm your nerves to determine how much detail you want to share. You may even want to make a list of your key points, so that you won’t forget what you wanted to convey.
- Formulate a complete plan. Picking a time and place for the initial conversation is the first step. You will also want to consider your boundaries for how frequently you share updates or test results.
- Be willing to share your knowledge. The medical and technical terminology related to fertility treatments may have become second nature to you, but family and friends may be confused by all the jargon. Explaining the process will enable them to provide better support.
- Ask for what you need. Once you create an inner circle, learn to rely on them as you go through the ups and downs of the treatment process. They can’t help if you don’t share.
The journey to parenthood isn’t always a straight path. Our Northern Louisiana fertility clinic team will walk with you every step of the way, including providing tips and support for talking to your family about infertility. Contact our office to learn more about fertility treatment options or to schedule an appointment.