Taking Care of Each Other: Couples Counseling During Fertility Treatment

Infertility is a journey that can place a lot of stress on the relationship between you and your partner. For couples facing infertility, the road to starting a family is strewn with obstacles that can make the process feel impossible at times. There will be progress made, but there can also be major setbacks. Keeping your relationship with your partner strong is key as you navigate the highs and lows of having a baby.

Couples counseling during your fertility journey is a great idea to help keep your relationship strong and healthy. Counseling is not just for couples that are in crisis. Even if you are not at a breaking point, a professional counselor who has worked with couples going through infertility understands many of the issues that may arise in this unique situation. Using their insight and experience, a professional counselor can facilitate communication between you and your partner and help you come to agreements.

Here are some common causes of tension and conflict between partners during the fertility journey:

Decisions Galore

First, there are so many decisions that need to be made during the process and you may not easily come to an agreement. Should you seek help at a fertility clinic? Should you try IVF or surrogacy? Should you keep trying after one failed cycle? Should you tell your friends and family that you’re seeking fertility treatments? The decisions can seem overwhelming on top of the normal issues in your everyday life.

Funding Fertility

Then, there are the complications that come with money. Fertility treatment can be very expensive. Although there are many ways to raise money for the treatment, some couples do experience financial stresses and strains as the result of the overall process. You may have disagreements over whether to take out a loan to pay for treatment, keep trying for multiple cycles in hopes of getting pregnant, or even to pursue fertility treatment in the first place.

Relationship Details

Money and sex are two aspects of life that can fuel disagreements in any relationship—and these details are very much front and center on the fertility journey. Your sex life may suffer due to side effects of fertility treatments or as consequences of the emotional toll of infertility and trying so hard to get pregnant. In the process of navigating infertility, some couples find that sex becomes functional instead of fun or they are faced with feelings of disappointment that put a damper on their physical relationship.

The Emotional Toll

Finally, the many emotional burdens of infertility may also heighten the strain on your relationship. Whether you feel guilty about being the infertile one, see your partner suffering through treatments, and/or even fear that your partner will leave you because of the inability to start a family, these emotional strains can negatively impact your connection as a couple.

Taking time to care for your relationship as work toward having a baby can make all the difference in your overall experience. A professional counselor can help you and your partner navigate the big feelings associated with the fertility journey. The Alabama Center for Reproductive Medicine can support you through every step of the way. Want to learn more about what treatment looks like at ACRM? Click here to get in touch with us today for a free consultation.