Infertility Treatment Guide for Couples

Dealing with infertility can be one of the biggest challenges for any marriage. The repetitive fertility procedures and failed cycles, besides putting a strain on a couple’s finances, could also end up causing a lot of emotional and mental turmoil in their relationship.

During times like these, it becomes a necessary to make conscious efforts towards keeping your relationship strong.

Here are 5 ways in which you can keep your marriage strong during your infertility treatment:

Communicate with each other regularly

• Tell your partner what you want. Ask them what they feel. Many wives feel left out when their husbands do not attend doctors’ appointments with them.  In such cases, it is better to be direct and ask your husband to accompany you.
• Taking regular hormone injections for infertility treatment can also cause mood swings and periods of intense emotional turmoil in the female partner. This could be unsettling for the husband who might think that his wife is not the same person he married. In turn, the wife may accuse the husband of not being understanding and supportive.
• Whenever you face such situations, do take time to pause and reflect. Make efforts to clear all your misunderstandings with honest communication at the end of each day.

Understand that you are a team

• Usually in a marriage, it is one person who suffers from infertility issues. However, this should not result in the first partner feeling superior to the other. Not only will this promote guilt and shame in the other partner but it would be detrimental to the long-term health of your relationship.
• Understand that as a married couple, you are a team, which is battling infertility. In order to win against infertility, you have to support each other consistently, like a team.

Bring back the romance in your relationship

• Many couples and especially the female partners view infertility as a broken dream. With an attitude like that, it is easy to for the romance in your marriage to fizzle out fast.
• Moreover, some couples obsessively regulate their sex timings according to the ovulation calendar. While it is important to be aware of your ‘fertile window’ and have sex accordingly, couples must also keep the romance alive with spontaneity.
• After all, sex in a marriage is not just for procreation but also for couples to experience greater intimacy with each other.

Take care of yourself

• While having a baby may seem to be your number one priority right now, do not ignore your own health and well-being in the process. Take time to pursue your career and hobbies. Discover your passions and follow them. Make sure that when you speak to your partner, you have interesting things to tell each other.
• A sense of humor can also help you distance yourself from infertility issues in a healthy way. Make sure you laugh and have a good time with your loved ones. Every once in a while, splurge and treat yourself to good things.

Speak to a counselor

• Sometimes, despite knowing the best, couples still fall into the trap of blame, guilt, shame and sadness. It is understandable. The only thing to remember here is to seek help at the right time instead of prolonging the painful feelings. Speak to a certified counselor at your fertility center and discuss your concerns with them. By talking it out with a professional, both partners can eventually understand and support each other better.
• It is no doubt that infertility can be hard on your marriage but with the right efforts and understanding, rest assured that you, as a couple, will emerge from this trying time, together.