Support During Treatment

Motherhood is essential to your identity.

The reasons why we struggle so much during fertility treatment aren’t necessarily apparent from the outside.

Being a parent isn’t just a role. It’s an identity that has been ingrained in you as part of your future since childhood.

And being denied access to the identity you desperately want is abject torture. I cannot overstate the pain.

Society smiles on having babies and raising children.

No matter where you are on the gender spectrum, society sees your worth as an adult tied to your ability to make and raise babies.

Whether you like it or not, you have probably internalized many of those messages. For example, picture a man high-fiving his friends because he got a woman pregnant.

And couples without kids still endure a lot of judgment. They call you selfish or say your life doesn’t have as much meaning as it would with kids.

So, your choices are to share your personal grief and medical information with people you don’t trust or lie and pretend you never wanted kids anyway – what a terrible choice.

So, here you are – trying to get pregnant.

Seeking treatment is your last hope. Your identity feels shaken to the core, and your future dreams of being a parent are all up in the air. At this point, you feel lonely, misunderstood, embarrassed, and maybe even ashamed.

Now, let’s add high doses of reproductive hormones to your body plus massive financial stress. While we’re at it, let’s put some strain on your marriage.

Add in frequent doctor appointments, including some acupuncture, maybe a nutritionist. Now there’s job stress from all the missed work. Let’s take away many of the ways you cope. There are no more happy hours with friends, comfort foods, or vigorous exercise.

So, how do you cope with all these new stressors? You find support from someone who understands.

The right kind of support is available.

I understand that being a mother is part of your identity, and seeking treatment to induce pregnancy comes with many stressors.

Deciding to seek treatment is a sensitive issue, so you may not be getting it out by talking about it with people.

You may be avoiding friends with kids entirely. And your spouse is going through the same situation, so they are no help.

Undergoing fertility treatment is one of the most significant life stressors. Let’s work together to make this experience less stressful and more positive. Contact me by completing the form below.

I can help you navigate infertility treatment.