This week is National Infertility Awareness Week! Adoptions From The Heart assists many adoptive families struggling with infertility when they turn to adoption. This blog focuses on raising awareness, highlighting the importance of spousal support, and advocating for access to care and coverage.
What is Infertility?
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a child after 12 months of regular intercourse without birth control. However, the diagnosis should be executed by your doctor, who can also provide more information, including which spouse is infertile and why. Infertility is not just a lack of sperm or a lack of eggs. While these may be causes, infertility can also be due to blocked fallopian tubes or ejaculatory ducts, abnormal sperm function or quality, uterine disorders such as endometriosis, ovarian disorders such as PCOS, testicular failure, or even hormonal imbalances.
Supporting Your Spouse in Their Infertility Journey
The journey after an infertility diagnosis is no easy one. Most often, it is followed by expensive treatments, emotional and financial stress, anxiety, depression, and uncertainty. Further, studies revealed that feelings of anxiety, depression, and uncertainty can be exacerbated by the condition of a patient’s marriage and a lack of spousal support. Here are a few tips you can use to improve your spouse’s infertility journey.
Reduce Uncertainty
Reducing your spouse’s uncertainty regarding the future of their journey can be difficult. However, alleviating their doubts and concerns about your marriage can be much easier. Research shows that doubts in one’s marriage can add to the uncertainty of their infertility journey. Doubts can be heightened due to a short duration of marriage or a burdensome spouse. Whenever you can, make your spouse feel special in the best way you know how! Whether it’s gifts or love notes, alleviating your spouse’s marital worries will be a tremendous step forward on this journey.
Stay Healthy Together
Subjective health has significant effects on anxiety and depression during infertility treatment. Treatments can also take a considerable toll on your spouse’s physical health. However, eating healthy and exercising can be difficult — with or without support! Motivate your partner along their health journey by eating healthy with them and joining them in some exercises — even just a home workout.
Limit Stress & Anguish
Results from another study confirmed that depressed infertile patients are additionally affected by their spouses’ depression. However, navigating this without negatively affecting communication can be difficult. Consider reaching out to your infertility care team for guidance. Furthermore, it is best to limit your spouse’s internal mental anguish during treatment concerning finances, the future, and everyday obstacles. Counter any negative thoughts and excessive fretting. Remind your spouse that your priority is supporting them on this journey.
Support with Their Tasks and Responsibilities
If your spouse usually cooks dinner, consider taking over for a night. Or be an active listener if they mention external stress at work or elsewhere. Again, there can be a lot of stress and anguish along the way. So, allowing them a mental break may benefit their mental health and your relationship.
Infertility Nursing Intervention Program
An infertility nursing intervention program focuses on patient education, emotional support, and managing physical health during treatment. You’ll have experienced professionals who can further guide you and your spouse on the effects of treatment. You can reach out to your infertility care team for access to these services.
Advocating for Care and Treatment
Infertility treatment can be difficult or even impossible for many couples due to its steep price. Organizations such as RESOLVE and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine lobby for policies improving access to care and health insurance coverage. You can join the fight by advocating for insurance coverage, contacting elected officials, supporting advocacy efforts, donating to these non-profits, or sharing your story!
Find your local elected official here.
Check out these AFTHtv episodes to hear from other couples dealing with infertility!
