Having a hard time trying to conceive is challenging for couples. It tends to drain emotionally, psychologically and financially. Infertility is not getting pregnant despite having frequent, unprotected sex for at least a year for most couples. Infertility may result from an issue with either you or your partner or a combination of factors that prevent pregnancy. People try to console couples not to think about it, but it is easier said than done. There are two types of infertility, which are Primary and Secondary Infertility.
Primary infertility refers to couples who have not become pregnant after at least one year of having regular intercourse without using birth control methods. On the other hand, Secondary Infertility is the inability to become pregnant or carry a baby to term after having a child(ren).
Here are some challenges faced by couples who are trying to conceive.
Emotional Instability
Anxiety, fear, worry, loneliness and guilt, grief and depression and regret are the most common occurrences in people trying to conceive. It affects all areas of life, which may eventually lead to health complications. Couples tend to feel all these as time passes due to the fear of the unknown.
Financial Instability
The cost of fertility treatment is money exhausting, and couples tend to spend their incomes on the treatment because of the desires to conceive. There are different types of therapy and processes required for infertility treatment. These are IUI (Intrauterine insemination), IVF (Invitro fertilisation), and various fertility drugs. IUI refers to the process of inseminating or inserting semen directly into the womb/uterus. The IVF (Invitro fertilisation) method refers to how the woman’s eggs and the semen of the man are collected to fertilise the zygote externally and implant the foetus into the uterus. Also, there are fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries and likewise the one to boost the man sperm for effective result. All these methods are costly and exhausting, contributing to financial instability.
Societal Stigma
Studies by Greil in 1997 and Brokvich and Fisher in 1998 showed that involuntary childlessness in the Western world has various psychological and psychosomatic effects, especially among women. The most common effects are distress, depression, anxiety, reduced self-esteem, somatic complaints, reduced libido and a sense of blame and guilt. Studies have shown that elderly, frail people with no child(ren) receive less social support and a less powerful framework for independent living than those of the same age who have children. Society makes it seem like without child(ren), and you can’t be part of the community. This societal stigma has affected many couples, especially women.
Unknown Causes
When trying to conceive, all of the processes during ovulation and fertilisation need to happen correctly to get pregnant. Sometimes causes of infertility in couples are present at birth, and sometimes they develop later in life, and most times, they are unknown. Not knowing the reasons makes life to be more complicated.
Here are some actions you need to take if you are trying to conceive that would make your life better and fulfilling.
Talk to a doctor, specifically a fertility specialist. Women should talk to a doctor earlier; however, if they are age 35 years or older and have been trying to conceive for six months, have irregular periods, have underlying health issues and have known fertility problems. Men should also go for a semen analysis and other check-ups.
Stop Feeling Hopeless; uncertainties occur when trying to conceive. You may feel hopeless and extremely worried that you will never conceive or that your life. You need to know that you are not alone.
Stop Basing Self-worth on Fertility; infertility can make you feel worthless, you might be broken and ashamed. These are prevalent feelings experienced by men and women experiencing infertility .Before you start trying to conceive, you probably felt different about yourself, hopefully, more optimistic before you realised you are battling infertility. It would help if you remembered that the old you is still there. You do not become someone else when you are diagnosed with infertility.
Stop Suffering Silently: You do not need to tell everyone about your challenges. Also, keeping it entirely to yourself is not the best because it is psychologically depressing. Talking to a friend, family members, or a specialist reduce the psychological burden and makes you feel better.
In conclusion, the inability to conceive is painful, tormenting, and challenging, especially to women. Finding something to do during the waiting period is necessary. Women who do not engage themselves find this more challenging. Women should engage themselves in many activities, such as online training/jobs. Besides distraction from worries and concerns associated with infertility, online training/jobs help improve their values and knowledge and increase their earnings. Many Freelancing sites are flexible enough to allow women to make independent decisions, making it easy for them to get their own time, especially for treatment.
Patience is the key to a successful life which later pays off!
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