Psychological aspects of infertility

Fertility is of a very high virtue in our society. Having at least one child is all we need as it is one of the most basic human motivations. A woman tries to prepare herself to give birth and enjoy the path of motherhood since a very young age. So, when a couple discovers that all the attempts to conceive are failing, it is like an emotional pit for them and they touch ground zero. Giving birth to a child and starting a family is an important expectation of the society. But being helpless is not the case these days. In the last ten years, advances in reproductive medicine have made the treatment of infertility a very successful prospect, which has given hope and success to thousands of couples. Even though there are many hi-tech solutions available these days to overcome the problem of infertility, the social aspect of it continue to haunt the couple till they conceive. Let’s have a look on the major psychological aspects of infertility: 1. How to tell the family – This is top most worry of all the infertile couples. They just do not know how to break the news of their inability to have a child naturally to their immediate families. In India, the grand-parents-to-be attach lot of value to the women’s ability to get pregnant and it is an emotionally and physically draining thing when she is unable to conceive.rn2. Medication side effects -Drugs that are used to treat infertility cause many side effects. Infertility medications lead to depression and other mood disorders. It is pretty hard to know in advance what medicine will cause what kind of side effect. In case, you are on infertility drugs and experience some changes in your behavior and/or lifestyle then it is very important to consult a doctor at the earliest.rn3. Financial worries - Costs of these treatments are not low, that is a surely known fact. If someone does not have sufficient income, it’s almost impossible for them to try out any infertility treatments with their own money. It is pretty heavy on the pocket and hence the decision should be made after an elaborate discussion with the family members. Medical insurance in India doesn’t cover infertility treatment.rn4. Choices and results – Yes, the probability of you conceiving even after getting the best infertility treatment is modest at best. A woman might suffer from multiple miscarriages even after conceiving successfully and even if everything goes right, the couple might be terrified of what next? And in case of older couples, the situation is far tougher. The age factor, the resources, the stamina, everything plays a key role here.rn5. Treatment failure – The treatment might be an absolute failure too. However, hope is a very big virtue in the fertility treatments and you are well advised to be optimistic and also be mature enough to take things in your stride even if you fail to conceive.rn6. When to stop – It is a very difficult question but you must answer it as soon as possible for your own benefit. Think before damaging your relationship.rn7. Donor stress – In case you are an egg or a sperm donor, even that area is not stress free. One tends to have a need to know if his or her donation was taken well care of and if it helped someone or not.rnThese and many more psychological aspects of dealing with infertility might put one in distress. But there are so many counselors and help groups to work out with infertile couples. Therefore, do not worry till you absolutely have to!