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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Information About Infertility Stress

By Adrian Logan

The most stressful situations that any couple must deal with is infertility. Even treatments for it can contribute to the stress that the couple goes through. In addition, their infertility can further worsen just by realizing that they themselves are stressed.

But what are some of the factors behind infertility stress? What causes it?

Firstly, it can stem from being initially diagnosed as being infertile in the first place. Many couples try having intercourse for some months or at least a year (of course, unsuccessfully) before they get frustrated and seek the advice of a fertility specialist. And when said specialist diagnoses either partner - or both in some cases - as being infertile, one or both could very well end up feeling depressed and inadequate.

Secondly, further stress can be added to the couple who has decided to undergo infertility treatments. Such treatments can prove exceedingly and prohibitively expensive depending on the treatments required.

And the process itself - having to go in and out of doctors' waiting rooms and hospitals, among other places, waiting with bated breath for results, and so on and so forth - can also contribute to stress immensely.

Thirdly, the stress can come from the lovemaking itself. Many couples cannot accept the fact that they are unable to have children normally.This can make things very hard for them. As they are unable to consummate the sexual act, they may have to make recourse to more medical assistance.

In addition, sex may feel forced and even something of a chore for the couple, since they would have to be doing it according to a schedule and in order to produce children instead of simply enjoying one another and/or giving each other pleasure.

In addition, men will feel emasculated and feel that they are responsible if they are unable to produce babies with their wives. Having to undergo fertility treatments may be even more demeaning for them. And since men have to produce semen in doctors' offices, learn that they might have low sperm count or have erectile problems, all these can prove extremely embarrassing to them.

How the couple responds to such stress in the first place is extremely important. Some can simply take it in stride and be positive even in the face of potential failure; others can be negative right at the outset even if the future for them might not be so bleak, and immediately contemplate having to adopt children while agonizing over how unfair things seem to be, and so on and so forth. This can result in the couples and individuals having a low self-esteem.

Infertility can cause many couples to go through extreme strain. Many couples buckle under this strain, and many of them end up breaking up. There are some who end up stronger couples after going through this experience.

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