After receiving the news that one of the two partners in a relationship is infertile, a couple can often feel distressed, defeated. The two can be overwhelmed with feelings of pain, anger, helplessness, despair and so on. How can one get through this ordeal without exploding? We will address all of this in the following article.
After the devastating announcement of a couple's infertility, the couple faces three major challenges: emotional, sexual and communication.
Emotional:
After their discovery of infertility, the two partners are submerged with feelings of pain, anger, helplessness, anguish and many more. Infertility creates a crisis that can often be difficult to resolve. These feelings of powerlessness, despair and injustice are feelings that must be overcome. The pain that the couple is experiencing is rarely felt the same. In general, women tend to be more sensitive and open to discussing the issues at hand and their feelings towards them. On the other hand, men tend to be less likely to vocalize their feelings, which leads us to the third point, the importance of prioritizing communication within the couple.
Sexual:
Once the couple has been told they are infertile and they begin their treatments, it is very common for the couple’s sexuality to take a blow. First, at the start of the treatment, the pair may perceive intercourse as a means of conceiving and tend to forget the emotional intimacy and physical pleasure that it provides to them and their relationship. Other couples, during treatments, can experience the feeling that their sexual relations are useless since the conception will be done medically, through assisted procreation. Their sex life becomes controlled by doctors, injections and medicines, the intimacy no longer exists. When this occurs, both partners have to deal with a drop or loss of libido, be it theirs or their partner’s. To address these issues, it is important for the couple to make the time and effort for sexual activities and intimacies, but not on a timetable. They must remember that sexual relations between them involve tenderness and love. The couple has to set aside time to have a fulfilled sexual life despite infertility that will then strengthen their relationship and help them conquer this experience of infertility.
Communication:
Following the psychological and sexual difficulties, there's the trial of communicating, learning how to listen correctly, comprehend and talk to his partner and much more important to create the opportunity to do so. As mentioned before, women are frequently more communicative and expressive, although men are not as inclined to examine their feelings. But, it's been verified that dialogue will permit the couple to stay connected and conquer the problem of infertility. An individual has to talk, listen, comprehend and most importantly, be patient and respect another. In the end, it can get crucial not to forget that it's since the two people love each other, they desired to begin a household in the first location. Even if one spouse is less affected than another, as soon as they communicate how they're feeling, they are frequently internally struggling just as much. That is the reason why it's necessary to have these talks and correctly interact with your spouse, remind each other that you're undergoing this together.
Remember to not be discouraged. In spite of these challenges, a great majority of couples emerge from this closer and stronger than ever. They support, listen and care for one another. Their connection develops through communication and they emerge united. Therefore it is very possible to overcome the crisis of fertility, as a strong, loving and supportive couple.
