Anxiety and Infertility
If you and your partner have been trying to get pregnant for a while and you are not having any luck – you may have sought out the help of your medical doctor to determine why. The truth is, there are so many different reasons and combinations of reasons for why you and your partner may be struggling to conceive. Some of those reasons may be physical, but others may be psychological. Struggling to conceive can cause some feelings of depression and anxiety – but it is important to recognize that anxiety can also cause some difficulties conceiving. Many couples who are trying to conceive, but are having a difficult time, may unintentionally engage in some behaviors that may take the fun and excitement out of the journey and make the experience much more anxiety-inducing. Let’s talk about some of the ways that you can reduce the amount of anxiety you are experiencing when trying to conceive!
Remember that “the act” is fun…
Many couples that experience a little bit of trouble conceiving, almost immediately start to panic, and forget that the act of conceiving can be a lot of fun! You may start to hyper-focus on ovulation schedules, and only engage in “the act” when you are ovulating, and it may become a very clinical experience. But it’s important to remember that this is meant to be fun and exciting for both you and your partner. Be conscious of this and engage in “the act” even when you aren’t ovulating and remember to make it a fun and enjoyable experience, even when you are! If the experience becomes too clinical, it puts a lot of pressure on both you and your partner and can unintendedly create a lot of anxiety. Remember to take a deep breath and keep it fun, for both you and your partner. Everyone’s timeline is different, but this experience should be fun!
Schedule an appointment with the medical doctor…
If you and your partner have been actively trying for a while to conceive and haven’t been able to – it may be time to seek the advice of your medical doctor. They will run specific tests to see if there is anything going on medically with either yourself or your partner. If there is, fear not! The doctor can make suggestions for specialists to see or medications to try to make conceiving a little easier for yourself and your partner. It’s important to remember to not avoid going to the doctor because you are afraid of what the doctor might say – because you will continue to experience feelings of anxiety and depression. Make your appointment and go – because your doctor likely has suggestions for options you haven’t tried yet! You won’t know until you do to the doctor and talk to them about the difficulty you and your partner have been experiencing. The doctor may also suggest some anxiety-relieving activities such as, meditation and/or yoga, because anxiety can physiologically play a role in infertility and conception!
Seek out a specialized therapist…
You and your partner have tried making “the act” more fun, you’ve tried several activities to reduce anxiety and you’ve sought the opinion of a medical doctor – it may be time to seek the help from a different kind of professional! If the medical doctor finds no reason for you and your partner to be struggling to conceive, you may be feeling even more anxious and frustrated. Or perhaps, the doctor did find something, and they are starting you on a course of medical intervention – you may be feeling lost, anxious, and upset. Either way, this would be a great time to see out the help from an infertility therapist. An infertility therapist can help you process some of the feelings you and your partner are having when it comes to your struggle. An infertility therapist will also be able to provide you and your partner with some relief from the anxiety and depression symptoms you are likely experiencing. It is important to remember that there is a physiological connection between anxiety/depression and your body – and those feelings can make conceiving inherently more difficult just on their own. Seeking a therapist may be incredibly helpful!
How we can help…
At our practice, we specialize in working with individuals and couples experiencing infertility struggles. If you and your partner are looking for infertility counseling in Florida, or perhaps, you are looking for individual anxiety treatment in Miami, FL – we are the practice for you! We have a team of dedicated professionals, and we are committed to meeting you where you are at! We offer anxiety counseling in Miami, FL, online anxiety therapy in Florida, and we have an amazing infertility therapist in Florida! We want to help you through this difficult time.
