How to Openly Talk about Infertility with Your Partner

Infertility can hit hard for couples hoping to have children. When a couple is unable to conceive, or the odds of conception aren’t promising, emotions can run high.

Regardless of where you are in the fertility treatment process, it is important to talk openly and compassionately with your partner to keep yourselves as positive and grounded as possible. By maintaining regular and open communication, both you and your partner can better understand what each other is going through. Here are ways you can keep your relationship strong and communicate effectively during this difficult time:

Get Educated on the Process

One of the biggest stresses of infertility is the unknown. Most couples enter treatment without a full understanding of the journey they are about to embark on. It’s helpful to become educated on both the emotional and medical aspects of infertility. Red Rock Fertility Center along with many other clinics offer complimentary seminars to help you understand what lies ahead. Being informed of each step of the way ensures the highest likelihood of success which will help both you and your partner.

Seek Professional Assistance

While the motivation may be there in the beginning, the desire to talk about this difficult topic with your partner may wane over the upcoming months or years. To create and sustain dialogue with your partner, consider seeking and accepting the help of a professional to support your communication efforts. You can:

• Join a support group for couples experiencing similar issues. Often times, just listening to others who are going through a comparable struggle can put things in perspective.
• See a couple’s therapist to more intricately examine the entire situation and help promote healthy communication with your partner.
• Talk with a therapist on an individual basis, that way each of you will be in the best condition possible to make communicating as a couple easier.

Eliminate Blame

Couples should understand that infertility is not something they have much control over. There is no benefit to assigning blame to your situation. Instead, couples need to realize that both partners share the difficulties of infertility. Thus, cooperation is essential. Remember to:

• Discuss any feelings of frustration or anger in an open manner. Don’t bottle up your feelings; it will only add to the stress of the situation.
• Come together and view infertility as a battle to be won together. This refers to traveling to appointments, talking about your options with family members or friends, and addressing the best plan moving forward as a team.
• Remember that your feelings for your partner before the infertility issues are still there, and will help you conquer whatever comes your way.

Minimize Other Sources of Stress

If you are looking to thoughtfully and constructively communicate with your partner during this time, do your best to keep your stress under control. Here are some of the ways you can improve communication between you and your partner by minimizing stress:

• Learn a mind-body calming technique, like yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, or something similar to minimize the effects of stress
• Exercise appropriately to release endorphins into your system and support a healthy outlook on life
• Get enough sleep to keep yourself balanced and healthy. We often overlook this component of our overall well-being, and good communication is often impossible on a bad night of sleep
• Eat right so you feel good and are better prepared to work through any issues

Infertility is a challenge for many couples, but contemporary fertility treatments can improve the odds of conception and boost the mental well-being of the couple. Remember, this is a journey you’re on together. Do everything you can to keep lines of communication open as a couple.