Coping with Infertility Grief
One of the reasons that the pain of infertility is so hard to deal with is that it is often unrecognized by our society. Therapists and scholars have a name for this type of grief: disenfranchised grief or ambiguous grief.
The lack of recognition for the losses of infertility makes it easy to feel that you aren’t entitled to mourn. However, mourning is crucial to healing. It is hard to grieve a dream, and harder still when others don’t even see that there is a loss.
You do not have to cope with the pain and grief of infertility alone. Many people have been helped by counselors, but it is especially helpful if the therapist is trained in the realities of infertility.
- Creating a Family has done a number of shows that include a discussion of how to find a good therapist that is knowledgeable about infertility issues. Listen to a few, such as How to Survive Infertility without Losing your Mind, Your Marriage, or Your Friends, Coping with Infertility, and Psychological Issues with Infertility.
- Ask your infertility clinic if they have mental health professionals on staff or can recommend one.
- The American Society of Reproductive Medicine maintains lists of members that are mental health professionals.
Creating a Family has many resources to help you cope with infertility grief. Here are a few we think you will find particularly helpful:
- I Want to Adopt. My Partner Does Not. (article)
- How Do You Tell Your Friend with Infertility You Are Pregnant? (article)
- Transitioning from Infertility Treatment to Adoption (article)
- Self-Care During Infertility Treatment (article)
- Unexpected Stresses on Newly Adoptive Parents (1 hr. podcast w/ experts)
- IVF from the Male Partner’s Perspective (1 hr. podcast w/ expert)
- Coming to Terms with Infertility Grief Before You Adopt (1 hr. podcast w/ expert)
- Infertility 101 for Husbands (1 hr. podcast w/ expert)
Many more Creating a Family radio interviews with experts, videos, blogs, fact sheets, and Q and A’s with Experts on coping with infertility grief can be found at the icons below.
Image credit: Wolf Soul
Additional Resources
