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7 Ways to Prepare Your Relationship for IVF
Published by Self. Read the full article.
As teenagers, we hear time and again how “easy” it is to get pregnant—and how important it is to avoid it at all costs. So it can come as a complete surprise when, as an adult who’s ready to have a baby, you realize it’s not going to be so simple after all. No one prepares you for the pain and heartbreak that comes with infertility, nor the challenges you and your partner will navigate on the journey to a positive pregnancy test.
In fact, according to a 2018 review of research, infertility may lead to depression at comparable levels to a cancer diagnosis for some people. And those who undergo assisted reproductive treatment (ART)—in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most well-known type—have a significant risk of experiencing psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression.
“People experiencing infertility often feel so isolated, ashamed, and guilty,” Elizabeth Anne Grill, PsyD, clinical psychologist at the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine and associate professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, tells SELF.
