Infertility is a very emotional experience not only for a couple but for the entire family. People in our society and culture are not prepared for it at all. It takes a toll on one’s psyche. A wide range of emotional responses such as anger, frustration, disbelief, stress, anxiety and depression are experienced by a couple diagnosed. Counseling becomes very vital for infertile couples as it helps them talk about their thoughts and express their feelings. Counseling sessions can be very useful for a couple to increase their acceptance level about the existing problem and also in decision making about the treatment choices advised by the doctor.
Counseling is important for a couple throughout their Journey of Infertility. At our clinic, we understand the need of it and provide free counseling sessions to all our couples at various stages.
Pre-Treatment Counseling
Couples many a times are in a stage of denial. They feel it is only them who have this problem. Counseling and psycho-education by a trained Counselor makes them realize, they are not the only one suffering from this problem. A counseling session during this time helps them vent out their feelings. A counselor helps them to come to terms with the reality and also helps them to understand that Infertility is a disease and there are various treatments available which can enable to fulfill their life goal of becoming parents. It helps the couple to re-instill hope in them. It also helps them to decide on the treatment options suggested to them based on their diagnosis.
During the treatment
When a couple is undergoing an infertility treatment, they experience feelings of hope and despair as there is a lot of uncertainty as far the results are concerned. During this time a couple needs a enormous amount of emotional commitment and counseling session, individual or couple as demanded by them, helps them attain it. During the treatment, a counselor puts a couple at ease by providing relevant information at all stages. Their treatment anxieties are taken care of during such sessions.
After the results
We take care of our patient irrespective of their result. Even if the result is positive, they are very anxious and fearful as it is a very precious pregnancy for them. If the result is negative then, counseling gives them an opportunity to grieve their loss. Simultaneously, the counselor helps them prepare for another attempt. This is important because cumulative pregnancy rate increases with repeat attempts.
Patients have rated the stress of undergoing IVF as more stressful than or almost as stressful as any other major life event, such as the death of a family member or separation or divorce. At our clinic, we provide support and care to these couples throughout the treatment.
We counsel them at multiple stages during a treatment cycle:
