When unexpectedly faced with the sting of infertility, would-be parents experience an in acknowledged trauma that leaves them feeling not only fustrated and angry, but sad, frightened, confused, guilty, overwhelmed, and out of control.

-Unsung Lallabies

I have always known that I wanted to have my own family one day. When we decided to have a family, we were filled with excitement and pure joy and I quickly started to filled the nursery with pictures and even a mural on the wall.

I secretly brought baby clothes in my mind and imagined carrying our baby in my arms. I did not expect to have problems “becoming” a parent. After the first two miscarriages, my fear that we would not be to conceive with the support of assisted reproductive technology(ART) became all too real when the Ob-Gyn suggested that we seek the help of a REI specialist.

Everyone else seemed to be able to get pregnant, except us, or it just seemed that way. My partner and I became more despondent and a little distance crept in because we were both struggling with our own infertility. Shared loneliness into this unchartered territory left us feeling so confused, lost, sad, but hopeful for a miracle. Our friends and family did not seem to understand. We invested ourselves fully in this process; interpersonally, emotionally, physically and financially. The most traumatic aspect was the loss of our child that did not survive and the world not fully recognizing this loss and our focused to be pregnant did not allow the time to fully grieve.

You are not alone in this process. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, infertility affects 10-15% of couples. This makes it one of the most common conditions for people between the ages 20-45 years of age.

There are so many decisions that a couple has to make during their infertility journey. It can heartbreaking. EMBRACE Therapy is dedicated to support families using ART, which is a gift and a burden to help them manage the emotional impact of this experience. Understanding why this hurts so bad will allow healing of your sorrows, disappointment to maintain some emotional stability. Families who use ART are at risk for perinatal mood affective disorders – antepartum and postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, psychosis and rage.

With insight and compassion, EMBRACE Therapy will help you navigate through the emotional maze of infertility.

By Agathe C. Pierre-Louis Psy.D