On the Time to Talk Fertility podcast by Fertility Centers of Illinois, we discuss how infertility treatment can impact relationships and offer tips and strategies to stay strong as a couple through treatment.
Requiring medical intervention to have a child isn’t how most imagine growing their family, and couples find themselves in the uncharted territory both physically and emotionally. The scenario facing each couple is different but may include deciding whether to move forward with donor egg, donor sperm, gestational carrier, adoption and more.
One partner may want to continue treatment while the other may need a break. Each person has different individual needs and preferred ways of coping and moving forward through challenges. With all this in mind, it’s understandable that even the strongest of couples may face challenges in their relationship.
Join us as Dr. Tiffany Edwards and Dr. Marie Davidson, licensed clinical psychologists who exclusively treat fertility patients, share the helpful insight they have gleaned through treating thousands of couples over the years.
The Time to Talk Fertility: How to Stay Strong as a Couple Through Treatment episode covers helpful questions such as:
- How does infertility impact couples?
- What are common emotional themes and reactions?
- How does this vary between women and men?
- How do emotions and reactions change over time?
- What are some of the common needs couples have?
- How is this different for women and men?
- How do couples struggle to meet those needs?
- How can couples stay strong through these struggles?
- What stands out in terms of how this can help couples?
- What patient stories really stand out for you?
- What strategies can help couples?
- What should couples do if one partner wants to stop treatment and the other doesn’t?
- What resources do you recommend?
- What else should couples consider?
The Time to Talk Fertility podcast releases new episodes monthly and is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Tune In, Google Play and Spotify.
Dr. Tiffany Edwards is a licensed clinical psychologist and patient educator specializing in counseling couples and individuals during treatment as well as egg donors and surrogates for those pursuing third party reproduction. In her career, she has worked with patients to address a variety of psychological and health-related issues such as anxiety, depression, cancer survivorship, women’s health issues, stress management, and more.
