Is anyone in your family or friends dealing with infertility? Dealing with this kind of mental pain is difficult for the person, and their family or friends also feel it is challenging to face this situation and don't know what to say to comfort the person. It becomes tougher to meet those individuals when you get joy from the new arrivals.
The person may look normal and do all the mundane tasks, and there is no way of suspecting from their appearance that they can never be parents. But, on the other hand, it may shock you as well as the person is so overwhelmed. So, if you are thinking about how to talk with your friend or family member so that the person doesn't feel uncomfortable, here are a few ways to consider.
4 Ways to Support an Individual Dealing with Infertility
Though there may be various reasons for infertility, dealing with infertility is not simple. Even your most compassionate words can hurt the person. If you don't want to make such mistakes but want support from the core of your heart, you must follow these ways:
1. Listen
Sometimes when people are too much in grief, they prefer talking about their problems and dislike any advice. So, the rule of thumb is to listen to your friend or family member dealing with infertility. Listen with all your heart and be there when they need you to be around.
Refrain from giving any advice or being too emotional in front of them. Your job is to listen to your friend and let them process the emotion maturely and effectively so that it doesn't hurt or haunt them later in life.
2. Ask if You Can Help Anyway
Ask your friend or family member in what ways you can help them. Sometimes going out for some outings may bring peace back to your friend. So, ask if they are ready for some changes and want to visit some places they like. When the infertility issue comes, that affects the whole family. It becomes traumatic for the couple to digest harsh comments if it's a joint family. In this case, going out for a vacation may positively impact them.
3. Bring Back Their Passion
You may discuss if your friend is good at art or loves dancing or singing. Discussing the things we like instantly has positive changes in our brains. But do it carefully and avoid being too pushy. Remember, all human beings are different in processing their emotions. So, give time to your friend or family person so that they can work on their passion.
Check Out: Find Your True Passion
4. Encourage to Meet with People with the Same Issue
Infertility is not uncommon among couples, and many people are its victims. But time goes by, and people also learn how to endure their emotions. Some people go for adoption, and some people make them believe that they are okay. Some women have mental health issues with infertility; they may think they are incomplete. In that case, seeking a clinical solution will be appropriate if you want to know how to support someone with infertility. You can help your friend connect with various infertile couples who have braved the issue like a hero.
Causes of Infertility
According to the World Health Organization, 48 million couples and 186 million individuals suffer from this disorder globally. An individual may have infertility if she has tried to become pregnant through regular, unprotected sexual activity for at least a year but was unsuccessful. There may be various causes underlying the root causes of infertility in women.
Finding the particular cause, however, could be problematic. Some couples have undiagnosed infertility or infertility with many causes, including male and female factors.
Potential Causes of Female Factor Infertility
1. Fallopian Tube
Damaged or obstructed fallopian tubes hinder sperm from accessing the egg or the fertilized egg from entering the uterus. In addition, women who have had ectopic pregnancy surgery or pelvic inflammatory disease may become infertile.
2. Issues in Uterus
Numerous uterine or cervical conditions may prevent the egg from implanting. This might include benign uterine polyps or tumours, an oddly shaped uterus, or a constriction of the cervix. In addition, if the cervix can't produce the specific type of mucus, sperm will not be able to travel through the cervix into the uterus.
3. Ovulation Issues
PCOS, hypothalamic dysfunction, primary ovarian insufficiency, and excessive amounts of prolactin can cause infertility in women. PCOS is one of the common reasons for female infertility, which causes a hormone imbalance, and affects ovulation.
4. Egg Number & Quality
The egg supply may run out if the woman is aged and close to menopause. Furthermore, some eggs have the wrong number of chromosomes, which can not fertilize into a healthy fetus, leading to infertility.
Ways Of Dealing With InfertilityPotential Causes of Male Factor Infertility:
1. Healthy Sperm Count Disorder
The capacity of the sperm to enter and fertilize the female partner's egg may be impacted by low or no sperm count, poor sperm motility, and irregular sperm shape. These problems may be present at birth due to hereditary conditions, or they can develop later in life due to unhealthy lifestyle choices like smoking. In addition, certain medical procedures like chemotherapy, specific medical illnesses, and trauma can also contribute to the issue.
Also Read: Ways to Increase Sperm Count
2. Ejaculation Disorder
If the male has premature, delayed, or retrograde ejaculation, he may have to be dealing with infertility. In addition, male infertility may be triggered by performance anxiety during sex, stress, depression, a lack of sexual connection, and other psychological problems.
3. Varicocele
Varicoceles are enlarged in the testicles, like varicose veins in the legs. These often develop over time and may obstruct the production and transmission of sperm into the semen, reducing the quality of the sperm.
4. Hormone Imbalance
Problems with the brain, pituitary, thyroid, testicles, and adrenal glands, among other hormonal organs, may contribute to decreased sperm counts. In addition, hormonal imbalances that impact infertility often indicate other severe medical conditions.
Check Out: Yoga Poses For Maintaining Hormonal Balance
Infertility Awareness Symbol
Pineapple is recognized as the infertility symbol globally. The orange colour represents infertility. Resolve is an organization that discusses infertility awareness and chooses orange as its colour. Orange promotes a sense of well-being and compassion and helps a wounded heart recover faster. In addition, it increases socialization and promotes aspiration, contentment, confidence, and acceptance.
To conclude, dealing with infertility for a man or a woman is mentally disturbed and has a lot of stigmas attached. Most of the time, people try to find whose fault it was; rather than sympathizing with the couple. This societal or familial approach needs correction, and people should be able to feel the couple's pain. Therefore, when trying to comfort such friends, make sure you use the ways mentioned above to deal with it. In this way, you can assure the person that you are trustworthy, and they can open up without any hesitation in front of you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. When is World Fertility Day Observed?
World Fertility Day is observed on 2nd November to encourage those who cannot become parents.
Q2. How to Enhance Fertility?
Various ways to increase fertility include eating antioxidant-rich foods, exercising, avoiding caffeine, alcohol intake, etc. In addition, you need to manage your stress and keep yourself hydrated.
Q3. Does an Infertile Woman Have Periods?
Yes. An infertile woman may have periods every month. In addition, she may suffer from other symptoms such as ovulation disorder and struggle to get pregnant even after menstruation.
Also Read: Possible Options For Childless Couples
