It's common to connect grief to traumatic life events.
But many fertility patients don't think of grieving as part of their treatment.
Dr. Sonja Kristiansen remarks, "Even pro-active patients who are enthusiastic about treatment are experiencing loss. And with loss comes grieving."
She says virtually every infertility patient experiences losing the dream of how they thought it would be to get pregnant and have a baby.
"I've had patients come to me and say, 'Dr. Kristiansen, I'm finding it hard to stay positive about our fertility treatment.' And they worry about the impact of stress on their results."
She says acknowledging the losses of infertility is an important first step to getting through the grief.
"It doesn't mean you're being pessimistic. Optimism requires starting exactly where you are in order to move toward resolution. No need to wallow in it, but if you find yourself doing so, be forgiving. Seek help. It's here."
The staff of Houston Fertility Center, under the direction of Sonja Kristiansen, refers patients to specially-trained and experienced support resources for help with coping.
Online articles related to grieving and infertility:
"Infertility: I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me"
by Ryan Jacobson
How to Grieve Infertility Losses
By FaithAllen on eHow
You can find out more about Sonja Kristiansen on the Houston Fertility Center website.
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