Episode 39: What's Love Got to Do With It?: Relationships & Infertility

The Whole Pineapple

Individual and family couples counselor Suzi Mohn has helped families navigate crises for years, and she knows how important support can be during a fertility journey.

Infertility can put a huge strain on relationships — stress, financial worries, blame and guilt, turning pleasure into obligation, differing expectations or goals, etc. etc. are all legitimate concerns.

Ironically, in the quest to build a family, the family you already have can be put at risk. Fortunately, there are counselors and therapy groups to help couples overcome the difficulties, together.

In this episode, Suzi, Anne, and Ruby discuss the struggles people face when dealing with infertility. Couples may find infertility one of the first major crises they face together — they may not have been married long; they may not have dealt with the trauma of losing a parent or losing a job — and suddenly something they thought would be simple and natural … isn’t.

Also, people may believe they’ve done All The Things right: they waited until they were financially and emotionally ready. They established their lives before preparing to welcome children into it. And their reward for such responsibility? Trouble conceiving or maintaining a pregnancy.

Couples may be on different timelines, too. One partner is ready to go to the doctor TODAY; the other isn’t feeling the same urgency. And that can make both of them feel like they’re taking this journey alone instead of together.

What do you do when you’re facing so much, and the one person you turn to in difficult times is dealing with their own concerns? What do you do when the person who is usually a big part of your solution is suddenly a big part of your problem? (or so you think…)

There’s help! Listen up for ways couples can navigate the challenges of infertility. Then, please share this episode with anyone you think could benefit.

You can find out more about Suzi Mohn and get her contact information HERE. You can find more from Ruby and Anne at thewholepineappple.com.