Support While Trying to Conceive & Infertility

Trying to Conceive (TTC)

Are you on the journey of trying to achieve pregnancy and could use support?

There are many considerations of this time, and several brief examples of TTC needs I can assist with:

  • Queer or single people trying to decide how to conceive - when your relationship does not have the necessary gametes for procreation and you have to make decisions! Which type of professional are you going to work with? IUI with a midwife? Order an at home insemination kit? Do you want to pursue working with a surrogate? If yes, through an agency? Is there someone in your life you want to ask? How will you choose an egg or sperm donor?

  • Navigating how sex changes with added considerations of sex is now also trying to achieve pregnancy

  • Strain over not achieving pregnancy as soon as expected

  • Not told many people you are TTC and could use the support with the anticipation, disappointment and new focus/preoccupation on TTC

  • You have other conditions (chronic health issues, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, traumatic stress) intersecting with TTC and you could use support in managing symptoms

  • You would like to make desired changes in your life to support your TTC journey (tracking your cycle to time sex with ovulation, changes to routines and patterns to reduce stress, improving communication with your partner(s), learning more about your cycle)

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
― Maya Angelou

Infertility

Infertility, like other health conditions carries a significant emotional, physical, and psychological burden. However, what sets infertility apart is its profound intersection with identity, relationships, and societal expectations. While many chronic conditions may impact daily functioning or overall health, infertility often strikes at the core of one’s sense of self, tied deeply to personal and cultural perceptions of parenthood and legacy. It can also bring a unique sense of ambiguity, as the condition doesn’t always present clear physical symptoms or a timeline for resolution.

Experiencing infertility often includes facing a lack of understanding and stigma, which can worsen feelings of isolation. Additionally, the financial, physical, and emotional toll of treatments, paired with their unpredictable outcomes, can make infertility feel particularly relentless.

Together we will identify a unique treatment plan to support your needs, which might include:

  • Navigating a new or longtime diagnosis or medical condition (e.g. PCOS, endometriosis, low sperm count, azoospermia, affect of cancer treatments on fertility), and how this intersects with TTC

  • Coping with unexplained infertility (all fertility testing is normal and there is no detectable cause for infertility)

  • Secondary infertility (difficulty becoming pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term after previously giving birth)

  • Grief, grieving, acceptance that your TTC journey is going to be different than expected

  • The mental health toll of infertility, including depression, anxiety, stigma, shame

  • Navigating family, friends, religious community, colleagues asking about your fertility, or coping with loved one’s pregnancies (how is everyone you know suddenly pregnant or having children?)

  • Coping and boundaries with the expectations, beliefs, misinformation, misunderstanding, and desires that others have about your fertility and family building goals

  • Support with medical settings and the medicalization of family building - even if you knew you were going to need some medical help (single people, relationships with no sperm, or egg), adjusting to this reality can be difficult

Let Me Help

I offer a 15 minute phone consultation to discuss your needs and my availability