Couples Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Covington & Hafkin and Associates

“And when are YOU having another?” Common Emotions behind Secondary Infertility Explained

Secondary infertility affects those who already have one child, but are unable to conceive a second. You may have had little or no trouble conceiving a baby the first time around, and then suddenly you find that after months or even years of trying for a second, you are unable to do so. No matter what your first story was, you may be feeling a sense of shame at your difficulty in having a second child, and a sense of failure at not having a sibling for the child you have, with the spacing between them that you desired. Your situation can raise many new questions and feelings that are normal and quite common among the patients we [...]

Staying in Synch: Changing Couple Conflict to Closeness During Fertility Treatment

Infertility is an inherently stressful experience, yet one of the stresses often not talked about is the conflict that can occur in a relationship during treatment. Whether in a heterosexual or gay relationship, couples often find that they feel and deal very differently from their partner regarding their emotional response to infertility. This is not surprising as you each bring your own unique personality and life experiences into the relationship that will impact how you deal with your feelings. Understanding and being respectful of these personality differences, rather than qualify them as being “better or worse” than your own, is important. Here are some techniques I have found to be very helpful over the years of working couples to assist [...]