THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF INFERTILITY

I have focussed a lot on this subject on my blog and this is largely because, from experience, psychological symptoms are the most common and difficult to deal with, in any struggle with infertility.

The psychological effects of infertility are many and varied and very real. Parenting is viewed as a natural transition in life and so when our efforts to this end, is frustrated, then anxiety, stress and depression results.

In my struggles with infertility, I hid my feelings and struggled alone for the greater part, because I felt that people would think that I was over reacting. What I was feeling, I did not understand that they were as natural as air is to breathing. I did not know that feeling jealous of persons, including close friends and even my family members who were having babies, was natural. I did not know that feeling a sense of loss, anger, pity and inadequacy was also natural. How could I, when I knew of no one who was going through similar circumstances, which would make me understand more. As a result of this, I held on to the notion that I was overreacting and for far too long, until I started believing it and felt a lot of shame. Sadly when people finally found out about my struggles, some did in fact felt that I was over reacting. I guess the saying “don’t judge a man unless you have walked a mile in his shoe” comes to mind here.

I came across an article recently that looks, in detail, at the psychological effects of infertility and how these symptoms, continue into treatment. It also looks at types of interventions that might help to deal with these symptoms. 


Please refer to the link below for more on this subject.

http://www.womensmentalhealth.org/specialty-clinics/infertility-and-mental-health/?gclid=CMDGq4rDoLACFQiynQodSUuaWQ

 From the article:-

“Stress, depression and anxiety are described as common consequences of infertility. A number of studies have found that the incidence of depression in infertile couples presenting for infertility treatment is significantly higher than in fertile controls, with prevalence estimates of major depression in the range of 15%-54% (Domar 1992; Demyttenaere 1998; Parikh 2000; Lukse 1999; Chen 2004). Anxiety has also been shown to be significantly higher in infertile couples when compared to the general population, with 8%-28% of infertile couples reporting clinically significant anxiety (Anderson 2003; Chen 2004; Parikh 2000).”

LIGHT MOMENT FRIDAYS - FEATURE 36 - SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

Sunday School Lesson

Little Janice was not the best student in Sunday school. Usually she slept through class. One day the teacher called on her while she was napping, "Tell me Janice, who created the universe?" When Janice didn't stir, little Johnny, a boy seated in the chair behind her, took a pin and jabbed her in the rear.

"God Almighty!" shouted Janice and the teacher said, "Very good" and Janice fell back asleep.

A while later the teacher asked Janice, "Who is our Lord and Saviour." But, Janice didn't even stir from her slumber. Once again, Johnny came to the rescue and stuck her again.

"Jesus Christ!" shouted Janice and the teacher said, "Very good," and Janice fell back asleep.

Then the teacher asked Janice a third question. "What did Eve say to Adam after she had her twenty-third child?" and again, Johnny jabbed her with the pin.

This time Janice jumped up and shouted, "If you stick me with that thing one more time, I'll break it in half and stick it up your ass!"

... the teacher fainted!

N.B. Sorry if you found some language contained herein, offensive, but I just had to share this one.

Source: Sustain Jamaica Sunday Humour
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TEN REASONS FOR WANTING ANOTHER CHILD

When we began thinking about having another child, I had several reasons for making this decision, and a few reasons for thinking we might be biting off more than we could chew.

Here are some of the reasons we wanted another child:-

1. Family advertisements on television usually feature two parents and two children, oftentimes a girl and a boy and so I thought that this must be what is largely portrayed as the ideal family and I did not want to miss out.

2. I wanted our son to have someone to grow up with, someone who he can interact with and who could have his back when the need arises and vice versa.

3. Which parent would not want a break at times, and so I saw where our son could actually help in this regard, by spending time with his younger sibling, probably watching television or something while mommy and daddy gets a break.

4. I like the sound of ‘the kids’ used in conversation.

5. I wanted to relax and enjoy a pregnancy because I was never able to do that with my son’s pregnancy, as I was just too nervous after coming out of a recent miscarriage. Want to know a secret? the pregnancy with my daughter was far from relaxing and enjoyable at times, because I had the advance maternal age issue and its effect on a pregnancy to deal with.

6. Even though our home was not really quiet with just one child, I did at times miss what it would sound like with two kids constantly engaging in horseplay and annoying each other.

7. We wanted to give our son as much as we could, and this included a sibling of his own.

8. We wanted to teach our son to share and to care for someone else.

9. We wanted to balance out the parent/child ratio – 2 parents, 2 children.

10. Last but not least, I wanted to feel confident that I had indeed conquered infertility and I also felt that I/we deserved more than one prize for such a difficult struggle with infertility.

So there goes my 10 reasons for wanting another child.

See what someone else has to say courtesy of ‘Circle of Moms,’ by following the link below.

 http://www.circleofmoms.com/article/10-reasons-have-another-kid-03772?trk=digest_editorial_3772&email_enc=ldCm0N6nmtfcz8TLk5aRZXmc0azYy5yllc3Vzg%253D%253D&email_src=1337443782aa8230767c40513a232e6ee97f9b7902&template_name=digest_weekly_2&subject_id=bfd6309b4a21bfa0340e7db77743f785:0&has_fb=1




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GETTING PREGNANT NATURALLY AFTER IVF

Women who have done Invitro-Fertilization (IVF), must have often wondered if they could still get pregnant naturally. 

According a recent article, turns out, this is very possible.

Follow the link below for more

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47282814/ns/health-pregnancy/t/after-ivf-some-women-get-pregnant-without-help/#.T7E3ZOj2a_g

From the article:

"It must be borne in mind that infertility did not mean no chance to conceive but low or very low chance to conceive," Troude said. Dr. Johannes Evers, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, said that couples' behavior can explain why people whose IVF didn't work out had a higher rate of natural pregnancies afterward.

Successful couples already had their child(ren), so they will have used contraception," Evers, who was not involved in the study, wrote in an email to Reuters Health. Men and women who were younger had a better chance of having a baby naturally, as did couples whose infertility didn't have a clear cause.

For instance, among women younger than 35 with unexplained infertility, 45 percent became pregnant after failing to have a baby through IVF.”

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LIGHT MOMENT FRIDAYS – FEATURE 35 - “DO UNTO OTHERS..........”

When I started my light moment Fridays, at first I wondered if I would be able to find material that would make it worth it. Turns out our 4 year old son has all the material we need, as he is just so funny and comes up with the most witty and unexpected things.

The other day I heard his dad scolding him for wetting up the bathroom. I could not believe what he said next – “Do unto others.........thyself.” You know the Golden rule, “Do unto others as you would like them do unto you? Well he apparently could not remember all of it but it was still impacting. I could not believe he was actually saying this and thought I probably heard wrong.  He repeated it and for sure that was what he said and it was used in the proper context. I could not help but laugh. His Dad said to me later, "see how your son is chastising me.

I guess he is just reminding his Dad that if he himself does not want to be scolded, he should not scold others. Another teachable moment, I dare say, from the school of ethical and practical living, administered by our son.

How do children too often become the subject of abuse. You ‘gotta’ love them

MIRACLE MOM SURVIVED PLACENTA PERCRETA AND GAVE BIRTH TO A HEALTHY BABY GIRL

I have never heard of the condition Placenta Percreta before. This is the rarest and most fatal form of placenta accreta and occurs when the placenta implants into the lower portion of the uterus and can invade the bladder. 

This occurs in 1 in approximately 500 pregnancies and sadly, 1 in 7 women with Placenta Percreta does not make it.

Gina Walker had this condition and had to do a blood transfusion in which almost 35 gallons of blood was used to save her life.  The miracle mom is now showing off her healthy baby girl and telling her story.

Read her story by following the link below:-

http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/30/11470996-miracle-mom-survives-massive-blood-loss-to-deliver-healthy-baby?lite

So much can go wrong in a pregnancy and when you come out on the other side with your health and healthy baby, it is nothing short of God’s favour.

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10 YEAR OLD COLUMBIAN GIRL GIVES BIRTH

A 10 year old Columbian girl gave birth to a baby girl weighing just about 5 pounds recently. This makes her one of the world’s youngest mother.

I really did not know this was even possible but according to an ABC article, the explanation is that, because ovulation usually starts before menstruation, it is very possible that girls can get pregnant before having their first period.

Follow the link below for more on this story:-

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/04/06/10-year-old-girl-gives-birth-to-daughter/

Many times throughout my infertility struggle, I would think that if I had become pregnant earlier, not at age 10 by any means, but in my early teens as I began noticing evidence of my PCOS condition in my late teens, then I would have had the child or children I so wanted and my infertility struggle would have sure turned out differently.

Not that my parents would approve of this and I would definitely have to fit all my belongings in one travelling bag and run for the hills.

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