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The No Baby Blues

Infertility and Depression

By Kelly Burgess

s says that incorporating formal emotional support is something that is new to him, but for the past two years, he has been recommending that new patients, as well as established patients who have not achieved pregnancy, meet with a therapist – if only for a consultation.

"I worry that people won't see a therapist because there's traditionally been a social stigma to depression, but in this case it's an atypical depression with a very definite cause, and talking to someone can ease some of the pain," Dr. Leondires says. "Making mental health services part of the standard infertility treatment would go a long way toward removing the stigma, because it would make this support commonplace."

It doesn't matter to Dr. Leondires what type of therapies his patients choose to pursue to reduce stress and anxiety. Whether it's traditional talk therapy with a psychologist, yoga, acupuncture or just speaking with clergy, what's important to him is that they do address the emotional aspect.

Tuttle also says that it's important to consult a therapist early in the process of infertility treatments to prevent the infertility crisis from becoming a marital crisis. "Infertility treatment is like a marathon, and you wouldn't start a marathon without any training," she says. "If you see a therapist at the beginning of the process, you can learn stress management skills and coping skills, and you'll have them when things get tough. A little prevention goes a long way."

Furthermore, Tuttle says that you should definitely see a therapist if you find you're so distracted you're having trouble functioning, you're withdrawing from social support, fighting with your spouse or exhibiting some classic signs of depression, such as crying all the time or never wanting to get out of bed.

Experts agree the future is one where emotional support is as much a part of infertility treatment as physical examination.

Want to see more?

• From Mood Swings to Baby Swings: Clinical Depression and Conception
• Mind Over "Matter" – Infertility, Medicine and the Mind/Body Connection
• Healing the Mind, Healing the Body: An Interview With Helen Adrienne, MSW, ACSW, BCD
• Talk about it!