Robin Giesen LMFT

It would be an understatement to say that dealing with infertility is a challenge.  It is more like standing in the ocean and getting pounded by the waves, every time you find your footing you get knocked back down again.  The waiting, the hoping, the uncertainty, the inability to think about anything else, the strain on finances and interpersonal relationships, the impact on our sense of self worth and esteen, the roller coaster of emotions, and the feelings of isolation.  Talking to friends and family member about your fertility journey can be difficult making it hard to receive the emotional support you need during this fragile time.  May people don't know what to say and most people have a hard time just listening.  

Infertility is a very common experience, 1 in 8 couples has a problem getting or staying pregnant, according to Resolve: the National Infertility Association.  People report feeling deep sadness, a roller coaster of emotions, betrayed by their own body, shame and embarrassment, guilt and self-blame, resentment of others who are pregnant or have children, tension in your relationship, and isolation.    Talking to a trained professional can help you regain control over your emotions.  It can improve the quality of your life by reducing stress, depression and anxiety, help you feel calmer during medical procedures and feel better equipped to deal with treatment unpredictability and failures.  Counseling can also help you and your partner learn to communicate better and improve intimacy between you.  

I am so sorry for the loss of your precious little one.  Losing a baby at any point during a pregnancy can be a physically and emotionally devesting experience.  Studies reveal that 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in miscarriage, making it a fairly common experience, but that certainly doesn’t make it any easier to get thru.  Couples often feel very alone in their grief as the outside world does not always acknowledge this as a “real death,” and couples many times have a hard time finding one another during this fragile time because of gender differences in their grieving styles.   If you have suffered a pregnancy loss you may be feeling; 

• Shock; you can’t believe what happened 
• Numb 
• Sad and depressed 
• Angry 
• Guilty; feeling that you did something that brought the miscarriage on 
• Anxious and afraid of having subsequent pregnancy losses 
• Yearning and aching for your baby 
• Envious of other pregnant women 
• Overwhelmed with grief and a sense that the world is an empty place 

If you have had a failed embryo transfer, miscarriage or stillbirth counseling can help to ease the pain of your loss and heal faster.  I can help you 

• Gain control over your emotions 
• Prepare for painful situations that may remind you of your baby 
• Learn how to communicate with your partner so you can effectively support each other thru this difficult time 
• Feel good about yourself, your relationships and the world again 
• Regain the confidence to experience pregnancy again