Karen Goldfischer, LCSW

Infertility is a medical problem that affects 1 in 8 couples in the United States. Learn the answers to common infertility FAQs below. What is infertility? Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system often diagnosed after a couple has had one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse, or if the woman has suffered from multiple miscarriages and the woman is under 35 years of age. If the woman is over 35 years old, it is diagnosed after 6 months of unprot...ected, well-timed intercourse. Who gets it? Infertility is a medical problem. Approximately 30% of infertility is due to a female factor and 30% is due to a male factor. In the balance of the cases, infertility results from problems in both partners or the cause of the infertility cannot be explained. What are the signs and symptoms? Often there are no signs or symptoms associated with an infertility problem. Listening to your body and getting regular checkups will help to detect a problem. Early detection and treatment of a problem are often critical in achieving successful pregnancy outcomes later. Infertility can take a emotional toll on all involved. Finding a trained therapist can be a great outlet. #NIAW #IFAwareness #NationalInfertilityAwarenessWeek #WhatIWantYoutoKnow

Miscarriage also tends to be particularly painful because it’s too often experienced privately, leaving a lack of formal space to grieve, she explains. Many women also struggle with simply allowing themselves the time, space, and permission to mourn the loss of a pregnancycomplicating the issue even further. But the loss is a common experience and being able to talk about it can be helpful. Early pregnancy, in particular, happens in about 10 percent of known pregnancies, and about one in four women experience a miscarriage over the course of their life.

Experiencing any trauma in your pregnancy and/or birth is significant and can result in anxiety and/or depression. The good news is with help, you can feel better: PTSD is especially treatable via SSRIs and reframing therapies like CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy, and EMDR, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing.) And over time, we begin to heal.

Myths about postpartum distress (depression and anxiety) #beinformed #speakthesecret

As always, thank you to the The Postpartum Stress Center for putting into relatable words and images such common struggles. #speakthesecret

As a society we are very bad at talking about death, and we are still embarrassed by anything gynaecological, so miscarriage represents a uniquely impossible conversation for many people. But no woman should ever feel obliged to hide her loss, or unable to talk about it. And the more that brave, brilliant famous women like Chrissy Teigen speak out about their losses, especially with her unflinching honesty, the smaller that stigma will become.

Postpartum OCD is very common and often overlooked/misunderstood. This is a great article outlining some symptoms and how PP OCD can differ from generalized anxiety:

Our hearts are heavy. It’s time to mother the mothers. #Repost @sistersinloss As we kick off October and Pregnancy, Infant and Child Loss Awareness Month, w...e want to start by honoring baby Jack who @chrissyteigen @johnlegend shared so openly about her unplanned exciting pregnancy, pregnancy complications and now untimely loss. Nothing ever prepares parents for what to do or what to say when they are faced with the death of a baby. Sending love to all the Sisters and Brothers in Loss and love to Chrissy and John as they navigate grief and healing their way. #pregnancyandinfantlossawarenessmonth #pailawareness #pailawarenessmonth #sistersinloss #brothersinloss #babyjack See more

Did you know that October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month? A pregnancy loss at any stage is heartbreaking, yet it is often something that people do not talk about or seek support for. If you can relate, I see you and I am so sorry for your loss. Please know that you are not alone (1 in 4 pregnancies end in a loss), and with support you can work through your grief and commemorate your child in the way that is most meaningful to you.

Instead of blaming women for difficulty conceiving, (which is what happens when we tell someone to just relax and they’ll get pregnant), we should instead provide them with support to cope with the anxiety that comes from the unfairness of infertility.