Woman unable to conceive helps others cope

There's often no definitive answer to why a couple is unable to conceive a child.

Even after charting ovulation days, undergoing drug therapies to stimulate ovulation, taking injections or having surgeries to improve fertility, the painful fact is some couples won't become pregnant.

In this special Wausau Daily Herald report, we have examined the emotional journey through infertility for women who wish to bear children.

Ann Young, 34, of Tomahawk is at peace with her decision not to have children with Roy, her husband of nearly seven years. It's the end of a long journey that involved six rounds of intra-uterine insemination and volleys of unwanted questions about when they would be having kids of their own.

"It felt very business-like to us," she said.

And then, the Youngs made the difficult decision not to have children, which prompted Ann to begin local support groups to help other couples going through infertility.

It was painful to accept the joys of others, including her brother, who were having children.

"I wanted to take this negative situation and turn it into something positive to help others," Young said.

The meetings have started small, with about five participants. Young said people are encouraged to open up, though they don't have to give their full names if they'd rather keep their experiences private.

Recent topics of discussions have included coping strategies for getting through the medical disappointments and sharing positive experiences with doctors and clinics.

On the other side of the pain, Young realized that not raising children gives them the freedom to pick up and go and to focus on doing things to enrich their marriage, she said.

"We're very lucky with all other aspects of our lives," she said. "I have an attitude of gratitude."

The National Infertility Association "Resolve" recently began online advertising of Ann's groups meeting in Weston, Stevens Point and Tomahawk at Ministry Health Care sites.

Young said she hopes the group will grow, because so many couples -- at least one in six -- are having the same experience she had.

"You can feel very alone in infertility," she said.

Source: http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071124/WDH0101/711240537/1981

Category: coping, infertility, support