How to Support You
When your partner is going through fertility treatment, most of the focus is naturally on her. But you're going through this too. Being the supportive one doesn't mean the stress, the waiting or the disappointment doesn't touch you.
Each post looks at one part of your side of it, with a quick visual, one thing worth knowing, and a small step to try today. Start wherever feels most familiar. And if it ever feels heavier than you can carry alone, talking to someone is a strong next step, not a last resort.
Feeling Helpless: When You Can't Fix It
You can't fix fertility treatment, and that can be one of the hardest parts. Here's why partners feel so helpless, and what genuinely helps.
Feeling Sidelined: When the Clinic Talks Past You
At fertility appointments, it's easy to feel like an extra in the room. Here's why partners often feel sidelined, and how to find your place on the team.
Staying Strong: The Hidden Cost of Holding It Together
It can feel like your job is to be the steady one. But holding everything in has a cost. Here's how to stay strong without carrying it all alone.
Guilt and Resentment: The Feelings No One Admits
Some feelings during fertility treatment are hard to admit, even to yourself. Here's why guilt and resentment are so common, and what to do with them.
Take Care of Yourself: Because You’re In This Too
You can't support her well if you're running on empty. Seven practical ways to look after yourself through treatment.
Life Outside Treatment: So Treatment Doesn’t Take Over Everything
Treatment can quietly take over everything. Here's how to keep the rest of your life going.
Saying the Wrong Thing: How to Repair It
Almost every partner says something that lands wrong during fertility treatment. Here's what to say instead, and how to repair it when it happens.
Disagreeing: When You Want Different Next Steps
You won't always agree on what comes next in fertility treatment. Here's how to understand what's behind each other's views, and decide together.
Paying for Treatment: The Money Talk
For a lot of partners, money is where the stress lands hardest. Here’s how to plan for it together, so the money doesn’t make the decisions for you.
When Family and Friends Ask: Handling ‘Any News Yet?’
"Any news yet?" can be hard to hear during fertility treatment. Here's how to decide what to share, answer with ease, and be her buffer.
Positive News for You: When You Can't Quite Believe It Yet
After a long road, a positive test can bring fear along with joy. Here's how to take it in, one milestone at a time.
Grieving Differently: When You Don't Cope the Same Way
Grief doesn't always look the same for two people going through the same loss. Here's how to understand each other's way, and grieve together.
Parenthood on Hold: Living With an Uncertain Future
Fertility treatment doesn't come with a timeline you can count on. Here's how to live in the in-between, without putting your whole life on hold.
Donor Sperm: Letting Go of a Genetic Connection
Hearing that donor sperm may be the best path forward can bring up hard feelings. Here's how to work through them, and what really makes a father.
Counseling for Partners: Finding Someone Who Gets It
Fertility treatment puts real strain on partners, too. Here's how to find a counselor or support group that understands what you're going through.
Other Partners: Connecting With Others Who've Been There
Fertility treatment can be lonely for partners. Here's how to find and connect with other men who've been there, and why it helps so much.