A couple who has been unsuccessful in their attempts to conceive a child for over a year are struggling with infertility, says Dr. Carol Tanksley. Carol is a personal coach and licensed OB-GYN with more than thirty years of helping couples walk through the difficult journey of infertility. She explains that only one third of infertility cases are centered on medical issues with the mother. One third are male-factor reasons, and another third is a combined factor between both the male and the female. Carol shares what kind of jobs are likely to contribute to male-factor infertility and highlights how important lifestyle factors and stress can be when a couple is hoping to get pregnant.

TAKEAWAYS

Infertility can heavily affect marriages when couples begin playing the “shame and blame” game

Support your partner throughout infertility by reaffirming your unconditional love for them, regardless of whether you have children

We are not taught to suffer well in our culture and infertility is a type of suffering that pains many people