Maybe you’re not dealing with infertility directly, but if your friend or relative is, it’s likely to affect you. That point was brought home in a recent blog post from the creator of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.
This particular post was in a Q&A style format and the first question was from a brother who wanted to help his male sibling cope with issues of infertility. However, the sibling refused to talk about it, causing stress for the brother who wanted to help. (And potential stress for the sibling, too!)
Truly, this can be a very tough and complicated subject. Many people coping with infertility simply don’t want to discuss their problems, especially if they are naturally private individuals.
So what can you do if you want to show your support for a person or couple dealing with infertility? Try some of these techniques:
- Be available, but don’t be pushy. If your friend doesn’t want to discuss the topic of infertility, let it go.
- Don’t constantly ask your friend about doctor’s appointments, outcomes, etc. if your friend seems hesitant to talk about the subject.
- Ask your friend if he or she wants to have a conversation about infertility. If the answer is “no”, respect that answer without question.
There are definitely ways to be a good friend to someone struggling with infertility. The best is to remember to focus on what that person needs and wants, not on what you think you ought to be doing to help.
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