Quite often, couples dealing with fertility problems turn away from each other and withdraw from their family and friends. This may be the first crisis that you and your partner are going through together and you may not know how you can ask for or offer support. You can conquer this problem by learning strategies that help keep the lines of communication open and your relationship alive. In doing this, think about expressing positive feelings instead of just negative ones, about having a sense of humour and about taking the time to enjoy each other’s company.

Besides supporting each other, it is important to seek out other forms of support. However difficult it may be, calling on people who are close to you can help you get through difficult moments. It is not ideal to go through this process alone. Your friends and family are probably very willing to help.

You can try to build up a network of trusted people whom you can turn to if you are depressed. Be selective - although friends and family often mean well, it sometimes seems that certain people in your life ‘understand it better’ than others.

Advice such as ‘just relax and everything will be ok’, or ‘try not to think about it so much’, or stories about other peoples’ experiences do not always help you move forward.

Also, do not hesitate to call in professional help. Infertility can be an enormous strain on your emotional well-being and a professional psychologist or specially trained counsellor can help you get through difficult periods.