Post Natal depression support - due to infertility

[Frustration21]

Hi All,

Not sure where to post with this one so apologies if this is in the wrong group or if i offend anyone.

I have had 9 years of fertility treatment, 8 rounds of ICSI/FETs and lost 4 babies but i am mummy to a 6yr old and a 6 month old.

I have recently been diagnosed with Post Natal depression and its become apparent it could be from all the years of trauma from my fertility journey and my consultant thinks i may benefit from some counselling support.
Its a tricky one really, but does anyone know of any organisation that would specifically deal with counselling on fertility? I know each clinic have facilities there but i dont think they focus on this far down the line with people that have completed their family if that makes sense

Unfortunately, I don't know about organizations like these in UK, I just wanted to say that I am sorry for your losses, and I that I am amazed by your strength. So many years of TTC, you are a hero. It's tricky, the trauma of infertility can stick with you until many years after managing to have a child, the fact that you know what it is and you're facing it is important. It took me years just to accept the fact that I am facing secondary infertility, I imagine it will take much more time to actually deal with it. Sending you huggs!

I would suggest any counsellor who is trauma informed. You may think trauma = sexual assault, terrorist attacks etc but fertility treatment is a trauma for many people and the negative feelings remain stored in the body. Yes your counsellor may not know the intrinsic ins and outs of fertility treatment, (but a good one will research it for your treatment.) For a lot of trauma treatment you don’t even need to go in to the details of the trauma itself. I would reach out to a few and discuss what you need and get a feel of if they will help. I see a trauma informed psychologist (for childhood trauma/ocd but she helps with the ivf stuff too) and also a fertility counsellor. The fertility counsellor is mostly for a chat and a moan and to get things off my chest but the trauma specialist is helping me to heal. Hope that all makes sense.

Hi

Yes, makes total sense as this is what my perinatal consultant was explaining to me last week.
We did say it was unlikely to find someone who specialises in the fertility area and although we agreed that its possible that im grieving somewhat, going down counselling that specialises in loss, isnt appropriate either :-(