So many coaching professionals are trending on social media, message boards, forums, and the internet. From mini course programs, workshops, webinars, and books, you can often find a coach to guide you through almost any obstacle you might be facing.
Do you want to expand your business? Hire a business coach. Are you worried about how you will be remembered in this life once you’ve passed on or what you are leaving behind? Start the conversation with a legacy coach. No time to get anything done? A time management coach fits the bill. There is no shortage of assistance out there for anyone who needs it.
Related post: The life coach & you – a winning combination
However, if you’ve already achieved your dream job or built a profitable business and, you’re no way near the golden years, it may be time to begin thinking about starting a family.
Not sure where to start? Well, you already know what you want – to create and sustain a healthy, happy family dynamic. Becoming a parent is a monumental decision. It’s not going to happen overnight. It will take some patience and persistence. Not to mention the willingness to set up a strategic plan for your life so that everything comes together at the right time.
Question: Where can you obtain the vital reproductive health information and support that you need during the most transformative stage in life?
Answer: You can obtain vital reproductive health information and support from a fertility coach.
Men and women looking to start a family can benefit from the services of a fertility coach. Whether they are trying to conceive, or just curious about fertility care, this type of coach works with you to find the answers.
In this article, I will explain what is a fertility coach, the amazing benefits they provide, and why having a coach might be right for you. Toward the end, I will provide a list of where you can obtain more information about the organizations that support fertility coaches and reproductive health.
What is a Fertility Coach?
A fertility coach is a coaching professional who can provide support and guidance throughout your fertility journey. Their main focus is your fertility care and well-being. Depending on their knowledge, experience, and education, they can assist you in making complex decisions when it comes to a wide array of options including medically assisted reproductive methods, surrogacy, donors, and adoption.
If you’ve received a medical recommendation from a medical provider, the fertility coach can help to integrate and manage treatment as it progresses. They work closely with those medical reports to assist you with navigating the physical, mental, and emotional effects of infertility.
Once pregnant, a coach can continue to support you as you transition into parenthood. With your coach as your accountability partner, you can create a strategy to handle each trimester right up to delivery and beyond. Some coaches may include services such as onboarding goals or a return to work action plan postpartum.
Ideal Candidates for Fertility Coaching
Adults of child bearing age are good candidates for fertility coaching. Depending on what your goals are the more specific you can make your objectives the better the coach can help you achieve them. The following criteria will guide you in your decision to hire a coach. If you find that you match up with more than one scenario, then seeking the service of a fertility coach would be of great help to you.
Candidates for Fertility Coaching
- experiencing fear or hesitation around getting pregnant
- received medical diagnosis of infertility
- pregnant as a result of fertility treatments
- has little to no knowledge of reproductive health
- little to no familial influence, guidance, or support
- minimal partner interaction or support
- busy, overworked, and overwhelmed individuals
Benefits of having a Fertility Coach
If you’ve been trying to conceive for a long time without medical assistance, a coach will talk with you about some of the contributing factors that might lead to infertility so you can decide on whether to seek medical intervention now.
Here are some questions that you might want to ask your medical provider and/or the fertility coach when inquiring about fertility:
- How does my lifestyle choices affect my fertility?
- Should my partner get tested?
- What are some ways to handle the “2 week wait?”
- How does my emotions affect my fertility?
- Can my age be a factor in getting pregnant?
It may take some time for your doctor to accurately diagnose the issues that you are have. A coach helps to break down medical terminologies for a better understanding of the process. They work closely with you to get clear on what choices are available and how to go about them.
Coincidentally, your life does not stop when your fertility treatments begin. In the long run, doing treatments can unleash an overwhelming burden on your life. It is not uncommon to attend several medical appointments before there are results for effort. Everyday tasks can become increasingly difficult to complete if you become too laser-focused on getting pregnant.
This is where a coach can provide some needed relief. A coach works with you to realign your goals so that having a baby is not the only focus. It should be creating and living a healthy life. One that includes having a family in it.
Do I need a Fertility Coach?
The decision to hire a fertility coach depends on your own needs. Not everyone has or requires support on their journey. You may know a friend who may have experienced infertility but does not want to share their challenges with you. Oftentimes, patients keep details private from loved ones and their social circle. Only to find themselves in solitary with feelings of fear and shame.
Having a fertility coach to share in your experience can increase your chances of becoming a parent by:
- validating your emotions, worries, and concerns
- assist you in finding ways to reduce and/or manage stress
- helping you to focus on your overall fertility care
- clarifying medical terms and procedures within your diagnosis
- supporting and encouraging you throughout treatment
- identify other options if you are unable to conceive
Related article: The path to parenthood: how lifestyle choices impact male and female fertility
What a Fertility Coach can’t do?
A fertility coach does not run tests or prescribe medication to determine infertility. They also should not promise or guarantee conception, whether by natural means or with supplements, medications or procedures. Even the best reproductive specialists in the world won’t do that. Many factors contribute to getting pregnant. All of which should be of consideration while having real expectations about the outcome. In truth, you could pass every test and still have a diagnosis of “unexplained infertility.”
Those results don’t necessarily mean you are infertile. It means that from the preliminary round of testing, they unable to find a root cause that fully explain your symptoms. The fertility specialist will likely conduct a more in-depth examination or suggest treatments and other procedures.
Where can I find out more?
There are many organizations worldwide that provide an abundance of research, resources, and information. You can also find a directory of independent members included in their professional associations that aid in assisted reproductive medicine and health.
- In Canada, the Canadian Society of Fertility & Andrology
- United States, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine
- Europe, the European Fertility Society
If you cannot find a local office in your area, search the internet for “reproductive health clinics” to reveal other locations and centers.
Takeaway
Having a fertility coach alongside you on your fertility journey, or even just in the fertility treatment phase, can be very beneficial. Their main goal is to be there for you both physically and emotionally to improve fertility care. In addition to making sure you fully understand the challenges you face with infertility. If you do get pregnant or make other decisions when it comes to parenting, your coach can offer you additional information.
In short, a fertility coach becomes a trusted ally on the journey to creating the family and ultimately the life you always wanted.
Let me know what was your experience with or without the assistance of a fertility coach in the comments section.
Maxcine W. – Staying Connected
I really appreciated the depth of information provided on the benefits of hiring a fertility coach. It’s clear that they play a pivotal role in guiding individuals through their fertility journey. I’m curious, how do you think the emotional support offered by a fertility coach differs from that of a traditional therapist or counselor, especially when dealing with the unique challenges of infertility?
Thank you Ralph for your comment. Just as you have mentioned, it is because of the unique challenges of infertility why I would lean more towards the services of a fertility coach for emotional support rather than the local or traditional mental health professional. Infertility and Fertility Care are a specialized field. Which typically requires additional training, education, and/or experience. It’s important to know that these conditions are evident as apart of their skill set. One exception might be if the client already has a pre-existing mental health issue or has had one in the past. In such cases, both professionals could be extremely beneficial if they can work together.