In this episode of “Quiet the Clock,” I continue my conversation with fertility specialist Dr. Anate Brauer about the emotional component of fertility treatments, particularly egg freezing. We discuss the importance of therapy in the process and the challenges that patients face in finding the right mental health support.
Dr. Anate Brauer emphasizes the significance of mental and emotional health in fertility treatments, stating that 90% of the battle is in the mind. She notes that while there is a physical component to the process, the mental health journey of patients is crucial. Anate observes that elective egg freezers tend to feel empowered and happier, while those going through IVF have more at stake and experience more stress.
We also touch on the different emotional experiences of patients, including feelings of empowerment, anger, and frustration. Dr. Anate Brauer shares the medical differences between freezing eggs and embryos, and we discuss the emotional burden that falls disproportionately on women during fertility treatments.
We also discuss the guilt and regret that many women feel when they realize that their fertility may be compromised. Dr. Brauer shares a story about a musician who wrote a song about her low AMH levels and the frustration of not being able to control her fertility. We acknowledge the societal pressure on women to have children and the guilt that comes with feeling like they may have wasted time.
Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of mental health support in fertility treatments and the need for more accessible resources.
As always, I encourage you to listen to the full episode to gain a deeper understanding of the emotional component of fertility treatments. Thanks for tuning in!
Quotes:
- “90% of this battle is mental and emotional honesty…and it’s really interesting…my elective egg freezers…seem happier to me…versus my ivf patients who…have so much at stake for them…their families are dangling by a thread…their marriages sometimes are dangling by a thread…and so I’ve found that…mental health is such a big part of what we do and I still find it very lacking really.”
- “I think the best way to get support is to have a therapist to have someone that it’s great to have friends and whatever to have an objective person with you kind of that you can talk to.”
- “There’s a lot of work to rewrite some of these narratives that perpetuate guilt and yes regret and I think you know really empowering women to whatever their journey is and whatever their story is to embrace it yes to be proud of it and to celebrate it.”
Key Points:
- The Importance of Therapy [00:01:38] A discussion on the significance of therapy in the fertility treatment process, particularly in egg freezing, and the challenges patients face in finding the right mental health support.
- Emotional Experiences of Patients [00:02:43] A comparison of the emotional journeys of elective egg freezers and IVF patients, with a focus on the different feelings of empowerment, anger, and frustration.
- Challenges in Finding Mental Health Support [00:04:21] A conversation on the difficulties patients face in finding the right therapist, the lack of mental health support in the fertility treatment process, and the financial and insurance issues that come with it.
- The benefits of freezing eggs vs embryos [00:08:41] Discusses the medical benefits of freezing eggs and embryos, and the importance of autonomy in the process.
- Challenges of finding mental health support [00:12:25] Discusses the importance of mental health support during the fertility treatment process and the challenges patients face in finding the right support.
- The emotional impact of fertility treatments on women [00:14:47] Discusses the emotional impact of fertility treatments on women, particularly the lack of control and uncertainty, and the challenges of reconciling achievement with the lack of control in this area.
- The emotional challenges of fertility treatments [00:17:01] Beth and Anate discuss the emotional challenges of fertility treatments, including feelings of guilt, regret, and frustration.
- Rewriting narratives and empowering women [00:18:24] They talk about the importance of rewriting narratives that perpetuate guilt and regret, and empowering women to embrace their journey and celebrate it.
- Staying open to life’s evolution [00:19:10] Beth and Anate encourage listeners to stay open to how life is going to evolve, as more often than not, it doesn’t look like the way we had planned it out to be.