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FAQs:
What is a Fertility Coach?
Fertility Coaches support people on their journey to becoming parents. There are many different styles of coaching and types of coaches. Some fertility coaches focus on emotional support to help us cope throughout a taxing journey. Others may work with you on health, nutrition, hormones, or support through specific types of fertility treatment.
What Does a Fertility Coach Do?
Fertility coaches guide you through the fertility process and help you identify a plan that works for you. A coach can be the “point person” who helps you manage everything outside of the time you spend with your doctor.
Coaches are space holders and mentors. They help you stay on track while assessing your needs at every step of the way. Coaches help you manage your experience throughout the treatment process.
Coaches can assess and help you navigate your struggles with helping you make lifestyle changes in your food and exercise. They can encourage you to use additional treatments such as acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic care while keeping your that your budget and spiritual needs in mind.
What is Fertility Coaching?
Fertility coaching is a form of support designed to help you manage stress, set the best foundations for conception and healthy pregnancy or alternative routes to parenthood, and find clarity for the hard questions.
A fertility coach can help round out the medical treatment from your doctors with extra physical, mental, and emotional support while navigating fertility struggles. Trying to conceive, or trying to enhance future fertility, can feel like a hard journey emotionally and physically, and the situation can easily become isolating and overwhelming. While you turn to doctors and other medical staff for clinical care, a fertility coach's purpose is to be by your side as a partner for everything else.
Coaching support during the process of pre-conception planning or fertility treatment can help you deal with the emotional effects of treatment and make beneficial lifestyle changes, so you become healthier and feel emotionally stronger whilst trying to conceive or build your family in another way.
Why Do People Hire Fertility Coaches?
Fertility coaching has been shown to be highly successful in helping people feel more in control of their physical and mental health, which can improve pregnancy rates and reduce rates of anxiety and depression.
There are a large number of factors that can influence reproductive health and treatment outcomes.
Factors shown to affect fertility and the chances of a healthy live birth include: weight, diet, intake of vitamins, iodine and alcohol, smoking, substance abuse, environmental pollutants, infections, alternative therapies, medical conditions, medications and family medical history, as well as other stressors such as finances, work and relationships.
Fertility coaching can help you manage and improve factors that can influence fertility, as well as how you process and perceive this often stressful time of life.
It's hard to overstate how challenging fertility and reproductive health problems can be for people. Anxiety, depression and stress are likely, with some data suggesting up to 90% of fertility patients experience one of these mental health conditions.
Hormone medications and some reproductive health disorders, such as PCOS, can also leave people at higher risk of depression and anxiety.
When Should I Get a Fertility Coach?
A fertility coach can be beneficial at any stage in the fertility journey: from initial investigations or research through treatment to beyond, as you process emotions and make guided decisions.
In terms of making healthy lifestyle changes, any change no matter how small the window, will not only benefit your own health, but potentially that of a future child.
However, research does suggest that at least a three month period of positive nutritional and other lifestyle interventions will be most influential.
Who is Fertility Coaching For?
Whether you are male, female, non-binary, trans, gay, straight, bi, single or coupled, whether you are trying to conceive naturally, going through IVF, recovering from pregnancy loss or IVF failure, exploring donor or surrogacy routes or adoption, or trying to preserve your future fertility through egg or sperm freezing, fertility coaching can work for you.
If you’re struggling to take the next steps in building your family or you need some emotional support along the way, fertility coaching is a safe and productive option to help you make a plan and get clear on your path to success.
What’s the Difference Between a Fertility Therapist and a Fertility Coach?
As you navigate your fertility journey, it can be hard to know what kind of support works best for you.
Fertility therapists (including psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, or mental health counselors), fertility coaches, and support groups have their own unique attributes that can help manage the emotional stress surrounding fertility and family building. In a nutshell, therapists tend to apply specific modalities (e.g. psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.) to assess, diagnose, and treat mental illness. This tends to happen through a lens that helps people make sense of the past and the present.
A fertility coach is more focused on looking towards the future - providing a framework for self-reflection, coping mechanisms and tools to help manage emotional stress and reach specific goals.
Another small but important distinction is that therapists tend to be more focused on cognitions - acquiring knowledge through thoughts and past experiences - versus fertility coaches, who tend to focus more on building towards goals through behaviors.
How Common is Infertility?
Worldwide, 8–12% of couples experience fertility problems. At least 20% of infertility cases happen solely due to a problem with the male reproductive system. In addition, 19% of American females ages 15–49 years experience primary infertility after 1 year of trying. About 6% of married females ages 15–49 years experience secondary infertility. Black American and Latinx females are more likely to have infertility compared with American females who are white.
Is a Fertility Coach a Doctor?
One may not be. While there is nothing stopping a doctor from becoming a fertility coach, the two are not always the same.
A fertility coach will heavily rely on medical opinion and chart to help a client. But those reports are only fact sheets to guide a client towards emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual freedom from the trauma of infertility.
A doctor is a medical professional who has to have a medical degree in order to practice. As of now, coaching is unregulated. This means any person can claim to be a coach. However, your coaching skills, knowledge of marketing and brand building and contacts will help you become a successful coach.
How Much Does a Fertility Coach Cost?
It varies widely. You can find a coach for as little as $25 per hour, to a very experienced coach as much as $500 per hour.
Is a Fertility Coach Right for Me?
If you’re struggling to take the next steps in building your family or you need some emotional support along the way, fertility coaching is a safe and productive option to help you make a plan and get clear on your path to success.
Fertility coaches can be there to answer the questions that feel impossible to answer on your own. Instead of spending hours on the internet searching for possible solutions, you can go straight to your fertility coach for personalised support.
Though a fertility coach isn’t something everyone going through IVF needs, having their expertise can help supplement the medical guidance from your physicians and give you extra physical, mental, and emotional support while navigating infertility.
What is Infertility?
In general, infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant (conceive) after one year (or longer) of unprotected sex. Because fertility in women is known to decline steadily with age, some providers evaluate and treat women aged 35 years or older after 6 months of unprotected sex. While these definitions of infertility are used for data collection and monitoring, they are not intended to guide recommendations about the provision of fertility care services.
Individuals and couples who are unable to conceive a child should consider making an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist—a doctor who specializes in managing infertility. Reproductive endocrinologists may also be able to help women with recurrent pregnancy loss, defined as having two or more spontaneous miscarriages.
Factors that Affect Fertility
There are also several factors that can affect fertility.
These include:
1. age – fertility declines with age
2. weight – being overweight or obese (having a BMI of 30 or over) reduces fertility; in women, being overweight or severely underweight can affect ovulation
3. sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – several STIs, including chlamydia, can affect fertility
4. smoking – can affect fertility: smoking (including passive smoking) affects your chance of conceiving and can reduce semen quality; read more about quitting smoking
5. alcohol – the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum. Drinking too much alcohol can also affect the quality of sperm (the chief medical officers for the UK recommend adults should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, which should be spread evenly over 3 days or more)
6. environmental factors – exposure to certain pesticides, solvents and metals has been shown to affect fertility, particularly in men
7. stress – can affect your relationship with your partner and cause a loss of sex drive; in severe cases, stress may also affect ovulation and sperm production
There's no evidence to suggest caffeinated drinks, such as tea, coffee and colas, are associated with fertility problems.
Causes of Infertility
There are many possible causes of infertility, and fertility problems can affect either partner. But in a quarter of cases it is not possible to identify the cause.
Common causes of infertility include:
- lack of regular ovulation (the monthly release of an egg)
- poor quality semen
- blocked or damaged fallopian tubes
- endometriosis is a condition where tissue, similar to the lining of the womb (the endometrium), grows in other places outside the womb
How Fertility Coaching Works
Fertility coaching combines multiple techniques and can be structured in a variety of different ways, depending on the needs and preferences of the client.
Professional fertility coaches provide support in a range of areas, including miscarriage, IVF support, chemical pregnancy, emotional support, endometriosis, infertility/sub-fertility, irregular periods, ovulation and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), gay and trans family building, cancer, fertility preservation, and more.
They often draw on a range of skills and knowledge such as:
- Appreciative inquiry
- Stages of change
- Lifestyle plans
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Motivational interviewing
- Guided relaxations
- Visualisations
- Positive psychology
- Goal setting
Fertility coaches also often work in conjunction with naturopaths, nutritionists and dietitians, acupuncturists, therapists and other specialists.
Many fertility coaches entered the profession after their own personal experience with infertility or other reproductive health issues, which is why they often have great insight into what you might be going through. In practice, this can translate to meaningful and empathetic support, understanding and encouragement.
When to Hire a Fertility Coach
A fertility coach may be your answer if you:
- Feel like you have taken all of the tests, read all of the books, and searched the whole internet for answers but can’t find what you are looking for.
- Are not sure what step to take next in your fertility journey.
- Feel like there are changes you can make to boost your chances of getting pregnant but aren’t sure what they are or how to motivate yourself to make them.
- Have tried to get pregnant on your own for a while with no luck, and fertility tests are not revealing any potential issues.
- Will be undergoing fertility treatment and want to create the healthiest environment in your body.
Reasons a Fertility Coach Can Help You
Here’s 8 reasons how a fertility coach can help you during fertility treatment and make a significant difference in your journey:
1. Managing anxiety, stress, depression, expectations
2. Communication and difficult conversations
3. Making decisions
4. Strategies for key moments (before/after embryo transfer, two-week wait)
5. Motivation and commitment to treatment
6. Improving your health for fertility (nutrition, physical activity, environment, habits)
7. Setting up goals, action plans
8. Following up and accountability
Benefits of Hiring a Fertility Coach
A fertility coach should be like your ‘thinking partner,’ someone to talk you through decisions so that you’re clear and confident on your goals and decisions. It should be like the weight of all the responsibility and things to think of don’t just fall on you. They help share the load. Other benefits:
1. Lower stress and anxiety – fertility coaches can help you with the emotional stress and make the unknowns ahead more known.
2. Save time – Now that you’re not doing the whole internet search and search and search thing again and again it saves time you from reading the horror stories.
3. Have treatments go smoother – By getting tips on the logistics, there’s less room for mistakes.
4. Lower pain – You’ll learn techniques and tips to feel as comfortable as possible.
5. Reach goals faster – coaches hold you accountable to the goals you set. This might get you your baby faster.
6. Feel more positive – They can help pull you out of your negative thoughts. Usually you’ll think more negatively. Fertility coaches are experts who can be more realistic. When you have a Fertility Coach who is supportive and non-judgemental and gets you, you’ll feel better. Seriously. You feel more confident, less stuck in your negative thoughts.
Responsibilities of a Fertility Coach
As a fertility coach, you can make a huge difference in your client’s life. Irrespective of whether your clients can finally become biological parents or not, you may have a massive role to play in your client’s life at a very vulnerable stage of their life. It is therefore crucial that you focus on helping your parents emotionally and objectively. Let us study the problems above and see how you can help them with each.
Be Objective
Focus on the medical reports. At the beginning of your coaching journey, insist on consulting medical professionals. This will help you in driving the conversations around their particular condition too.
Be Empathetic
You are often the last hope for many of your clients who are struggling with medical conditions and societal pressure. This can be a huge burden for your clients. Deal with their anxiety and worries with kindness. If you feel that the tension between a couple is deep-rooted, do not hesitate to point them in the direction of a marriage coach. This does not take away from your role or business as a fertility coach. In fact it adds to your overall responsibility of ensuring your client’s mental health and wellness.
Focus On The Big Picture
As a coach, your responsibility is primarily to act as a sounding board. Often medical professionals do not address fears and other emotions of a couple/individual looking for fertility coaching. Allow your client to speak freely and address each concern with facts, kindness and objectivity. However, keep the focus on the larger picture. Often anxiety disables an individual’s ability to focus on what really matters. As a coach, you are the best placed to remind them
How to Find a Fertility Coach
Fertility coaches can vary hugely in the level of skills and training they have and the services they offer. There are many different types of fertility coaches, so it's a good idea to have some understanding of the support you're seeking. Whether you're working with a certified coach or a licensed therapist or other practitioner, you can expect that some kind of self-reflection will be part of the process. Depending what you are looking for, you may need a different type of coach. It is a good idea to:
1. Select a coach with some form of accreditation or training
2. Consider if they are a member of professional bodies, organizations or industry groups, which may indicate continuous learning and up to date information
3. Get to know their personality: most coaches offer a free discovery call where you can connect with them personally and understand their services and see if you gel as personalities. Remember, this person will be your advocate, your support system and your chosen guide through potential ups and downs, so choosing someone whose energy is right for you is important
4. Consider whether automated or data-driven coaching may be a more convenient or simple starting point for you
3 Tips for Fertility Journey Self Care and Support
1. If you need information, ask. If a doctor or other health care practitioner discusses something with you and you don’t understand, ask in the moment, follow up by phone, or write down the questions and ask at your next appointment. Avoid depending on “Dr. Google,” which may often present inaccurate or irrelevant information for your specific situation.
2. Honor your feelings. If you’re sad, frustrated, anxious, or overwhelmed, acknowledge that. Allow yourself to feel those real emotions and when you’re ready, think about the source and what your next step can be to try to take even a tiny step forward, into a more positive place.
3. Find allies. Avoid isolating yourself, thinking that no one can understand or help. Reach out to a fertility coach, counselor, family member, best friend, or infertility group to help you get through the really difficult physical, emotional, and psychological moments of your journey. It’s okay to admit that you need support—we all do!
Sources:
The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.
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