It’s not uncommon for the guy to feel a little left out of the mix during the IVF process. Look at the IVF process as a whole. Your wife or partner will be the one who has to go through the most testing, take all of the medications including the dreaded injections and has all of their hormones racing from the medications that she has been taking to prepare for the IVF procedure. This doesn’t even include the actual IVF procedure which includes the egg retrieval and the embryo transfer which is a huge physical, mental and emotional process that takes a toll on your partner. Needless to say, the female goes through a much harder IVF obstacle course than her husband or partner.

So, how do the guys keep in the mix of the whole IVF process? Easy….provide support for your wife or partner during this emotional and physically challenging time. Stress and anxiety levels will be sky high so keeping your mate calm should be your number one focus. It’s natural to have stress during IVF but if you are there to comfort her and keep her mind at ease, the whole process will be much smoother for both of you.

There are many things that you can do to keep her stress level down during the IVF cycle.

• Clean more so than you usually do. I know that we are not as good at cleaning that our female counterparts, but the effort will speak a thousand words. Just put in an attempt to show your wife you are trying to help relieve some of the everyday stress that she deals with.
• Cook something for your wife. If you’re like me, and burn spaghetti, you might want to order take out. You can always trick her and put it on nice china once you get home to make it look like you cooked a gourmet meal!
• Massages are always a favorite. Give your partner a massage to help her relieve stress. I don’t think many of our wives would turn down a nice massage if we offered it.
• Let her know that you are there if she needs anything. Saying this says a lot. Sometimes they just want to hear that we care. Show her you care by being there for her.
• Go to the doctor appointments with her. Unless you have work obligations or some other obligation, try and make the fertility clinic appointments with your wife. It shows your support in the whole IVF process and you can also learn a great deal about IVF by attending the appointments.
• Tell her you love what she’s doing for your family and that you truly appreciate the sacrifice she is taking. IVF is stressful, emotional, physically challenging and mentally challenging. Let your partner know she is doing a wonderful thing.

It’s definitely not rocket science. Just prove to your wife or partner that you are there for whatever she needs. She’s definitely doing the hard part!

Ladies…what has your guy done to support you through the IVF process? Please leave comments! Thank you.