TOPICS
"Courage is at the beginning of action, happiness at the end.” (Democritus)
Support throughout the treatment period
Once you have taken the decision to start a family, the onset of your menstrual bleeding month after month may be perceived as stressful. The treating gynaecologist does everything possible to help in this regard. If, however, the hoped-for success fails to appear, the situation is presenting the couple with enormous challenges. Their path often leads them to a fertility clinic. However, there is no such thing as a guarantee of success when it comes to realising the heartfelt desire of starting a family. Increasing strain caused by unexpected diagnoses, pregnancy tests coming back negative, hormonal treatment, financial burdens culminating in partnership conflicts. All this may lead to a situation that is extremely burdensome for the couple concerned. Take good care of your emotional health and well-being during that time. Thus, you may emerge from this challenging journey with renewed strength.
Starting a family with
the help of third parties:
Egg donor & sperm donor
Can I accept and love my child as if they were my "own"?
What, when, and how do we tell our child?
Open or anonymous donation? Contact with the donor: yes/no?
What do we tell our surroundings, and who needs to know?
Would like to know more about the donor. (Intelligence, character...)
What to do when faced with statements like: "You’re not really my mom?"
A highly emotive subject for mum, dad and the child. Starting a family with the help of a third party is a trend that seems to be on the increase. More and more children are conceived with the help of an egg donor, a sperm donor or even both. There are manifold reasons for this development – longer periods spent in education, finding Mr. Right only at a later point in life, harmful environmental impacts, premature ovarian failure, same-sex couples, and many more. Emotional support is required in such situations to regain inner strength and self-confidence on the way to a happy future.
Starting a family with the help of third-party reproduction offers an excellent opportunity for some couples to finally realise their dream of parenting a child. However, especially from an emotional level, it is crucial to deal honestly and early on with that issue and all questions involved: “Anonymous or non-anonymous donation? Do we tell our child? If yes, what information do we share with the child and when is the best moment to do so? What other persons shall be involved? Do I feel as though I am a “real” mother, a “real“ father? And the list certainly goes on! But one thing should be noted from the outset: There is a strong YES vote in favour of enlightening the child – but please make sure this happens before puberty. Through my book “Bringer of Happiness toward our much longed-for Child” I would like to contribute to the education and information of children in a more natural and playful way. Today, many fertility clinics recommend the book as a standard reference.
Fertility Preservation,
Single Mom
These two key topics are not talked about enough.
Before embarking on your “big project”, get honest advice that is based on sound scientific knowledge. You can easily get lost in the tangle of online offers (often even being of a rather dubious nature). During a personal consultation session, I will be pleased to discuss with you all essential aspects. Thus, you will be optimally informed and well prepared to take the necessary decisions.
How to face and overcome miscarriage/stillbirth
“Almost unbearable emotional pain that keeps coming in waves.”
… this is how people in this kind of situation describe their oppressive feelings to me during their counselling sessions. Miscarriage or stillbirth do mean a heavy blow of fate to any couple’s relationship and touch the partners’ feelings deeply. A lost child will always remain a part of the family history. Both during couple coaching and individual coaching, we provide you with strategies for coming to terms with your deep inner pain, how to integrate it into your everyday life and how to get over grief and loss in a positive manner.
Your experiences will be dealt with in a sensitive way, thus enabling you to win back your zest for life and the enjoyment of living together as a couple step by step.
Letting go the desire to have children
When natural conception does not end in a successful pregnancy and multiple attempts using medically assisted technologies do not lead to the desired outcome, the diagnosis of having to cope with lifetime childlessness is a great challenge for the couple and may put a heavy strain on the partners’ domestic harmony. Now it is essential for the couple to redefine their shared objectives and common values. They need to succeed in letting go of the past.
During sessions of individual coaching or mostly couple counselling, we try to find ways to cope with lifetime childlessness, and we also dare to look a little further into the couple’s future in a creative manner.
Same-sex couples wishing to have children
Family is allowed to be colourful! Your mutual decision to start a “rainbow-family” will mark the start of a highly emotional adventure for you both.
“Who donated the oocyte, the sperm? What sort of relationship do we want to build with the egg donor/sperm donor? When and how do we share the information on our special family situation with our child? Especially the latter question must be considered one of the key issues to be addressed. Scientific evidence has shown that educating and informing children at an early age about the special way in which they were conceived has beneficial effects on them. The non-fiction picture book “Our Rainbow Family – It takes Love to have a Baby” prompts children to deal with the matter in a playful and natural way. The book is highly recommended by numerous clinics. During the one-hour counselling session, we will try to answer any question you may have and provide you with valuable hints on how to cope with the challenges encountered when starting a family with the help of third-party reproduction.