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Chapter 20 - Reproductive Trauma and PTSD: On the Battlefield of Fertility Counseling

from V - Special Topics in Fertility Counseling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2022

By
Janet Jaffe
Edited by
Sharon N. Covington
Sharon N. Covington
Affiliation:
Shady Grove Fertility, Rockville, MD
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Summary

Trauma occurs when the ability to envisage our future and feel safe in the world is no longer possible. While trauma is often a one-time horrific occurrence, it can also be chronic in nature.Indeed, reproductive trauma can encompass both types of anguish: the frightening and painful loss of a miscarriage, with massive bleeding and the potential need for surgery, or the seemingly endless cycle of hope and despair during fertility treatments. Sadly, for our patients, it is not uncommon to experience both infertility and pregnancy loss, and like a soldier on the battlefield, it can be protracted, leaving deep psychological wounds. This chapter not only explores the trauma that occurs in reproductive patients, but also how we, as fertility counselors, cope with being on the battlefield with them.

Keywords

traumainfertilitypregnancy lossreproductive storyfertility counseling
Type
Chapter
Information
Fertility Counseling: Clinical Guide , pp. 204 - 211
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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