Abstract
How does one cope with the demands of infertility? This chapter centers on a study of coping in infertile couples. Personal accounts of study participants and quantitative data are used to provide a rich portrait of the issues involved. Participants’ responses reveal the remarkable diversity of coping methods initiated by those who carry this diagnosis:
When the pregnancy test comes back negative, I laugh it off. I eat more pizza, do more work, and refuse to look at babies.
I try to keep my emotions under control and instead just take it one day at a time. Right now we’re waiting to see if this new medication works. Then we’ll talk about the next step.
I shout and cry and try to get my emotions out. I hit walls and pillows. I talk and talk and talk. If I don’t express it, I’ll go crazy.
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Stanton, A.L. (1991). Cognitive Appraisals, Coping Processes, and Adjustment to Infertility. In: Stanton, A.L., Dunkel-Schetter, C. (eds) Infertility. The Springer Series on Stress and Coping. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0753-0_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0753-0_5
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