On Thursday evening, KSAT held a town hall event about infertility and pregnancy loss.
“Don’t Suffer in Silence” covered a variety of topics about fertility, including pregnancy loss, where to get help, and how to help a loved one struggling with infertility.
Dr. Gregory Neal, a certified reproductive endocrinologist and obstetrician with the Fertility Center of San Antonio, and Ashley Waclawiak, a licensed clinical social worker with AW Wellness in San Antonio, answered viewers’ questions on a wide range of subjects.
We’ve collected 4 takeaways below from the discussion:
1. Pregnancy loss or miscarriage is a different type of loss
“Receiving an infertility diagnosis can be quite comparable to receiving a cancer diagnosis, it’s life-changing in many ways,” said Ashley Waclawiak, a licensed clinical social worker with AW Wellness in San Antonio.
2. Pregnancy loss affects individuals differently
While pregnancy loss impacts everyone differently, Waclawiak offered some ways to help each other cope and recover.
“Anything to open up lines of communication, to check in on each other - even daily - and just to process where they are... can be very healthy and healing,” said Waclawiak.
3. There is a link between obesity and infertility in men and women
Dr. Gregory Neal, a certified reproductive endocrinologist and obstetrician with the Fertility Center of San Antonio, explains the link between obesity and fertility.
4. Getting tested for reproductive issues is pivotal & IVF isn’t the only option
Dr. Gregory Neal encourages couples who are trying for more than a year without getting pregnant to visit a doctor and get tested.
There are dozens of local and national agencies you can access to get help with infertility or pregnancy loss. Click here for more information.