Coping with infertility: a new nursing perspective

Infertility is a major life stressor, and reproductive failure is difficult to accept. Many couples become trapped in a cycle of repeated medical treatment, repeating painful patterns without developing insight or growth, feeling powerless to achieve their goal or move on. The causes of inappropriate coping behaviors are not well understood, and there is little direction for the nurse clinician's efforts to assist the couple with decision making. The use of superstition and ritual (magical thinking or magical ideation) by couples with infertility is discussed, and its role as a potential barrier to resolution is evaluated. A clinical tool for assessing the extent of magical ideation is described and its potential clinical utility explored. Women who have experienced a previous pregnancy may be more likely than nulliparas to substitute magical thinking for coping behaviors that might bring them closer to resolution. Problems with current research in this area are discussed, and directions for developing clinical nursing interventions are suggested.