Infertility and Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is a time to acknowledge mothers and the miracles of motherhood. While this day has been commemorated for over 100 years, it can prove to be a difficult time for women and couples that may not be able to conceive.

Approximately 1 in 7 couples will have trouble conceiving, with infertility rates currently affecting 3.5 million people in the UK alone. 1 in 5 couples take more than 12 months to get pregnant, and 30 is now the average age of a first-time mum in the UK, four years older than in the 1970’s. Conversations surrounding motherhood, children, conception and fertility can become a particularly sensitive topic for those who are involuntarily childless. Mother’s Day can therefore serve as a painful reminder to those unable to conceive, provoking feelings of anxiety and distressing emotions.

This can not only affect the mentality of the couple trying for a baby, but it can also change the relationships the couple or individual have with other people. Many women receive countless emails about products to buy for their mothers, with advertisements on nearly all media outlets targeting gifts for the day.

Aston spoke to Hannah Smyth, general manager of The Fertility Partnership and Mary Kennedy, senior staff nurse at Boston Place to discuss the research in further detail.