Infertility psychosomatics
Infertility is when pregnancy doesn't happen after a year of regular unprotected sex; if you're over 35, it's worth seeing a doctor after six months. A gynecologist or fertility specialist orders the tests, and both partners get checked: the cause can be with the man. Psychosomatics does not explain or treat infertility. The Ladder method helps you deal with the fears and exhaustion that often come with the waiting.
Updated
When to see a doctor
Book a doctor’s appointment if you notice:
- No pregnancy for a year or longer
- An irregular cycle or no periods
- Very painful periods
- Past miscarriages
Tests are ordered by a gynecologist or fertility specialist; for the man, by a urologist.
What medicine knows
The cause can be with the woman, with the man, or sometimes with both. That's why couples get tested together. According to the World Health Organization, about one in six people of reproductive age faces infertility at some point in their life.
In women, common causes are ovulation problems, blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, and hormonal disorders, including thyroid problems. Smoking, too much alcohol and excess weight also affect fertility.
Sometimes all the tests are fine, but pregnancy still doesn't happen. The WHO says plainly that it is not always possible to explain the cause of infertility.
Infertility itself is hard to live through. The WHO writes that women facing it often live with stress, anxiety, depression and stigma from the people around them.
Sources
- Клинический протокол «Женское бесплодие». Министерство здравоохранения Республики Казахстан, 2024
- Клинические рекомендации «Женское бесплодие». Минздрав России, Российское общество акушеров-гинекологов, Российская ассоциация репродукции человека, 2024
- Infertility. Fact sheet. Всемирная организация здравоохранения, 2025
In the Ladder method
In the Ladder method, infertility is not explained by fears, and no one looks for the woman's fault in it. Instead, it looks at what comes with the waiting: anxiety, exhaustion, the feeling that life is on pause.
Fears that are hard to say out loud often live nearby. That the child will be sick. That you'll lose your freedom and become an “add-on” to the child. That something will happen to you during childbirth.
Naming them helps, but it isn't treatment. Tests and treatment are led by a gynecologist and a fertility specialist, and the ladder helps you go through this journey more gently with yourself.
These are questions for reflection, not an explanation of what causes the condition and not a treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Can infertility be psychological?
First, both partners get tested: the cause may be with the man. Sometimes doctors find no cause; the WHO says it is not always possible to explain it. But that doesn't mean the cause is “in your head” or that the woman is to blame. The Ladder method helps with the fears and exhaustion that come with the waiting, and it doesn't replace a check-up.
What fears come up when you can't get pregnant?
That the child will be born sick. That you'll lose your freedom and become an “add-on” to the child. That something will happen to you during childbirth. That you're letting your partner or family down. In the Ladder method, you name them out loud not to find a cause, but to make the waiting easier.
Do I need a psychologist if I'm planning IVF?
Treatment is led by a fertility specialist, and a psychologist helps you get through the journey. The waiting, the attempts and the setbacks are deeply draining; the WHO names stress, anxiety and depression as common companions of infertility. With support, it's easier not to blame yourself and not to lose yourself in the waiting.
See what is holding you back.
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Psychosomatics does not replace tests and treatment. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.