CALM IVF (Creating Affiliations, Learning, and Mindfulness for In Vitro Fertilization Patients)

The investigators have designed a psychoeducational group curriculum specifically for new in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients (both male and female) to improve their treatment knowledge, to allow them to engage more in their care, to offer a support network, to improve satisfaction, and to provide them with tools to help reduce their stress and anxiety while undergoing the IVF process. The investigators plan to have four to eight infertility patients and their partners participate in a group at a time, for which they will attend three 1-1.5 hour interactive sessions that are scheduled throughout their first IVF cycle. These sessions will provide additional time for discussion about treatment with providers, learning opportunities on topics of interest to fertility patients, and stress reduction techniques. They will do several surveys before and after the intervention for comparison, including assessment of quality of life, depression, anxiety, resilience, and a knowledge assessment. The investigators will also track the patients to see if they pursue additional treatment in the instance of a negative pregnancy test compared to patients undergoing the standard treatment. The investigators plan to recruit a control group that receives the standard of care treatment here at the University of Iowa.