More effectively, I always used any legitimate excuse, such a small cough, a cold or pink eye to get out of DK duty for “the health of the baby.”
There is no question that infertility is a daunting challenge. There is no need, however, for couples to suffer alone and in silence. I am the first to advise a couple to contact ATIME or other similar organizations that offer a wealth of support and resources; there is no comparison between the empathetic support offered by people facing the same challenges and the pity, no matter how well intentioned, from the outside.
We certainly had no plans to become infertility experts as we prepared to start fertility testing. We were being proactive and working to end our misery, but our expectations were woefully inaccurate and neither of us really knew what to expect when we took the next major step in our journey.