Do you need infertility emotional support? It is normal to experience a wide variety of feelings and emotions during the pursuit of getting pregnant. At first there’s excitement and hope and even acceptance when it’s not happening for the first few months. Then, doubt, fear, frustration, anger, and sadness start to creep in as the months wear on without conceiving, or even worse – with the experience of a miscarriage.
Once the emotional rollercoaster turns into a state of constant stress, your chances of conception lower even more. We know it’s very challenging, that’s why we are here to offer infertility emotional support and recommend actions to help with your emotional wellness during your journey.
COMMON EMOTIONS WITH INFERTILITY
At Kindbody, we understand how difficult dealing with infertility can be. All of our patients (and even some of us) have experienced the stress and fear that comes with the possibility of not being able to conceive when all you want to do is have a baby.
If you’re feeling any of the following emotions, we want you to know that it is okay to have these feelings and there is infertility emotional support help available to see you through this tough time.
- Overwhelming stress
- Frustration
- Sadness
- Fear
- Anger
- Jealousy
- Emotional (and physical) fatigue
- Constant worrying
- Inability to concentrate
- Disappointment
- Doubt
- Hopelessness
- Shame; feelings of failure
- Depression
- Feelings of isolation
Keep reading to learn how infertility emotional support can alleviate your emotional and spiritual concerns (which also help with physical well-being too!).
HOW TO FIND EMOTIONAL BALANCE
Finding emotional balance can be easier said than done, but it is imperative to creating a physical environment that helps you conceive and have a healthy pregnancy. Following these practical and calming recommendations can provide a more emotionally balanced journey.
1. Learn Your Options
One of the first things we recommend to ease your mind and put hope back into your days is learning about your fertility options from a fertility doctor. If you’ve been trying to conceive for six months to a year without success, speaking with a specialist about your options will alleviate worry and take a huge load of uncertainty off your shoulders.
You can research fertility options online all you want, but until you know your specific options based on your medical profile and history and the possible costs involved, it will be hard to put your mind at rest.
Often, couples avoid seeing a doctor because they assume fertility treatments automatically mean IVF and that they can’t afford treatment. There are many affordable options available long before we even consider IVF.
At Kindbody, we hear it all the time, “We wish we had talked to you sooner!” There is palpable relief when our couples know they have help and a plan. And that relief lessens the stress, allowing for a more favorable environment for conception.
2. Communicate
Communication with your partner, friends, and family about how you’re feeling will go a long way to feeling less isolated, minimizing the self-doubt and self-blame that adds to your fear, and alleviating loneliness and frustration.
If you are sad, afraid, or hopeless, it’s important to tell someone and share that burden. You’re not “bothering” your partner or your best friend – when we love people, we want to be there for them and help them. Don’t be afraid to communicate.
If you’re feeling really low and unable to cope, we recommend seeing a therapist. There can be an amazing sense of relief when speaking with a professional who can give you coping mechanisms and objective emotional support.
3. Set Boundaries
It’s also important to set boundaries with everyone. Kindly ask those who continually ask about your pregnancy status to stop asking and giving advice. Let them know you appreciate their excitement and will share your news with them when you’re ready.
4. Find an Infertility Emotional Support Group
This option may not be for everyone, but it can be a tremendous comfort to have someone in a similar situation to talk to and share experiences with. Support groups can be found on social media, at church, or by searching online for a local group near you.
5. Acupuncture
If you have been trying to conceive, acupuncture may be helpful in nurturing and increasing the chance of conception during fertility treatments. Treatments can focus on a variety of issues that may be preventing conception, such as stress, immune system weaknesses, hormone imbalances, and more.
6. Emotional and Spiritual Activities
We know it’s easy to say, “Take time for yourself!” But finding 10-20 minutes a day to meditate, do yoga, take a walk, and just disconnect from the stimulus of our busy lives is vital to good emotional, spiritual, and physical health, and ultimately – conception. One way to ensure that you get “me-time” is to schedule it as if you would schedule a meeting or a doctor’s appointment.
Despite how it feels, it’s important not think about down-time as selfish or slacking – the most successful people in the world all schedule “me-time.” The goal is to calm the mind-chatter that never seems to stop and allow room for healing.
If you choose to walk, take deep breaths and concentrate on the world around you – the trees, the birds, the landscape or architecture – and try to stop thinking about work or having a baby.
At first, it’s really hard to stop the chatter but after many days of consistency, you will be able to push your thoughts to the side and say to yourself, “I’ll think about that in 20 minutes,” and revel in this precious time that gives your brain and your body a break.
If you wish to learn guided meditation, there are many wonderful apps that can ease you into it and help you learn how to let go, even if it’s for ten minutes at a time. And, this becomes very handy once you have that little bundle of joy!
Whether you’re sitting in a yoga pose officially meditating, taking a hot bath and reading a good book, or getting out in nature, the release for your brain and body is like having a clamp around your midsection removed allowing you to breathe again. Your hormones will benefit dramatically from this daily break, often creating little blips of joy and priming your body for the opportunity to conceive.
RESOURCES & SUPPORT
Are you already starting to feel better? We’re certain that if you learn what your specific fertility options are and create a plan, keep communication open and set boundaries for those around you, connect with a support group or a friend going through the same thing, and take time daily to meditate and/or get a little exercise, your emotional state can improve and so will your chances of conceiving.
Our goal at Kindbody is to provide resources and support to reduce the stress associated with the infertility journey from a medical, emotional, and financial perspective.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment and learn about your options so you can rest easy.
