Coping with infertility and going through IVF treatment can take a strain on your emotional well-being. So, it’s important that you find ways to look after yourself and feel that you have the right support system around you.
Women and men can feel a lot of conflicting emotions during IVF treatment that can raise anxiety levels, and cause inner turmoil. It is important to understand, however, that there are ways to deal with these emotions before they overwhelm you. It’s all about finding the right coping mechanisms for yourself.
The most important place to start, of course, is with you. So firstly…
Be kind to yourself
Don’t entertain unhelpful thoughts that are going to negatively impact your confidence. This can be especially challenging after a failed IVF cycle, however, it is important not to let your doubts overtake your mental well-being, and to remain positive.
It is normal to have doubts during your treatment as the success of IVF is not certain, but there are simple and affordable ways that can help you manage your emotions.
Low cost and free options include yoga, guided meditations, and mindfulness exercises such as; mindful breathing, observation and awareness. Meditation can help you to accept the emotions that you are feeling, leaving your mind feeling much clearer and reducing the inner confliction of thoughts that can lead to you feeling overwhelmed.
Other helpful and easy techniques that can be used to help lower anxiety can include keeping a journal to keep track of your IVF journey along the way, and even lighting your favourite scented candles in the evening to relax.
Understand that you are not alone
It is now the case that 1 in 7 couples in the UK are having troubles conceiving. This means that lots of people are going through what you are going through, and will be able to relate.
There are plenty of forums and websites to visit including: fertilitynetworkuk, fertilityfairness, lovedbyparents, channelmum, and fertilityroad.
These websites can be reassuring as they give you access to many women’s and men’s IVF stories, discussing their experiences through written blogs and vlogs. This can often bring comfort to anyone going through IVF as it helps to know that other people have been through similar physical and emotional experiences.
Friends and family
During IVF treatment you can have periods of feeling very sensitive and vulnerable, so it is important to be around those who help you to feel at ease, and who can help take your mind off the more challenging aspects.
Make sure that you surround yourself with the friends and family members that can help you to feel supported throughout your journey, whether they can directly relate to your experiences or not (this is where the websites can really help!), they will want the best for you.
Fitting IVF in with your work schedule
Work can be stressful as it is, and fitting in your appointments for treatment can be far from ideal. It is important to find a clinic that can work with your schedule and offer appointments for treatment throughout the week.
At CREATE Fertility we work within a woman’s natural cycle using lower doses of fertility drugs or none at all. This means that we will do scans on the weekend during your cycle, and your treatment time is reduced.
As our treatment protocols also involve taking fewer fertility drugs, it means that you will experience fewer side-effects, and your treatment will have much less of an impact on your physical and mental health.
We also offer counselling with fully qualified counsellors throughout your treatment to help you to get through, and process the feelings that you are experiencing.
If you are considering Fertility treatment, our IVF specialists are here to answer your questions 7 days a week so please call us on 0333 240 7300 or contact us.
