The wide range of emotions you experience during fertility treatment may feel like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster. The more you dwell on whether or not fertility treatment is going to be successful, the more you may feel overwhelmed or stressed.
The caring staff members at the Center for Reproductive Health understand what a stressful experience this can be, especially if fertility treatment isn’t successful right away. They’re prepared to help you learn how to take care of yourself during fertility treatment, including both your physical and emotional health.
Take Care of Your Physical Health
Making good lifestyle choices can benefit your overall health, including your reproductive health. Taking care of your physical health may help to improve your chance of a successful pregnancy. Make healthy food choices to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need. Avoid eating a lot of processed foods and make sure you’re getting enough sleep.
Exercise can be beneficial both physically and mentally. Some good choices include yoga, walking and riding a bike. Talk to your doctor about the best exercise options for you and about how much exercise to do to prevent injury or over exercising.
Make Self-Care a Priority
Each day, remind yourself to do something you consider fun as part of your daily routine. Work on being in tune with how you’re feeling and think about what you need to do to take care of yourself. What makes you feel relaxed or calm?
Give yourself some time to do the things that are soothing to you such as meditation, a bubble bath, reading a good book, listening to music or having a massage. Practice deep breathing as a way to help yourself to feel calm. Be kind to yourself.
Have a Support System
Feelings of sadness or frustration are natural when you’re having difficulty having a baby, and you’ll need a support system of people you can turn to if you need someone to lean on. This may be your partner, a relative or a close friend. You may find that those you have turned to in the past don’t know how to provide the support you need, and you may want to consider participating in a support group with others who are also going through fertility treatment.
Negative emotions shouldn’t be stuffed or ignored. Many people find journaling about overwhelming feelings is a good way to process them. If you find you’re feeling depressed and you have lost interest in being around others or doing things you usually enjoy, it may be time to prioritize getting help from a mental health professional.
Learning About Fertility Treatment
When you’re going through fertility treatment, learn as much as you can about what to expect. You may experience a lot of highs and lows during this time and the better you understand what’s happening and what’s likely to happen next, the better you’ll be at coping with whatever happens.
Reach out to the experts at the Center for Reproductive Health for more tips on taking care of yourself during fertility treatment.
