Are you or someone you love struggling with infertility? This is a hard blow to take, and it’s okay to experience stress and sadness. Some studies have shown that the stress associated with infertility is similar to coping with life a threatening illness like cancer. The emotional impact that this can have on a woman who wants to conceive can be overwhelming. I’ve researched and put together some tips that hopefully may help you get through this tough time.
Acknowledge Your Feelings
Allow yourself to feel sad, angry, or depressed. Talk about it with your spouse, family members, and friends. Don’t try to hide your feelings. Holding your feelings in will only cause more stress. If you were going through a death of a loved one, people would understand and send you food, flowers, cards, etc. and want to talk to you about it. This topic is often one women hide. You may not want to share it with everyone, but it helps to share your feelings with someone close to you.
You could also see a counselor and talk out your feelings with them. Make sure that the people you choose to talk to are supportive. It can be just as frustrating as not talking, as it is to listen to too many people give you advice on what you are doing wrong. You don’t need added stress, so seek out genuinely caring people to talk to who will help lift your spirits.
Learn All You Can
Research infertility and be open to trying some new things. Try to stay fit and get all the nutrition you can. Healthy habits are going to have added benefits for your emotional state too. Exercise and eating right can reduce depression, and it may help you conceive too. But also accept that many women who are doing everything right also struggle with infertility. So don’t blame yourself or think it has to be about what you are doing wrong.
Talk to Your Doctor
Most likely you’ve talked to your doctor about your infertility. But remember to also talk to your doctor about your emotional state, especially if you are feeling depressed. You may have a hormonal imbalance that he or she could help you with.
Just Breathe
Some women like to practice breathing techniques to calm down. For others just giving yourself time to be alone and breathe is important too. Sit with your eyes closed or open if you’d like and just breathe in and exhale deep relaxing breaths. Whenever you start over thinking your infertility or become stressed, give yourself some time to sit down and just breathe.
Consider Other Options
Many women that are dead set on conceiving naturally and may not want to talk about adoption. Or maybe you are ready to discuss it, just not yet. But it may be something to just keep on the back burner as an option. I had a friend who tried for a long time to conceive, and couldn’t. Within the year of adopting, she became pregnant naturally. They are the happiest and most complete family. Just because you adopt, doesn’t mean you are throwing in the towel of hoping to give birth to a biological baby.
Keep Hope Alive
No matter what anyone tells you including your doctors, keep hope alive. Countless women have documented their journey through infertility to giving birth after being told they would never conceive a child. There is always hope. Cling to that, and keep moving forward believing.
