Infertility Stress
Dealing with infertility stress
The relationship between stress and infertility has been quite controversial: first, the doctors said that infertility was largely a result of stress, then they said it had very little to do with stress, and now they’re starting to acknowledge that stress and infertility are linked. Whatever the doctors say, I don’t know of anyone who denies that infertility stress is a real and serious problem. Stress is bad for you, period. So it will make sense to reduce your stress levels for your own health and sanity, no matter what impact it will have on your fertility.
Here are some practical ways to deal with infertility stress.
• Speak to your partner. The best gift you can give your future children is a stable family. Try to see yourself and your partner as a team, dealing with problems together, rather than letting things get between you.
• Speak to family and friends. I bet the last thing you want to do is spend time with family and friends who are all having and raising children of their own, without any complications. Family can also be unintentionally insensitive if they don’t understand the problem, and having to answer the same questions over and over again can be a challenge. To leave them in the dark is a bit unfair because then they’ll understand even less, and won’t be able to support you in the way you need to be supported. Keep them informed about how things are going and they will be able to be more supportive.
• Get counseling. Many clinics offer couples counseling as part of their package – take advantage of it. Even if they don’t, they will be able to point you in the right direction to find a counselor yourself. It helps to talk to an objective outsider about your infertility stress.
• Join a support group. Many fertility clinics have their own support groups, and there are support groups available on the ‘net as well. It helps to connect with others who are going through the same issues as you are. Who knows, they may be able to suggest treatments or solutions of infertility stress you weren’t aware of.
• Change what you can. Make sure that you understand that there are some things that you can control, and some things you can’t. Leave the things you can’t control, and change the things you can. It’s no use stressing about things you can’t change.
• Do your research. Keep yourself informed so you know what to expect.
• Learn stress reduction techniques. Give yourself a break and spend time meditating or doing breathing exercises to relax. Massage and exercise can also help reduce stress. Just don’t resort to over-eating to try to deal with the problem as this will definitely only make things worse.
• Make sure you know exactly what is covered by your insurance. This will prevent you receiving unexpected bills, which will send your stress levels through the roof.
In short, in order to deal with infertility stress you need to change what can be changed and leave the things you can’t do anything about. You might not be able to do anything about your circumstances, but you can choose how you’ll respond to them. Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help; you aren’t alone in this.
