Deciding to turn to in vitro fertilization as a means for solving your fertility challenges can be an emotional ordeal, one that can have a real toll on your mental and physical well-being. Trying to become pregnant can be very stressful, whether you’re counting on ivf success or not.
You’re going to have good days and bad days, the former will feel like they are few and far between as the latter can grow more overwhelming. But you can combat the stress of IVF by implementing some rather simple steps such as the following:
The Right Support System
Having the best people around you can make the stress levels feel a lot less intense. It starts with choosing the best treatment team for your particular pregnancy challenges and concerns. You want to find a fertility clinic that not only understands your specific pregnancy issues but also has a favorable success rate. They should also be as highly-skilled at communication as they are at solving your infertility problems.
Friends and family are also a vital component for lowering the stress of IVF. Some of the best emotional support comes from loved ones who are there for you through the thick and thin of this entire process. But perhaps the most important part of your support team is your partner. You both need to have boundless communication with one another, working out your hopes and expectations for the IVF process and committing to give 100% of yourselves to the work, together.
IVF can create all kinds of adversity for even the strongest relationships. Couples counseling can be helpful for those especially difficult periods between you and your partner. But at the end of the day, if you each have the other’s back, this can be a wonderful process that can strengthen your bond.
Work Out the Financials Early
IVF treatments can be a long and expensive undertaking. We all know that money is often the root of some of the most intense stress you can imagine. But if you take the time to work out the financial aspects of IVF ahead of beginning treatment, you can have a much better view of what to expect. You are probably facing multiple treatments as the rate of success off just one treatment is too low to think you are going to beat the odds.
But knowing the costs and the money spent across every step can be very helpful in coming to those critical decisions as to whether or not you should undergo another treatment in the event the first or second is unsuccessful.
Turn to Stress Management
Stress is stress. The reasons behind it just make it more intense and harrowing to live with, but implementing simple stress management techniques can help you relieve the tension. Turn to whichever of these you prefer, from yoga classes to meditation to breathing techniques to doing that hobby you love. Whatever works best for you is the thing you should turn to when the stress of IVF gets to be too much to handle.