Managing the Stress of IVF
You have a lot to think about when considering an IVF fertility treatment. While it is full of potential rewards, the risk involved in the process can be intimidating. Dealing with the stress and the emotional dualities involved in the process is possible when you have the right self–care and support. There are also a lot of things you can do to minimize the stress you experience all through the process. You will generally feel happy knowing that you are making a step towards bringing a baby into your home but some days will likely feel emotionally daunting and some processes feel stressful. Follow these tips below to help you effectively manage your stress:
Choose a competent and reputable IVF clinic and treatment team
Conduct your research before deciding on the fertility clinic to use. Check their success rates with patients that have similar issues to yours. Ensure that you feel comfortable with the professional team members of the clinic. You must feel free to ask them questions and they also must be very good at providing you with the required answers.
Get the necessary information
Before embarking on the journey, find time to get enough information about the procedure. When you have prior knowledge of what to expect at every stage of the process, it makes it easier to cope and help you to be better able to manage your fears or worries. This will inevitably make it less stressful.
Establish and make provisions for the financial costs of the different treatments cycles before starting the treatment
It is highly essential that you establish how much the entire IVF cycle will cost and raise the fund necessary prior to the start off of the procedure. Also, give room for option of repeating IVF if the first cycle proves unsuccessful. It is easier to deal with when you already made provision for it that when it turns out to be a reality without any prior plan for it.
Expect the possibility of problem arising and prepare your mind to deal with it if it comes
The stress will be much less when you already envisage possible hurdles and it eventually turns out to be true. Although you don’t wish things to go wrong, it relieves you of stress by making prior provisions of such occurrence in your mind before you start.
Get support from a mental health professional that specializes in fertility issues and/or join an IVF support group
Expert psychologists that deal with fertility issues are extremely helpful. This type of professional will provide you with non-judgmental support you need to manage your stress and emotions and encourage you when you are feeling low and downcast. They will provide you with the comfort you need at every stage of the process of IVF.
Use stress management procedures
Stress management procedures like Yoga, and any hobby that is particularly absorbing is very helpful at managing the stress of IVF. Yoga, meditation, mind-body exercises, breathing skills and massage are generally effective stress relieving techniques you can use to manage your IVF stress.
Get support from family and friends
The support from your family and friends are inevitable and highly valuable at helping you overcome your IVF stress. It helps a lot when people around you understand what you are going through and offers you the needed support.
Collaborate with your partner
You need to communicate with each other. Try to discover suitable times to talk about the IVF issues and at other less convenient times, it is better to let go of them. The IVF procedure can be emotionally draining to both partners. You need to find time for other things. The key is to find the right balance between the process and other things about your family and relationship. The following things might help:
Decide early what your hopes and expectations of each partner are.
Organize for a couple counseling; it is very helpful. Irrespective of how strong your relationship is, fertility treatment like IVF may lead to some issues among couples and counseling will help you to overcome these hard times. Organizing date nights are great ways to reenergize and cement your love for each other as a couple. You may not entirely remove stress out of IVF procedure just as you would not entirely remove stress out of the normal pregnancy. However, taking the right measures and doing things right will help you to be better able to manage your emotions and reduce the stress of the entire process. Your goal is to build a family. The joy that in the end you are going to finally build a family through the process should encourage you and help you to go through the process with a more relaxed mind. The joy of having a baby born into your home can never be equaled. When the baby finally arrives, you will forget all those headaches and heartaches.