Our counsellors are here to help
Coping with infertility can be difficult without knowledge and support. Coping strategies that have been developed over one's life may not be readily applicable to this new situation leaving individuals feeling out of control and unsure what to do.
It is advised that you speak with an ISIS Fertility counsellor to discuss specific ways of coping with your treatment.
Certain things to remember include:
- Anxiety is a normal reaction to infertility treatment
- Be informed — gain as much information as you can about your cycle, as this will help you maintain realistic expectations
- Take it easy on yourself — try not to undertake too many stressful things at once, such as moving house, taking on lots of demands at work, etc
- Try not to live by the word 'should'. Individuals often place too high demands on themselves, which leads to feelings of failure when tasks aren't achieved
- Practice relaxation — deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation are great tools to use when you are feeling stressed
- Keep a journal — writing down your feelings and thoughts is a great way to help you process them and get them off your chest. This often helps too if you are having trouble sleeping
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle — don't let yourself turn to drugs or alcohol to cope. Recognise that these can be detrimental to conception. Replace these unhealthy behaviours with more positive ones
- Access a counsellor to tailor-make a set of coping strategies that you can apply and that you will enjoy
- People will give many opinions, ideas and thoughts about your IVF process. Some of these will not be welcome. Do not take it personally.
- Let yourself grieve — it is important to process your grief at each stage
- MOST IMPORTANTLY — do not think that you 'should' be coping on your own or that you need to be in crisis to speak with one of our experienced counsellors. Your emotions and responses are very important and ISIS Fertility counsellors are here to help.
© ISIS Fertility 2013
Canberra Australia