6 Tips for Women to Cope with Infertility challenges

Motherhood brings completeness to a woman’s life. Even women who don't necessarily want to become mothers are often affected by society's expectations to become a mother. The pressure to find an ideal partner and raise a family can be enormous, and women who are unable to or choose not to can be made to feel alienated as though something must be deeply wrong with them. In India, be it from urban to rural societies, a girl child is raised with the assumption that they'll become mothers someday and bring joy to their families.

From baby dolls to baby showers, girls and women are influenced by images and expectations from parents, in-laws, peers, religion, advertising and the media almost subconsciously pushing them for motherhood. Thus, once a woman is diagnosed with infertility or fertility-related problems, which pose a barrier in the way of their motherhood, stress and even psychological symptoms creep in. These factors can take a toll on her mental and physical health, causing further challenges to fertility treatment and outcomes. Stress can hinder fertility in both men and women. Furthermore, there is some evidence that extreme stress may negatively affect outcomes of ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) in some individuals. GENOME helps in enabling couples to cope with stress due to infertility. Managing stress through reproductive counseling is, in fact, an indispensable aspect of GENOME’s treatment at all its Fertility Centre units spread across Eastern and Central India.

In this article, our specialists have offered 6 tips to help women struggling with infertility challenges cope with their situation in a better way.

Acknowledging Is the Key to Coping with Infertility

Due to the age-old perceptions prevailing in the society regarding infertility being mostly a female problem, it is often women who receive brickbats for not being able to conceive. However, today it is a known fact that men are equally responsible for infertility among couples. Woman facing infertility challenges should realize that it’s normal to feel sad and grief. It’s absolutely fine of the woman to take time to cry or express her feelings. But she should not punish herself as being responsible for infertility. Facing and accepting the emotions will surely help the couple to cope with the situation.

Work With Your Partner as a Team

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” - Lao Tzu

The woman facing infertility challenges should not feel lonely or isolated; instead, she should seek out support from her partner or a close friend. Keeping in mind, though, that men and women cope with stress in different ways. Normally women are more likely to express their sadness, while men tend to hold things inside. Neither way is wrong, just different, but they should help each other through this tough time without blaming each other for the difficulty of getting pregnant or being infertile. Instead, they should be taking care of each other emotionally and should be uniting to fight the problem together. Working & talking about their feeling together can bring practical solutions in the spotlight which lessens the negative effect of infertility taking a toll on their relationship.

Staying Engaged With Being Active

The woman with infertility issue can volunteer her time to help others. This acts in a good way to lift her own spirits and broaden her friendships. Confiding in a friend or a loved one can help gain a new perspective on life and its challenges and release some of the distresses she might be feeling. The love and support of those who care for her, in her hour of need, can make the journey a lot less painful! She should keep herself engaged in activities like - walking, meditation, yoga, reading, learning a new skill and so on to cope with the ensuing stress related to infertility.

Learning About Your Infertility Condition

Global statistics indicate that one in every six couples worldwide faces some form of infertility challenges. Knowing as much as she can about her fertility-related issue is vital. Staying educated is especially important when one is dealing with a fertility-related problem as because the technologies behind the treatment are complicated and upgrade quickly. Women should understand how they can be treated with the aid of the latest Assisted Reproductive Technology procedures like IVF, ICSI, Laser-assisted zona hatching, PGD, PGS etc. For that, they should consult a reproductive specialist at a renowned Fertility Centre at the earliest signs of infertility.   

Take Good Care

Infertility treatment requires both time and commitment. More importantly, it needs a right frame of mind together with a sharp mind and a sound physical health. Cut off from all types of negative thoughts & disagree with insensitive remarks or unpleasant questions from inquisitive relatives and acquaintances. The woman with infertility issues must make sure she is eating and sleeping well. Sleep can bring a big difference for curing her mood swings and providing the emotional strength she needs most. All women with infertility issues should always remember these motivating words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”

Stay Positive but Be Rational

The two-week period between embryo transfer and pregnancy test results often tends to be the most difficult time for couples as they wait in anticipation for positive news. While it is normal to feel anxious or worried during this time, try and distract from the predominant thought and keep a busy schedule. Last but not least, expect the best outcome but prepare for all possible outcomes. The couple should discuss the way forward and make a genuine effort to not let infertility consume the other aspects of their conjugal life. Having a realistic approach and accepting that some things may be beyond control, helps in a long way! Think infertility to be just one part of your life and not life itself.

For more tips on infertility and pregnancy stay connected to The Genome Blog.

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