How important is Mental Wellbeing during your Fertility Journey?
This may seem like an obvious question to ask, of course mental wellbeing is important at any time but especially during the highs and lows of any fertility journey.
Trying to conceive can be a very stressful and emotional experience, and individuals and couples may experience a range of emotions such as anxiety, depression, grief, and frustration. These emotions can impact overall well-being, relationships, and even physical health, as stress and anxiety can negatively affect fertility outcomes.
It is important to prioritize mental wellbeing during the fertility journey and seek support from loved ones or mental health professionals as needed.
If you are feeling alone on a fertility journey, remember it’s common and you’re not alone you are approximately one in 8 people, so it’s important to reach out to others and talk through your feelings. This helps you manage your emotions, build coping skills, and maintain resilience throughout the process. Additionally, practicing self-care and maintaining healthy habits can support overall well-being and promote positive mental wellbeing.
There are other impacts it can have:
Relationship strains: Fertility struggles can put a strain on relationships, especially if partners have different coping mechanisms or if the journey becomes prolonged. Couples may experience conflict, tension, and communication breakdowns, which can further exacerbate emotional distress.
Physical health: Mental wellbeing and physical health are closely interconnected. Research shows that stress can negatively impact fertility outcomes, potentially decreasing the chances of conception or increasing the risk of pregnancy complications.
How to improve Mental Wellbeing during your Fertility Journey?
Seek emotional support: This can include joining a support group, seeing a therapist, or confiding in a trusted friend or family member.
Practice self-care: Prioritizing self-care can help individuals and couples manage stress and maintain emotional well-being. This can include engaging in physical activity, practicing relaxation techniques, eating a healthy and balanced diet, and taking breaks to engage in enjoyable activities.
Communicate openly and honestly: Communication is important during the fertility journey, and being open and honest with partners, family members, and healthcare providers can help manage emotions and promote overall well-being.
Manage expectations: Fertility treatment can be unpredictable, and managing expectations can help individuals and couples cope with potential setbacks or challenges. Setting realistic expectations and focusing on the present moment can be helpful for maintaining emotional well-being.
Consider mindfulness practices: Mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises can help manage stress and promote overall well-being during the fertility journey.
Join a one-to-one support group: the team at Best Fertility Now run a free private one-to-one support group called ‘fertility pen pals’, where we match people going through a similar fertility journey. It allows you to have a support network which is confidential and helps create lifelong friendships.
Join a public community: It’s also helpful to join a public community because you can learn a lot from other people’s experiences. We recommend companies like ‘Reddit’ which are international and allow you to connect with different groups and talk about a wide range of subjects, not just fertility journeys. Some of our followers have endometriosis or PCOS and there are groups which swap useful information and experiences. It’s also free to join.
Find tried and trusted communities with useful newsletters: We can recommend joining the Nuafertility community which is run by its CEO and founder Deborah Brock. She developed her award winning supplements for gut health after struggling on her own fertility journey. Her newsletter is one of the best around giving advice on all sorts of things including nutrition, all supported by one of the most successful fertility doctors in Ireland, Dr Lyuda Shkrobot.
Please email us for more information on our private free support group : info@fertilitypenpals.com
