Infertility Fast Facts
6.1 Million
Couples approximately in the United States, or 10 percent of all couples of childbearing age, have difficulty conceiving.
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Managing Fertility Stress
Take care, South Texas
You've enlisted a fertility specialist. That means you're far enough along on your quest to parenthood to live each day with elevated stress. There's no easy fix. What you can and should do is take care of yourself. We can't stress that enough.
- Enlist a support system. Family, friends and co-workers can fall into two categories: means well or just plain mean. Identify the folks you can email, call or meet face to face for reliable support. Equip them with an infertility book or website so they'll know what you're going through.
- Regain some control. Make decisions, gather information, choose your course of action and help map out a plan. Empower yourself and your partner, even if it's just to decide which hip you'll choose for tonight's injection.
- Acknowledge your feelings. There's a time for optimism, but sometimes you need to express your loss and disappointment. That may mean punching a pillow or crying into it. Suppress … and you'll add to your stress.
- Embrace wellness. Eat well, get enough sleep, exercise and occasionally treat yourself to a spa treatment or weekend away. Mediation, prayer, relaxation and breathing exercises help. There's a reason why people "practice" yoga. It takes time, but you can learn to overcome stress.
- Get help. Support groups and therapists who specialize in infertility can offer coping techniques and a wonderful release that comes with knowing you are not alone.
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