- Realise your feelings: Express yourself. Tell the world how rubbish you feel or just go to a large field where nobody else will see you and scream, release some of that anger.
- Support: Find an online forum or group that you like. Chat away incognito if you don’t want people to know who you are.
- Exercise: Can help when you feel stressed or tense. Don’t stop exercising during treatment thinking it might affect your chances of getting pregnant, it won’t, it will just relax you and help you take your mind of it.
- Start a blog: If you struggle to talk about your infertility, start a blog and write it all down, it’s sure to release a little stress, it might even make you laugh reading other people’s blogs.
- Talk: Women are better at talking about their feelings, talk don’t judge your partner if they don’t always start the conversation, Men tend to keep their stress and emotions inside.
- Read and learn: The more you know and understand your options the better you will feel and you will gain a little control back, fertility is out of your hands but you are still in control of your options in the future, adoption? Child- free?
- Infertility is all I think or talk about: Try doing something crazy that you wouldn’t normally do to take your mind off it, dry slope skiing or quad biking, have fun together and most of all don’t discuss infertility.
- Sex: Can become a chore, try to go away on holiday, spend time together without it always being about sex.
- Counselling or professional help: Speak to your doctor or consider counselling this will help you cope with the emotional stress of infertility. Some fertility clinics require patients to seek counselling before and during treatment. Don’t be embarrassed about asking for help with your emotions, it is completely normal to feel stressed and down whilst coping with infertility.