Infertility treatment can be challenging for anyone going through it. The process is great but the reward is greater. We asked our Shady Grove Fertility Facebook community for tips they would share with anyone beginning the infertility journey. The numerous responses were incredibly insightful, helpful, and encouraging! Women who have personally struggled with infertility shared their knowledge and strength on how to positively get through treatment and most importantly, to never give up. Read 25 patient tips.
25 Patient Tips:
- Be honest with your partner and share your thoughts with him or her! Together you can accomplish amazing things.
- Never. Give. Up.
- Remember, you are strong!
- Find someone to talk to. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a therapist but someone who will just listen! For instance, I talked to my acupuncturist while she just sat and listened and I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to have someone just listen and not give me horrible advice like “just relax.” Not to mention that I didn’t feel judged when I talked to her. Oh and my second piece of advice is try acupuncture.
- Your dreams are alive and always growing as long as you have faith. Think of each new step as being one step closer to happiness and no matter how hard the next one is – it’s always one worth taking.
- Have open communication with your partner about your feelings through all the ups and downs of the process. And have a sense of humor about some of it, too.
- Take breaks when you get overwhelmed – it’s better to make life altering decisions with a clear mind.
- “Life is too short to be upset and offended. Don’t allow circumstances control your joy” I read this while going through infertility and love it.
- Trust yourself and don’t listen to negative stories. You will make the right decisions for you and your spouse/partner.
- Believe.
- You don’t need to keep this journey a secret! You’d be surprised how many people you know are on this path as well.
- Don’t give up on your dreams. One step at a time and yours dreams will come true.
- 1 – Call Shady Grove Fertility
2 – See #1
- Support each other and communicate your needs calmly and clearly. Don’t take your frustrations out on each other or assume your spouse knows what you want or need on this journey.
- “The moment you are ready to quit is usually the moment right before the miracle happens” is so true! I was ready to quit before our final cycle but thank goodness I didn’t cause now I’m 15 weeks pregnant.
- I definitely felt alone. I didn’t know anyone else who was struggling. Now, through sharing our story, a lot of women have shared their stories with me and I am able to walk beside them as they walk this road. I try to use my experiences and trials to help others through theirs.
- “The brightest skies are always foreshadowed by dark clouds.”
- I try to stay busy during the 2 week wait but I like to err on the side of caution, while still enjoying life.
- Understand that while there are many common threads, every infertility journey is unique. Try not to compare yourself to others and do what feels right for you. Also, if you ever, at any time don’t understand something, don’t hesitate to ask.
- When I was going through treatments, I tried new things to keep my mind from stressing too much-like a cake decorating class. I then had the added benefit of eating my results.
- Letting go of control can be hard for many. Give in to the process.
- Our faith is what has kept us going through all of this – it’s nothing short of a miracle that we’ve gotten as far as we have.
- I give myself 24 hours to feel sorry for myself after bad news, and then move on. I refuse to let this consume my life. And if I can’t have kids naturally, I will adopt, so no matter what, I will be a mother!
- I also didn’t keep anything about it a secret. If anyone was willing to listen, I’d talk about it. I think it was therapeutic for me. Although you have to be ready for the comments that aren’t what you want to hear, and people who don’t understand. Sometimes explaining it to people really changed their point of view as well. So many women feel so alone during such a sensitive and emotional time.
- It only takes 1, try to stay positive.
If you have questions about fertility or are ready to schedule an appointment at Shady Grove Fertility, please speak with one of our New Patient Liaisons at 877-971-7755.
Editors Note: This post was originally published in April 2014 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness as of April 2016.
