Think for a moment about your holiday schedule. What’s on your to-do list this year? Holiday parties? Late nights? Lots of cooking? Preparing for family visits? Traveling? All of these take time and energy and can be overwhelming even when not undergoing infertility treatment.
IVF and Stress: What You Can Do About It
IVF is a significant process as IVF and stress tend to be synonymous with one another. You’ll be in for testing frequently, every day in some cases. You may even be expected to drop everything with only a day or two’s notice to suddenly prepare for an egg retrieval or embryo transfer. So the question is, can you eliminate some of your holiday commitments and plans? Does your family know you are undergoing treatment and are they supportive if you need to suddenly change plans?
Also think about how you will handle the emotions of the season as well when concerning IVF and stress. Do you want to find out that you are not pregnant on Christmas Eve or on New Years? Nobody wants to think that their IVF cycle will fail, but unfortunately, success isn’t ever guaranteed and a negative pregnancy test is a real possibility.
All that being said, sometimes it is necessary to squeeze in a cycle because of insurance reasons or other requirements from the facility. If you absolutely must cycle during the holidays, there are a few things you can do to make it a little easier.
- Eliminate all unnecessary commitments. Don’t go away. Don’t offer to host Christmas dinner. Don’t plan on any houseguests. Reserve your energy and focus for what is important – having a successful cycle with a minimal amount of stress.
- Plan ahead as much as possible. Don’t wait until the last minute to go shopping, wrap gifts or do the cooking. Whatever you can get done before your cycle, do it. You may not be feeling well or need to go on bed rest for a period of time, and you won’t want to be worried about who’s gift you forgot to purchase or wrap.
- Pamper yourself and find ways to manage stress. Book a day at the spa, plan a weekend to just sit back and read a book or relax, or schedule extra date time with your partner. Stress affects your physical health as well as your emotional health. Taking care of yourself is an absolute must when undergoing IVF, and especially during the holidays.