08 Dec Practicing Self Care During IVF
Once the connection was made between higher-stress rates and infertility rates, fertility experts around the nation spend more time counselling their patients to seek support with stress management. Part of this support comes through self-care practices that ensure your mind, body and spirit are nourished on a regular basis.
Practicing self-care now will not only help you prepare for upcoming fertility treatments, it will also allow you to enjoy all the moments of peace, quiet and healthy self-absorption before your baby inevitably arrives.
Enroll in a yoga class
One of the first things you can do is exercise regularly – and we recommend exercise in the form of yoga. In addition to being good for your body, yoga instills healthy breath work and mindfulness habits that reduce stress and boost the immune system.
Avoid high-impact forms of yoga, like ashtanga, hot yoga (hatha), vinyasa or flow. Instead, focus on gentle yoga or prenatal classes.
Start a gratitude journal
There isn’t a single spiritual practice we know of that doesn’t involve giving thanks on a regular basis. Gratitude journals are a great way to track all that you’re thankful for. When you’re staring down the initial bleak, dark infertility tunnel – it can seem like all the joy and blessings have been sucked right out of your life. Begin keeping a daily gratitude journal, listing three things your thankful for each day, will help that perspective fall back into balance again.
Acknowledging what you’re thankful for on a regular basis will help you remain calmer, sleep better each night and can help you feel more balanced from day to day.
Go on a romantic date night
The process of scheduling sexual intercourse combined with timing fertility treatment shots and the inevitable ups-and-downs of fertility medications are not the best recipe for romance. That’s why date nights are so important when it comes to keeping the romance alive within your partnership, and giving you the opportunity to remember who you are as you get out and about the Dallas area, doing the things you enjoy together.
Take walks and get out in nature
There are numerous benefits to getting out in nature – and all of them are good for women pursuing fertility treatments. These include:
- Natural doses of Vitamin D
- Getting exercise
- Stress reduction
- Improved concentration
- Elevated mood
- Weight management
- Boosted immunity
- Faster healing
Even 10 to 15 minutes per day spent outdoors immediately benefits your body.
Use a mindfulness meditation app
Have a hard time quieting your mind or quelling your anxiety? Welcome to the plight of most humans. Fortunately, our gadgets are primed and ready to help – you just need the right app.
The Best Meditation Apps of 2023, make it easier to try out a range of apps and find the right one for you. Whether you listen to some in your car (eyes on the road, please!), first thing in the morning, before your next fertility appointment, etc., users rave about the difference daily meditations, visualizations and mindfulness practices make for them on a regular basis.
Are you looking for a Dallas fertility specialist who views infertility and fertility treatments with a “whole body” perspective? Contact the Fertility Center of Dallas.