Life Balance with Fertility Struggles
For some couples, conceiving a child seems to come easy. This is especially true when you are struggling with fertility issues, seeing others get pregnant, seemingly without effort. For a couple struggling with infertility, the painful reality is that trying to become pregnant becomes a full-time job; for them, there is a much smaller chance of “a happy accident” or becoming pregnant “when the time is right”.
On the home front, a couple struggling to conceive must engage in active family planning, making sure to plan intercourse during the woman’s fertile window. Putting sex on the calendar can be stressful for a couple, as it can put enormous pressure on both parties. Together with the inevitable frustration and disappointment that infertility brings, it’s possible that sex could become joyless, mechanical, or even sad, causing even more extra stress or marital discord.
Making an appointment with a holistic fertility doctor is a proactive step that couples can take when they are struggling to conceive. In addition to nutritional and lifestyle counseling, a holistic fertility doctor will assess the entire health picture of both partners, devising a comprehensive treatment plan to increase the fertile potential of the couple as a whole. Since stress is a huge factor contributing to fertility problems, a guided discussion around stress management is of the utmost importance.
Your holistic pregnancy doctor will likely refer you to an acupuncturist specialized in fertility. In addition to decreasing stress, acupuncture can also help regulate reproductive hormones that can lead to improved fertility. While an acupuncture session can seem like just one more thing to put on the calendar, it is important to remember how effective it is. Clinical research and trials have continued to prove that acupuncture not only increases a couple’s chances of getting pregnant, but also improves pregnancy outcomes (less complications and interventions during labor and postpartum for both mother and child).
If you are in the middle of fertility treatments, holistic or Western, you likely have frequent appointments with a wide variety of specialists. As much as possible, try not to let these obligations burden you - it will only increase your stress and possibly further complicate your journey to conceiving.
Remember, communication is essential in a loving partnership where two people have decided to have a baby together. Lean on your spouse or partner, keep communication open, and do things for each other that will reduce both of your stress levels. Infertility does not need to be an all-consuming crisis; remember to take it slow, one day at a time, as you work towards addressing the things in your control that may be impacting your fertility.