Eliminating Fertility Stress
How many times have you heard someone say “the best thing you can do to get pregnant is to not think about it!” or “just don’t stress out about getting pregnant, that will make things worse”?? And then they start telling you stories about how when they got pregnant they were on their honeymoon or on vacation and totally relaxed. There is truth to stress reduction for fertility, BUT these kinds of stories and statements can be annoying to hear when you are attempting to conceive…
The real question is: how to help yourself relax and take your mind off of conceiving? Here are 5 Ideas:
1. Spend some time trying to figure out what your largest source of stress is. Is it your job? your family? Your schedule? Pinpoint it and try to come up with some pro-active ways to make the anxiety more manageable. This can mean saying no to certain tasks you usually say yes to, or just re-organizing your day a bit so you get in some “me time” before everything gets rolling.
2. Examine your caffeine intake: could this be causing you chemical anxiety that you don’t need? It is highly advisable to cut out coffee and other stimulants while you are trying to conceive.
3. Focus on what is good about your life right now while you are not pregnant. You have increased flexibility to your schedule. Enjoy some alone (not fertility focused) time with your partner.
4. Laugh: Spend time with friends or in situations that make you giggle. Order a funny movie and watch it. Go to a comedy show.
5. Do some easy, enjoyable, yet calming exercise. Avoid the ramped up high octane spin or crossfit class and opt for yoga, pilates, or a long walk.