“Don’t listen to people who tell you how you’re supposed to feel – the only one who gets to decide that is you” – Becky
There is a thin line between care and inquisitiveness and more often than not people tend to cross this line and that hurts an individual. When this line is crossed for something as sensitive as infertility it hurts even more.
Thanks to the evolution of science and technology, we have access to infertility treatments. Artificial Reproductive Technologies [ARTs] can be availed to treat infertility problems. Self-care is very important during the infertility treatment program and here are few tips for the treatment to be most effective.
- Healthy Eating: Eat healthy – stay healthy. It is really important to maintain a disciplined diet and during infertility treatment it is even more important. Your body should cooperate with the treatment procedure and for that you need to maintain the right proportion of nutrients as prescribed by the physician.
- Cheer Up: Happiness is inside of you, don’t waste your time searching for it elsewhere. What you are going through is difficult; but cheering up, staying positive and being motivated will make you more responsive to the treatment. Your psychological wellbeing affects your physical wellbeing, so be light at heart.
- Physical Fitness: The agility of your body helps the treatment process to a great extent. Don’t sweat it out in the gym; you can do simple things like a brisk walk, keeping yourself hydrated, basic stretches and safely moving your joints. By being physically fit you can avoid cramps and trivial injuries. It will only quicken your healing and recovery.
- Mutual Support: The support you render to your spouse and vice-versa will negate a world of negativity and criticism. A warm hug, a gentle smile, a kind clasp of hands, an encouraging word, a soft kiss to and from your spouse is enough to eliminate pain, hurt, discomfort, blame, and all else. Time with your spouse is priceless.
- Positivity: ‘Garbage in – Garbage out’, this is a familiar saying. You need to stay positive, not just during the treatment but even otherwise. Staying positive is possible only when you are around positive people, read encouraging books and quotes, listen to soothing music. If you’re a person who draws positivity from the things you like doing, then do those things more often. It can be sports, arts, music, literature, humour or anything. Find time to do the things you like and stay positive.
In most cases couples reach out to counselling as a form of guidance through this period. Counselling will help you talk openly about what you are going through, and it will help you deal with expectations and dissapointments.
It is a good change that people are willing to talk, read, know about and deal with infertility. As much as this change is welcomed there is still a majority of population who condemn and criticise it. Don’t give others the authority to decide how you feel, it’s your life – take control and make the most out of it.
By-
Anthony Aravind