EMOTIONS

My thought in beginning a blog was that if the presence of these words on the world wide web provided someone out there with a feeling of "hey, I'm not alone in this" or "if they can keep going, so can we" it would be well worth it. In this vein, I wanted to offer a few thoughts on taking care of the emotional aspect of this very physical monster. These are just a few things that have helped keep me from crawling into a deep cave and requesting the door be sealed over with something heavy.

See if there is a support group or (better yet) a Mind/Body group in your area. http://www.infertilitymindbody.com/foreword.htm
Talking to others who know how this feels can go a long way to keeping your emotional health intact as much as possible. I took a Mind/Body class this past spring and I can't say enough about what it did for me. I learned invaluable stress relieving and meditative techniques. I also connected with a strong, compassionate group of women who have become a well spring of inspiration and support. I think the most common quote given by our instructor to anyone who would listen is "there is no need to suffer alone." After many years of doing just that, I agree with her 100%. Our class has ended, but our group continues to get together and to email each other. We remain a positive presence in each ohers' lives and infertility journeys.

If you feel inclined, look beyond western medicine and check out acupuncture.
I have been doing acupuncture now for about four months and it has brought a new level of peace to my life. I feel better, have more energy, and have noticed positive changes in my cycles since beginning my kinder, gentler love affair with needles. In my sessions I have also learned how important emotional "movement" is to over all physical health and well being. Emote away! Obviously when a treatment cycle is involved, your doctor needs to know about an herbs, etc., you are taking to make sure nothing interferes.

Do what you need to do to keep yourself sane.
If, like me, you have stood by while family members and friends announce pregnancies and have children (in many cases, several) while you WAIT for your turn, you know how mentally taxing it can be. Do what you can and let the rest go. Take care of yourself first. For me that means avoiding situations that could potentially be uncomfortable or in some cases excruciating (baby showers, gatherings, celebrations). I am not a hermit but I have definitely downshifted.

That's about all I've got. We all know there is no magic potion, special diet, or miracle cure. We all just muddle through and lean on each other. I am lucky that Husband is an amazing partner in all of this. We still manage to laugh together. I guess that's the best I can hope for.