Infertility
lovelylisa26
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Anxious-how does everyone cope?
lovelylisa26
member
in Infertility
Hi Everyone-
New here but I have been lurking for a while.
I am 32 and my hubby is 36. We are starting our first IVF Cycle with 1 ovary and fallopian tube, low amh level, baf morphology and low count. I am so anxious about the cycle. We have to pay 100% out of pocket and will only be able to afford one cycle. We are hoping we get enough to freeze but have heard that doesn't always happen. How does everyone handle the anxiety and stress? TIA
New here but I have been lurking for a while.
I am 32 and my hubby is 36. We are starting our first IVF Cycle with 1 ovary and fallopian tube, low amh level, baf morphology and low count. I am so anxious about the cycle. We have to pay 100% out of pocket and will only be able to afford one cycle. We are hoping we get enough to freeze but have heard that doesn't always happen. How does everyone handle the anxiety and stress? TIA
Re: Anxious-how does everyone cope?
I'm not sure how open you are with family/friends about your journey, but having someone other than your husband to talk to is great. About 5 months ago we started the IUI process and I confided in a close work friend and I am so glad I did. Her sister dealt with infertility as well and she has been a great cheerleader and listening ear along the way. We are now moving onto IVF and she has helped keep my spirits high.
We are also paying 100% OOP so I do feel like the pressure is on. I have found that the more down time I have the more stressed I get. I guess just because I have more time to think about everything.
My advice is pretty standard. I try to take good care of myself, to be patient with myself, and to put myself first. This journey is awful- there are days where I want to cry, days I don't want to get out of bed, and days I'm so angry and tired. I try to forgive myself and be kind to myself on my worst days, and to forgive my H too. I try to take it one day at a time.
When we first signed up for IVF, my H and I had a conversation about bravery. You can't be brave if you have nothing to fear! IVF is scary- and you are brave to move forward.
Good luck to you!
Our first go around was very stressful and I actually quit working after the first transfer. It helped immensely because I didn't feel the weight of my job and leaving for every appointment and then needing to make up time. I know that isn't doable for most people, but it was a big step for my sanity at the time.
As a couple, the 2nd time around for our first fet, we started to see a couples therapist to help us refocus on our marriage and each other instead of always focusing on our infertility. That helped a lot of our home stress. We then stopped talking about our infertility at home unless there was a purpose- an appointment that week or shots that needed to be done. We stopped making our entire lives revolve around the process and instead, had the process revolve around our lives.