Nova IVI Fertility brings to you effective ways to deal with stress generated during the IVF journey
For years, experts have been looking at how stress affects fertility. The relationship between infertility and stress is very clear: not being able to conceive naturally adds to feelings of anxiety and depression. In a high percentage of infertility cases, women are diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or both.
The taboo against talking about infertility makes it even worse, forcing the affected couple to suffer in silence
This is one of the reasons that Nova IVI Fertility has been engaging with the media and patients in breaking this taboo and creating awareness about infertility being a disease which is curable in most cases.
So, while this relationship is clear and well documented, the reverse about how stress affects fertility has not been well understood until recently.
Over the past few years, a series of studies have demonstrated that the right kind of psychological interventions can have a positive impact on pregnancy rates.
What kind of interventions work?
Broadly, in addition to other stress relieving techniques listed below, there are two types of interventions, self-administered and group.
Self-administered interventions make patients take a form of psychotherapy which emphasizes confronting negative thoughts, such as “I will never have a baby,” “the infertility is my fault,” or “my in-laws will make my husband marry another woman.”
An extension of this is Positive Reappraisal Coping Intervention (PRCI) which encourages people to look at positive aspects during the two weeks that they are waiting for their results.
Another very effective intervention is when patients join a support group that comprises of pregnant and successful parents. At Nova IVI Fertility, we call this group ‘The Circle of Hope’ and we have found it makes a powerful impact on the mindset of patients, and eventually their attitude towards outcomes.
This support group is an excellent way for patients to learn about the nuances of infertility treatment from someone who has experienced it first-hand. This also creates a secure feeling among the patients that they are not alone in this journey & there are many people who are suffering from infertility. This also ensures their emotional wellbeing and while Nova’s expert group of doctors and embryologists do an excellent job in ensuring success, these groups bring in the much needed support to make the treatment cycle easier.
How patients can help themselves
Besides the interventions listed, there are many things that you can do to reduce the stress you may feel at being unable to conceive.
- Yoga. Not surprisingly, yoga is one of the best ways to de-stress. Done properly, yoga makes you calm and relaxed, while helping your mental and physical fitness.
- Mindfulness. Mindfulness helps you unwind and realize that you may have unconsciously been taking your stress out through unmindful behavior.
- Physical exercises like aerobics and walking.
- Meditation. Meditation helps you take your mind off your worries and helps you focus on the positive aspects of life.
- A pleasurable hobby. This could be as simple as listening to music or reading.
- Talking to a therapist or even a friend. Just expressing your worries can make them seem a lot less fearful. When you share, it’s easier to bear.
At Nova IVI Fertility, we take stress seriously, because it often gets in the way of pregnancy. So we take stress-reduction seriously too. We believe in help our patients becoming parents in a peaceful manner.
Even a little extra emotional support can do wonders.
For exploring fertility treatment options at Nova IVI Fertility, please call – +91-8049436666, or visit us at www.novaivifertility.com