Please believe that your clinic wants to be there for you, in every way. If they could stay open and provide treatment while maintaining the safety of staff, their patients, and families, they certainly would. However, no one wants to be responsible for infecting patients or staff causing untold problems in clinic functionality and beyond.
So what does this mean for you - who cares how much sense it makes when the doors are shut in your face?
Here are a few answers to some of the questions I’ve been hearing.
Why is this happening to me? It’s so unfair!
Struggling with infertility on any regular day just plain sucks. Add in the COVID-19 pandemic destroying lives and families which basically paused almost all fertility treatment, and it’s almost unbearable. So many out there just don’t get it - they joke about having quarantine babies and gripe about their children driving them crazy stuck at home. For the rest of you who would give your left arm to have a child annoying the piss out of you all day, every day - and who knows they cannot conceive while their fertility clinic is following The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommendations during these unchartered waters - it’s more important than ever to stay current with a variety of COVID-19 resources from ASRM. I promise you’re not alone in this, we’re #allinthistogether.
Is there anything I can do now while I'm stuck at home?
Yes! With so much out of our control in the current state of our country (and beyond), focus on the things you can control. Now is the time to concentrate on boosting your fertility from within to give yourself the best foundation. Even if conception on your own is out of the question, you can prepare your body for the best chance of success when you’re able to begin treatment again. You can directly impact your fertility wellness through similar avenues of general health and wellness including diet, sleep, movement, working on your relationships and spending time on self-care. If you’re not sure where to start, Embrace Fertility is here to help.
Am I the only one who feels like this?
No! This is an unprecedented situation we all find ourselves in - no adult in the US has lived through a pandemic of this magnitude and it's scary, among a thousand other emotions. With fertility treatments mostly halted, a massive layer of deep emotions has been added on top. It is completely normal to feel stronger anger, sadness, grief, frustration, and so much more during this time. If you find yourself being pulled down, please talk to someone. It is vital to connect with your partner, a family member, friend, or fertility mental health professional you trust to support you. Everyone is dealing with stress weighing on them, give yourself a break and know this won't last forever. If you need additional help to see the light at the end of the tunnel, please reach out. I am here to talk, listen and support you as we eagerly anticipate returning to a “new normal” society will embrace.
How do I deal with these emotions in a more positive way?
We’re all on high alert. Everywhere you look, there are triggers that are likely to set your emotions off. Work on a reaction plan so that when you see something that is immediately upsetting, you have a healthy way to respond. Maybe it’s your best friend showing off quarantine crafts with their little ones on social media or it could be your distant cousin announcing an unexpected pregnancy. You never know when it will hit so it’s crucial to be able to put a positive spin on it - I’m excited for my cousin but wish that could be my status update. My turn is coming though, and I will do what I can now to prepare myself mentally and physically so I’m ready. Finding a way to acknowledge these deep feelings and hopes for your own future will make it easier to manage when news you’d rather not hear is dropped in your lap.
Whether trying on your own or waiting impatiently for fertility treatment to resume, it is important to learn to control what you can so you worry less about the things you can’t. You cannot control what the rest of the country or even your neighbor does with social distancing and the timing it will take to get back to “normal”. But you can control the food you’re consuming, the amount and quality of sleep you’re getting, your daily movement, what you’re putting in and on your body, and more.
Embrace Fertility is here to support and empower you with programs to help improve your fertility journey.