Your Fertility Care Goal Checklist for the New Year
On December 31 of every year, most people have several goals in mind that they want to work on and accomplish in the upcoming year. While these resolutions for the new year are often set with the best of intentions and the highest of hopes, it’s easy to lose track of them. However, accomplishing your goals for the new year is totally within your reach — as long as you plan ahead.
This is especially true for those who plan on pursuing fertility care to have a family. It’s one thing to promise yourself that this is the year that you’ll start working towards your family-building goals and another to actually make them happen. Here are some of our tips for making sure you keep your family goals at the forefront.
Know Your Starting Point
On any journey, it’s close to impossible to know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re starting from. Maybe you’ve been trying for a while without success or maybe you know you want children in the future but aren’t quite ready to have a family right now.
Once you have a firm grasp of what your goals are, you can decide to seek help from a fertility specialist. Through diagnostic testing, a fertility specialist will help you determine where you are in terms of your fertility. These tests can include:
- Bloodwork
- Transvaginal pelvic sonogram
- Semen analysis
- Pap smear
- Uterine cavity study
- Ovarian reserve testing (ORT)
- Endometrial biopsy
The results of these tests will help you and your fertility specialist develop a plan that addresses your specific needs.
Get Organized
From in vitro fertilization (IVI) to egg freezing to surrogacy, there are a multitude of options to consider when embarking on your fertility journey. Regardless of what your fertility care plan consists of, staying organized during this time can help make the entire process a lot less stressful. Some organizational ideas include:
- Keeping all of your important paperwork in one place
- Having a folder on your phone, computer, or bookmark bar that contains any articles and research
- Tracking your bodily functions, such as menstruation or temperature
- Having a notebook for any questions or thoughts you want to run by your fertility specialist
Take Care of Yourself
It can be easy to lose yourself in a whirlwind of appointments, medications, and procedures. Always be sure to take time for your own relaxation. Yes, your family-building goals are of the utmost importance, but so is your mental and emotional well-being. Some ideas include:
- Spending time with your partner, if applicable, without it being about trying to conceive or dealing with fertility care
- Enjoying your favorite hobby or taking up a new one
- Practicing mindfulness through activities such as meditation, yoga, or controlled breathing
Whatever your fertility goals are for 2021, having a plan in place will help you make them happen. To learn more about fertility care, contact Chelsea Fertility NYC today.
