Coping With Infertility During the Holiday Season
December is here, and as we decorate, buy gifts, and plan for get-togethers, a festive, social mood is in the air. But people’s stress levels are also increasing, and for individuals and couples experiencing infertility, you may find it difficult to feel social. As the year ends, you may feel like you’re running out of time, with your window to parenthood drawing closed.
The truth is, you may not be able to always control your health and potential outcomes. But for you and your partner, if you have one, there are steps you can take to get ahead of potentially awkward and uncomfortable situations and make the most of this season.
Be Open and Direct About Your Fertility Challenges
At this time of year, it’s important to have emotional support, whether family, friends, co-workers, or anyone else, to confide in and discuss your feelings with. And while you may worry that you’ll bring down the mood, your family and friends may prefer that you’re open and honest – it could even help you to become closer.
For any difficult and insensitive questions, you may find it helpful to prepare and rehearse your responses by having the necessary research and information on hand. This will also help you avoid any unexpected or embarrassing questions. These outings are also good opportunities to express your appreciation to those who have been supportive.
And don’t forget, your partner is going through the same experiences as you. They may want to share their feelings, so it may be a good idea to set aside time together, allowing you to support each other.
Don’t Skip Out On The Holidays
Instead of avoiding all festivities, you may benefit from some holiday spirit. You may not want to attend every event, especially those with a lot of pregnant women and children. And if you miss a few, that’s fine, you shouldn’t feel any guilt as you try to make it through a difficult time. But should you attend, you and your partner may want to agree on a reason to leave early, and even let the hosts in on it, if you prefer. You may even decide to host a get-together, allowing you to focus on the work and avoid any infertility discussion.
If you opt to avoid all gatherings, you two may use the holidays to get closer, such as going out of town or engaging in favorite activities together. This may even be a time to start new holiday traditions.
Give Back To The Community
You may find that helping others helps you to feel better and forget about your problems. You may decide to volunteer at a hospital or nursing home, visit an elderly or bed-ridden relative or donate to a food bank. Besides helping others, you may welcome these positive feelings and new experiences.
Happy Holidays from Chelsea Fertility NYC
Although dealing with infertility can be rough during the holidays, we hope that you find joy and peace during the season. From all of us at Chelsea Fertility NYC, we hope you have a wonderful holiday and a happy New Year!
