COVID pandemic has reshaped our world. From financial instability, luck of social interaction to complete daily schedule reorganisation.
Such a disturbance is connected to fear and an incredible amount of stress. It is only natural to experience stress and anxiety because stability and reassurance is lost with change of our schedules, routines, life circumstances.
Couples currently undergoing infertility treatments or preparing for it find the situation even more challenging. Above dealing with the financial, personal, and general stress of the pandemic, there is extra financial and physiological stress from the infertility treatment. Fertility itself is tightly linked to the age factor, therefore advanced age couples might also feel temporal stressors added.
And yes, it is all scary. So if you are in such a life circumstances, try to remember as much as you can - you are not alone, as it is very important fact to keep in mind in every aspect of any difficult time in life. Even though this pandemic might set back the timeline, your dream stays unchanged.
Support seeking
While being stuck at home with traditional appointments minimised, in-person care options are limited. How to make sure to get the support needed?
Majority of the world had to turn their lives "on-line". Where optional, medicine has done so as well. Medical care, if possible, might be also in some cases provided through a computer or over the phone. So called telemedicine is a resource for at-home medical care and with the world changing has rapidly become a common practice in many countries. Telemedicine is used for simple follow ups, planning, medication adjustments, and management of chronic conditions.
The same applies for IVF. Number of in-person appointments is minimised, but that does not mean there is no option to schedule, plan and move forward with your treatment. You are still walking your journey to parenthood, just need to plan and organise more effectively than ever to minimise necessary in-person appointments. And with the popular trend to undergo treatment in foreign country, needs to be said - it is not necessary a negative factor.
There is also good time to consider shipping of your frozen cells, whether because you were thinking about choosing clinic closer to your home, or have just decided for new destination where the treatment process might suit you better. Cryoshipping companies are still providing their services, needless to say, now actually more than ever.
Get ready
If you are new in the fertility treatment world, use this on-line focused time to educate yourself about financing, procedures, techniques, legal restrictions and anything else you might find useful. The more prepared you are the closer you are to having the family you dream of, even if all you can do now is to take tiny little steps. It is important not to loose the sight of your vision. Gather as much information about IVF process as you can to get familiar with all related aspects.
Hearing non-stop about pandemic makes it almost impossible to relax. And relaxation is essential when facing challenging infertility journey to keep yourself healthy and sane.
Restlessness, anxiety, agitation, and depression are completely normal human responses to the world situation we live in. Most people do not normally live such isolated lives, so it is obvious we all crave physical interaction and feel anxious. Just do not blame yourself for experiencing these emotions. It is only natural response we all have.
Try to focus on maintaining your health. In whatever way you find that works for you. Whether that is exercise, crafting, reading, or trying a new hobby. Stress effects hugely the body, both physically and mentally. If you manage deep clean your house, learn to meditate, dance, write a diary, learn useful yoga asana, cook your favourite food, decorate your house.
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Just whatever you feel like to that makes your day brighter.