Supporting Your Emotional Wellbeing On Your Fertility Journey
The emotional roller coaster of trying to conceive can take its toll on our mental health and yet it’s often something that gets forgotten about amongst a sea of clinic appointments and cycle tracking. Burnout, anxiety and even depression are all incredibly common within the fertility community and if we don’t make our wellbeing a priority, it can make the challenges we face feel a million times harder.
At last year’s Fertility Show, Parla (part of Holland & Barrett) hosted our first wellbeing sessions and it was clear how much value they added. This year the sessions are back, led by some of your favourite ambassadors - here’s how they can help you navigate your fertility journey.
Supporting Your Mental Wellbeing
Did you know that 90% of people on a fertility journey say that they struggle with their mental health in some way? So if that’s you, it‘s firstly so important to know you are not alone. In many cases, counselling can be an impactful investment but there are also ways you can support your mental wellbeing at home.
Self-care might feel like a bit of a buzzword - and we are certainly not saying that a bubble bath can fix the sadness you might be feeling right now - but taking time to do things that fill your cup and help you process your emotions can make a huge difference. For some people this might be journaling, getting your feelings out of your head and onto paper. For others, it might be breathwork that calms your racing mind and anxious nervous system. Finding something that works for you might take some time - but when you do, it can be a game-changer.
Want to learn more tools and tips that can help you support your mental health? Join our wellbeing sessions at midday on both Saturday and Sunday of the show with ambassadors including Vanessa Haye, Alice Rose and Amber Izzo.
Nurturing Your Relationships
Hands up who’s ever had an argument about fertility treatment or felt like your partner just doesn't understand how you’re feeling? A fertility journey can put a huge amount of pressure on your romantic relationship and this can impact the mental wellbeing of both you and your partner.
This is a challenge you have probably never faced before and it requires a whole new language and way of supporting each other. This is a time when teamwork has never been more important but has also never been harder - so taking time to stay connected and remind yourselves why you started this journey together is essential.
If you want to learn some exercises which can help you stay connected, communicate effectively and nurture your love through fertility struggles, join Lina Chan and Tyler Christie - a couple who know exactly what it’s like to face a tough road to parenthood - for our couple workshops at 11am on both Saturday and Sunday of the Show.
Fueling Your Body
We all know that nutrition is an essential building block of a good preconception plan - but it’s also so important for supporting our mental wellbeing and giving us the strength and resilience we need to keep fighting - even on the days when we feel like we want to give up.
Healthy eating can also be an act of self-care and connection in your home. Taking the time to cook a homemade meal with your partner will not only fill you up physically but is way more nurturing for your wellbeing and relationship than grabbing a frozen pizza in a rush after work.
For expert advice on fueling your body for your fertility journey, join leading fertility nutritionists Sandra Greenbank (Saturday) and Mel Brown (Sunday) at 3pm for our small group sessions!
Finding Community
One of the worst feelings on a fertility journey is loneliness - it’s something around 40% of people report feeling. This might be because people find that struggling with fertility leaves them isolated from friends and family - either because they aren’t aware of your situation or they simply don’t understand the nuances of what you’re going through.
Finding a community of people who ‘get it’ can be transformative. Whether that’s through an online forum, through social media or even finding an in-person connection, a conversation with someone who has experience of infertility is guaranteed to help you feel seen, understood and less alone.
With so many different routes to parenthood, it can be helpful to connect with groups that align with your personal situation. During the show we are hosting two wellbeing sessions that might help you find your community - Navigating Male Fertility Issues with Ciaran Hannington and Ian Stones and Calming Fears Around Donor Conception with Kreena Dhiman and Hayley King.
