09/19/2024
Did infertility self-care look indistinguishable from a spa day to anyone else when they tried doing research? 🧖♀️
I love a bath as much as the next person, but let’s try to be more practical. Here’s some elaboration on what you’re seeing in the images:
Healthy Distraction: We don’t have to be actively processing our feelings about infertility all the time in order to be healthy. Distraction can be healthy as long as it is short term. Some of my favourite distractions? Hobbies, new and old. Creating a fertility-free social media account. And date nights with a partner or friends.
Outosurcing Labour: Obviously, different people will have access to different kinds of support. But if people are asking what they can do to help, requesting support with domestic labour and other kinds of chores can be a great start. If it’s an option for you to do on your own, you might also order a meal kit, pay someone to come in and clean your living space, or get someone to drive you to and from appointments.
Therapy: We often seek mental health too late in the process. There’s no threshold in terms of trauma or duration of infertility you need to meet to deserve support!
No List: Make sure to let yourself individualize this! It’s okay if you’re fine with one person’s baby shower and not another’s, or that you can’t bear kids on Halloweeen but you’re fine on Christmas.
Emotional Support Team: Identify three categories of people: those good at listening, those skilled at giving practical and informed advice, and those helpful at distraction. If you don’t have people who fulfill all those categories—I sure didn’t!—think about where you might seek them out.
If you know someone who could use a little extra care on their fertility journey, share this post to remind them they’re not alone. (And if that person just might be you, save it as well!)
