If you’ve gone through infertility treatments such as Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) or InVitro Fertilization, you know how hard the two week wait can be to find out if your treatments were successful. There are multiple emotions that are running through you during this time and it can be difficult to manage them all! So, here are some ideas from UIRC Counselor, McKenzie Niño to make your two week wait more bearable.
1) When not working, hang out with your family or call a friend. Try to avoid feeling isolated.
2) Do activities that get you in the present moment: be all in with whatever you are doing. Like savor a treat, take a mindful walk, do a sensory activity like art or a craft.
3) Physical tasks that engage the body: playing with dogs, working on a house project, exercising, reading, showering, and going for a walk.
4) Meditations for relaxation and sleep. Try Ferticalm app or download fertility specific meditations at circleandbloom.com
5) Be intentional about social media: set a timer and get off pages/threads that are triggering. If a particular social media is particularly triggering, take it off your phone so it is less accessible.
6) Reach out to infertility support friends for validation and venting.
7) Get a pedicure or something else pampering like a massage/facial.
8) Plan a fun date or go out to eat with your husband or a girlfriend.
9) Notice your emotional reactions and that they have a beginning, middle and an end. Try to ride the wave instead of fighting those feelings. Give yourself permission to be in the emotion until it passes. Journal or talk to someone you trust to help you move through the emotions instead of stuffing them.
10) Try yoga at home or a progressive muscle relaxation. (look up boho beautiful yoga on YouTube or The Honest Guys meditations on YouTube).
We hope these ideas help! What other ideas do you have?
