Introduction to the Emotional Journey of Fertility Treatment
Jessie Egedal
Video
7 min
00:00:00 Try to imagine that moment when you finally hold your beautiful lovely baby in your arms. You can almost smell how wonderful it all is, and life suddenly takes a completely new direction, filled with love and happiness. But perhaps reality has turned out to be a bit more complex than expected. What was supposed to be a journey filled with joy and expectations has suddenly become a
00:00:23 struggle filled with doubt and worry. Today, we will dive into the emotional and psychological influences that you Today, we will dive into the emotional and psychological influences that you may experience on the journey towards motherhood. It is important to understand that this journey affects not only your body, but also significantly impacts your emotions and thoughts.
00:00:42 There are many layers of emotions and concerns that can fill and create an emotional and psychological burden. We will together create an overview of the different areas and find ways to manage them so you can find peace and balance. While you are right here, today we will work on gaining an overview of how you While you are right here, today we will work on gaining an overview of how you
00:01:01 have been affected emotionally and psychologically. The reason for this is that there are often many more areas affected by infertility or involuntary childlessness than you may be aware of. And therefore, it provides an opportunity for us to take a look at where you feel the changes.
00:01:19 But before we begin, I would really like to ask you to find a large piece of paper and a pen. Do you have it? Good. You should now draw a large circle which you divide into seven sections You should now draw a large circle which you divide into seven sections somewhat like
00:01:33 a layer cake. It is physical. It is mental. It is about relationships. It is about family. It is about friends. It is about work. It is economic.
00:01:50 The exercise aims to support you in initiating a process where you become much more aware of how you use your resources. At the same time as you create an overview of which areas in your life are At the same time as you create an overview of which areas in your life are negatively affected by being on this journey and which may require a little extra attention from
00:02:07 you. Therefore, I would like you to assess each area on a scale from 10 down to -10. Under 10 is the absolute best starting point and where you go down to 0 to -10, it expresses that things have changed and are affected by your hard struggle to become a mother. Don't be afraid to be completely honest. Don't be afraid to be completely honest.
00:02:31 There is nothing dangerous about taking a good, honest look at how your life is affected by other factors. And take your time with the exercise. Reflect on the different areas and how they have changed both for the better but perhaps also for the worse. Once you have fully engaged in the exercise, you will have a very clear picture
00:02:50 of where it is important to take action. Perhaps there are predominantly more areas that fall below 0. If so, then it is an important sign for you. If so, then it is an important sign for you. That you are currently waiting for life to begin. Once the baby is here, we can really do all the things we want. However, if you mostly have numbers that fall between 0 and +10, it is an
00:03:12 indicator that you are actually managing despite your life situation and the life crisis you are experiencing to live life and do things that fill you up. Maybe you could use a little help to get your thoughts going. So follow along here. First area. Mental.
00:03:29 Mental. Mentally, the journey towards motherhood can be an emotional roller coaster. Hormones which are often used in the treatment process can affect your mood and mental stability in unexpected ways. The intense feelings of hope and expectation can quickly be replaced by frustration and disappointment and sometimes by depression.
00:03:52 Especially when the treatment process does not go exactly as planned. It requires enormous mental strength to handle the many ups and downs that come It requires enormous mental strength to handle the many ups and downs that come with the treatments. How do you feel it has affected you? Both for better and for worse. Finally, on a physical level, fertility treatments can also be challenging.
00:04:15 Being affected by hormones and medication can have a significant impact on your body. From feeling perhaps energetic and happy and full of resources, to suddenly being confronted with side effects such as mood swings, nausea and fatigue, there may also be with side effects such as mood swings, nausea and fatigue, there may also be restrictions regarding physical activity, which can be extremely frustrating if exercise is
00:04:38 normally an important part of your lifestyle and where you draw energy and recharge. It can be difficult to accept that you suddenly have to scale back on what you cherish, what once brought joy and strength. How do you feel that the journey up to now has affected that area? Is it positive or negative? Job.
00:04:59 Job. The immense pressure of juggling between fertility clinic visits and everyday job obligations can be a significant source of stress. Balancing work and social obligations, not to mention treatment plans, can feel overwhelming and exhausting. And while you struggle to manage the practicalities, it can be difficult to
00:05:21 avoid letting worries about your body's changes and the fertility process fill your thoughts and create additional stress. How do you experience the changes in relation to your job? How do you experience the changes in relation to your job? Once you have chosen to keep it a secret, and therefore you struggle a bit more to come
00:05:38 up with excuses for the things you need to do when you visit the clinic. Before. Firstly, the persistent uncertainty surrounding the success of the treatment can be a huge source of stress and anxiety for both you and a partner. The fear of repeated disappointments and the constant pressure to maintain hope The fear of repeated disappointments and the constant pressure to maintain hope can be exhausting
00:06:03 and disrupt many couples' ability to communicate and be present for each other. Furthermore, the hormones used in fertility treatment can have a significant impact on both your and your partner's mood and libido. This hormonal influence can lead to periods of irritation, anxiety and depression. It can lead to challenges in cultivating and maintaining intimacy, perhaps in It can lead to challenges in cultivating and maintaining intimacy, perhaps in
00:06:30 the experience, but you have been good at meeting each other in all the difficulties and have talked about the feelings that can be associated with fertility treatment. Or you may find that it has suddenly become really difficult to understand each other. And that grief can affect you very differently. I hope you are ready to complete the exercise and yours.
00:06:52 The remaining areas that are there, so that before the exercise is over, you have a clear overview of where you need to take a quiet step back to create the changes you overview of where you need to take a quiet step back to create the changes you need. Thank you for today. I am incredibly looking forward to meeting you again. Goodbye.
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