Those who got pregnant naturally may not have heard of the two weeks wait.
I certainly was not anxiously waiting two weeks after falling pregnant with our second child to see if there was a positive test or not. It was 12 weeks after, I noticed I was late.
For those who have embarked on IVFs, the period immediately after egg transfer can be the most stress-filled days, it certainly was for me.
I was plague with questions like, what if this fails?
Endless questions like, why don’t i feel anything?
Every twinged was analyzed.
Every symptoms is interpreted as meaning something… a loss, especially having suffered miscarriage
So how do you survive this wait, how do you wait while you wait?
This post gives tips on what to do while waiting:
Do not obsess over every twinge, feelings and changes you notice.
You will feel differently from day to day, so save yourself the stress of ringing up your doctor whenever you think something is wrong.
I know this is a difficult task, but doing the next few steps will help.
- Take up an interest, this may seem like the most unlikely time to start something new, but doing something new can has focus your mind and in the process reduce the anxiety of having to constantly fixate on what is happening during the wait. There are lots of sites offering short courses on a varied range of interests .
- Walks: This is not the time to go for intensive exercise classes, but you can go for short walks in the woods and admire nature’s beauty.
- Yoga: IVF takes so much out of you and yoga is a great way to center your senses.It is great for relaxing and also focuses your mind on being calm as you concentrate on your breathing. Yoga relaxes you into calmness which lingers afterwards.
- I took up reflexology during my wait and often come away feeling relaxed. There are great work out videos on youtube.
- Learn how to cook a new dish. The process of researching, selecting, preparing the ingredients, peeling, cutting, cleaning the ingredients, engages the mind and also fills you with a sense of achievement. The very motion of cooking engages a different part of the brain. Invite friends over and share the meals with them. laughter and banter with others will do you a world of good.
- plan a date with your partner: Fingers crossed everything will go well and this maybe the last few weeks of being alone before your little baby comes. So enjoy the moment and do little stuff together.
- Start your diary and begin to write about your IVF experiences, you never know who this may help in future. I kept a dairy of my fertility journey which has formed the basis of this blog.
- Get going on that to do list you have been meaning to get to, be careful not to do any heavy lifting. Dusting and tidying of drawers and wardrobe are simple chores to get busy with.
- Adult doodle is a great way to pass the time. There are lots of inspirational doodle books around, these are great for lifting your spirits and as you color in the pages imagine your life being beautified by your little one.
- positive affirmation. this a way of focusing on the positive and a good practice to engage in, long after IVF. Simply refuse to dwell on the negative, you have nothing to loose and everything to gain by being positive so be full of hope.
Above all hold on to hope, you have come this far there is no need to worry now.
Seek out your support net work, it may be that one friend or a group you are path of, be in constant communication with them so as not to allow your self to drift off into negative and panicking territory.
The journey stared with that first push of the needle and will end with a beautiful baby.
Your Partner in Hope
D’Ebi
Relevant Post
https://faithfulwait.com/2019/09/27/ivf-process-step-by-step/
https://faithfulwait.com/2019/05/29/the-pain-of-miscarriage/
https://faithfulwait.com/2018/08/13/single-women-and-ivf/
https://faithfulwait.com/2017/12/06/fearful-wait/
Little Drops Of Hope 