[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Christmas holidays aren’t easy for couples coping with infertility. A childless Christmas can be very difficult to cope with. These tips for enjoying Christmas – not just surviving the holiday season – may help you cope with not being pregnant.
Decrease your alcohol consumption
If you’re trying to get pregnant, you probably aren’t drinking too much (or at all). But, if you’re taking a break from infertility treatments or know for a fact you’re not pregnant, then you may have a few holiday drinks! There’s nothing wrong with that – just remember that drinking too much can increase intense emotions, lower defenses, and make stress or depression worse. To avoid potential arguments or uncontrollable emotions in front of family, friends, and colleagues, keep the alcohol intake minimal.
Avoid talking about infertility at holiday parties
Take a break from the stress of trying to get pregnant. Keep your conversations focused on past Christmas traditions, fond memories, family experiences and new information about the holiday season. If you’re struggling with infertility depression, try to avoid the worst triggers of sadness and pain.
Revive your spirituality
Christmas might be a good time to return to church, the synagogue, or other places that encourage spirituality. Coping with life and family problems at any time of the year is often made easier when a spiritual source of strength and courage is involved. Take time to pray, meditate, journal, or quietly reflect on the twists and turns of life…including what the future might hold.
Take care of yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally
Stress and depression levels increase if you don’t get enough sleep, don’t exercise enough, and aren’t eating nutritious foods. If ignored, these three simple factors can wreak havoc on your emotions, thoughts, and actions – which will magnify family problems. Christmas holidays can be stressful – mitigate this stress by keeping a healthy physical routine. Get enough sleep, enough exercise, and eat enough healthy foods.
There’s no doubt that coping with infertility over the holiday season is painful and stressful – it just takes discipline to focus on enjoying the best parts of the season and not giving up on your hopes and dreams.
There are many options from fertility treatments to adoption. Make it your New Year plan to be more proactive in your search for what you really want.
If you are over 30 and have been trying to conceive for over a year, discuss with your doctor to see if there are any medical reasons as to why you are not getting pregnant.
