Maintaining a healthy mind is essential, just as maintaining a healthy body is. It's easier to care for others when your own physical and emotional needs are met. Both infertility and motherhood can be emotionally taxing and formative experiences, but during this time it is critical to put your own health and well-being at the forefront of your priorities. Here are some tips.

Practice self-care 

It's crucial to set aside time each day for self-care activities that make you feel good. You may experience stress and depression as a result of infertility. Even in difficult times, make sure to take some time for yourself. You can increase your mental resiliency by maintaining a self-care routine and telling yourself that you are valuable. Try self-care practices such as:

• Yoga
• Meditation
• Taking a long bath
• Going for a walk in the park
• Cooking healthy meals
• Journaling
  

Maintain a healthy diet and exercise regimen

Your mental health can benefit from adopting healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating well and staying active on a regular basis.  Eat a lot of vegetables, whole grains, and proteins that are low in fat. Even if you are short on time, you should still plan out what you will eat. If you wait too long, you run the risk of becoming hungry while having no healthy options available to you.

Communicate with your partner

Infertility and motherhood are both stressful experiences that can put a strain on relationships. It is of the utmost importance to engage in honest communication with one's partner and to collaborate in order to provide support for one another. 

Do the things you enjoy

Have a taste for tunes? Maintain your focus on listening even as you go about your day. Are you deeply committed to the practice of painting? Start something, regardless of how small it is. Do you enjoy knitting or sewing? Participate actively in a community that is devoted to crafting. Setting aside time for your hobby is similar to making an appointment with yourself.

Recognize the significance of your emotional health

It is easy to overlook the significance of a woman's mental health during pregnancy because so much attention is typically paid to her physical health. Pregnancy represents a significant life transition for the majority of people, and it necessitates psychological adjustments that can have profound effects on a woman's mental health.

Connect with a support group

It helps you to connect with those who are experiencing similar challenges. Talking to others who understand what you are going through can be helpful and validating. Develop your resilience in order to improve your ability to deal with stress without becoming overwhelmed, adjust to new situations, and make it through particularly trying times.

Stay in the present

When you're going through the challenges of infertility, it's easy to start dwelling on things you "should have" or "would have" done. However, this may place a significant strain on your mental health and wellbeing. Focusing on the here and now is much more productive than dwelling on the past or the future. Practice bringing your attention back to the present whenever you find that your thoughts have wandered off by first concentrating on your immediate environment and then reassuring yourself that you are cared for and loved. 

Seek professional help

Consider seeing a therapist or counselor who specializes in infertility or postpartum mental health. The counselors and fertility specialists at PFRC can provide you with the support & guidance you need. 

- By Dr Swathy Srinivasan, MBBS MS OG, DRM