Stress, Anxiety, and Scheduling Your First Fertility Consultation
We know firsthand that fertility issues can be stressful and confusing. There are many reasons why the fertility care process could be emotionally fraught for you. Maybe you and your partner expected to get pregnant without fertility care and are dealing with the emotional complexities of deciding on next steps; or maybe you’re single and hoping to become a parent, but you don’t know what to expect or where to begin.
Whatever your situation may be, you should know that it is common and totally normal to experience feelings of stress and anxiety ahead of your initial fertility consultation.
Here are some ways to better understand and deal with your anxieties, and a few easy tips to feel more confident as you take this first big step toward building your family.
Research the basics of fertility care to put your mind at ease.
One of the most important things to know is that you’re not alone. In fact, it’s estimated that one in eight couples in the U.S. experience infertility.
Next, you can begin to familiarize yourself with fertility and fertility care. Research your options, visit blogs and forums, and read testimonials from those who have been through this before. Knowing what to expect ahead of time can demystify the process of third-party reproduction and help you feel more confident as you navigate the various options available to you.
This also means knowing that there are many myths and misconceptions surrounding infertility. You can arm yourself with helpful, factual information through a variety of resources in order to dispel these myths and improve your overall understanding of assisted reproductive processes.
Being armed with this knowledge will help you talk about infertility, whether with your partner or with those close to you, helping you to better handle potentially intrusive (if well-intentioned) questions from friends and family that would otherwise be stress-inducing.
Get ready for your first fertility consultation.
While being informed is a great way to prepare for your initial consultation, you can also do a few tangible things ahead of time to help the process go more smoothly and, hopefully, relieve some of your anxiety.
First, confirm your health insurance coverage. You don’t want to get familiar with and excited about a fertility facility only to learn later that your insurance provider doesn’t work with them. Write down any questions you have ahead of time, so you don’t forget them during your appointment. Then, during the consultation, feel free to make notes for yourself along the way. Be prepared for the provider’s questions too—you’ll be asked about your health history, and the more information you can bring with you, the better.
Know that you’ve taken a big step toward building your family.
Once you’ve actually scheduled your first fertility consultation, you should be proud of yourself!
Fertility and fertility care come with many emotional highs and lows, and hopefully making that initial appointment brings a little bit of relief. You’ve gotten the ball rolling on the path to learning about your fertility care options and, ultimately, toward building your family. If you’re ready to book a consultation, or if you want to discuss any concerns or anxieties you might have about the process, please get in touch with Aspire Fertility today.
