Written by: Dr. Amy Beckley, PhD, Founder and Inventor of the Proov test — the first and only FDA-cleared test to confirm successful ovulation at home.
Written on: 6/17/22
Whether you are looking to start or grow your family, trying to conceive can be stressful. Figuring out when is the right time to try, and understanding your cycle, hormone fluctuations, feelings, and emotions can all be so confusing.
It is important that you take the time to be conscious of your personal wellness and health in order to care for your body and give yourself the best chance to conceive. Read on to discover personal care and wellness tips you can embrace during your fertility journey.
De-Stress With Your Partner
Trouble conceiving can create tension in relationships. You don’t want your relationship to revolve around fertility.
A great form of self-care is to support each other by building each other up. Think back to some of your favorite moments throughout your relationship together. Have fun and talk about a day you would want to live over again. Why not relax and unwind by recreating your first date?
Letting loose and having fun can get your mind off of the anxiety you are experiencing. If you need more ideas, check out these fun ways to de-stress with your partner. You want to be able to trust in each other and provide the support your partner needs in order to build a family.
Spending quality time together will give you the opportunity to become even closer, stronger, and more resilient than ever before. Not only that, but it will help you to both communicate better and have tricks in place to cope when you’re feeling stressed.
Share Your Experiences & Remember You Are Not Alone
Hormonal swings and experiencing the highs and lows throughout your cycle and along your fertility journey can be emotionally draining. Just wanting to be pregnant now, and wanting to no longer have to keep trying and waiting can weigh you down.
All of the emotions you are experiencing can be confusing and overload you. Being aware of the common signs of depression in women can help you feel better and care for your emotional health.
If you find that you may be feeling depressed or experiencing some signs and symptoms, you don’t have to struggle alone in silence. Many women struggle with fertility and are feeling the same way.
Seek support by talking to other women with shared experiences who may be going through the same struggles or those who have experienced fertility issues in the past. Our private support group is a great place to start. With over 9,000 members, there are plenty of people to talk to.
Of course, we always recommend speaking with a mental health professional who can best guide you and support you with your mental health needs.
Eat Healthy
Eating healthy when trying to conceive is a very important part of caring for your health throughout your fertility journey. Your body will need the extra nutrients. It’s time to put together a fertility diet for yourself.
If you are unsure of what to eat when you’re trying to get pregnant, try talking with your doctor or nutritionist, or even look for some recipes online. If you find that you may need to supplement your diet to get enough of the essential nutrients, you can try taking some high-absorbing iron, for example.
A healthy diet is not just about knowing what to eat, but what not to eat as well. There are some foods you will want to avoid eating like deli meat and some seafood products. Also, try to avoid excess sweets and sugary drinks. It's time to tame your cravings with healthy alternatives such as tasty fruits.
There are even some great recipe planning apps, cookbooks, or meal plans that can help make healthy eating and meal preparation convenient so you don’t have to stress over knowing what to put together next.
Take a Fun Break From It All
When trying to conceive don’t let your feelings distract you from doing what you love. If you have been trying for some time, it may cause you to feel defeated or make you feel like you don’t want to do anything at all.
However, it’s important that you don’t sit around the house and become more caught up and immersed in your feelings. Doing so won’t be good for both your physical and mental health. Still take the time to do the things you love or treat yourself to trying something new.
For instance, invest in a hobby you enjoy, or try a healthy new activity like pilates. Pilates can be relaxing and certain exercises can actually help you to strengthen your pelvic floor. Spending time on positive and healthy activities can be very uplifting. You may even make new supportive friends or discover a new favorite activity along the way.
Prioritizing personal wellness during your fertility journey is key to helping you maintain physical and mental wellbeing.
Prioritizing personal wellness during your fertility journey is key to helping you maintain both your physical and mental wellbeing. Pregnancy is a lot on the body and you want to be in optimal health for conception through delivery and beyond.
Focusing on personal wellness now will help your body be resilient and allow you to evolve into the mother you have always dreamed of becoming.
