Fertility
How to Have a Happy Holiday Season when Trying To Conceive
Eloise Edington | 15 Dec 2021
The holidays can be tough when trying to conceive or when you’re struggling with (in)fertility. Particularly at this time, speaking with people who are going through it can help. Join our free Fertility Help Hub community (here) to connect with a caring network to help you cope with fertility struggles this holiday season.
Today, the team at our partner clinic Laurel Fertility Care, share their top tips for surviving the holidays when TTC. Emotional support is at the heart of LFC’s approach, so if you’re looking for a supportive and knowledgable team of fertility experts, click here.
Over to Laurel Fertility Care.
Anyone who has ever struggled to become pregnant or experienced a loss while trying to conceive knows firsthand that the holiday season can exacerbate stress and negative emotions. Spending time with children, extended family and friends at holiday parties can sometimes bring with it uncomfortable conversations related to starting or growing your family.
Whether you’re wondering how to dodge prying questions or planning your excuse for missing the annual holiday party, we’ve gathered some tips from our friends in the TTC community that have helped them to enjoy this time of year.
Take a Trip
Specific holidays can feel like time stamps when you link them to anniversaries of treatment cycles or specific losses. It’s human and totally understandable to look back and think, “This time last Thanksgiving…” or “this time last New Year’s Eve…”
If you can, try and take some time away to help shift your attention from these anniversaries. Escaping the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can feel freeing, so plan a trip and take a breather with a friend, your partner or by yourself to create new memories and anniversaries!
Don’t Feel Guilty
If you’re in the mood to mingle and head to the holiday party, go and enjoy yourself! If you’re dreading it and it’s causing stress or anxiety, skip it. No matter what you decide, making decisions that will best serve you should be at the top of your to-do list. Don’t feel guilty for not partaking in what others who aren’t in your situation find enjoyable during the holiday season.
This mindset is also applicable when it comes food and drinks. Your mental health and well-being are especially important parts of the journey to conceive. If you choose to have a drink or have a holiday dessert, do so in moderation and try not to dwell on any feelings of guilt that might arise.
What are FHH Founder Eloise’s tips for surviving the holiday season when TTC?
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Plan a Social Media Detox
If you’re struggling with seeing pregnancy and birth announcements online, you’re not alone. Prioritize yourself and your mental health by limiting your screen time, turning off your notifications, utilizing Instagram’s “Mute” feature, or just ditching your social media accounts altogether for a bit.
More from Laurel Fertility Care: watch this video about what to Google and what not to Google during fertility treatment.
Open Up to Someone – or Don’t
It’s up to you whether or not you want to be open with loved ones at holiday gatherings about your journey. We want to remind you that either path you choose is the right one for you.
Our community often discusses the benefits of being open with others, like putting a stop to questions about children and not having to explain yourself in certain situations. There can also be pitfalls that come with sharing details about your journey, such as fielding awkward comments or unsolicited advice.
Our best advice is to find a few good people to confide in – the ones that you know you can call on a tough day or who you know will share a comforting smirk at gatherings when an inappropriate comment is made.
You know your friends and family best, and the decision to share or not to share is entirely up to you!
We love Laurel Fertility Care’s tips for surviving the holiday season when trying to conceive – straight from the TTC community. Based in the Bay Area, LFC listen to your needs and goals to offer a personalised approach to treatment. Aiming to “do everything possible” to help with your family-building efforts, Laurel Fertility Care go that extra mile to help you meet other challenges in life with greater reserve.
