I remember watching an older episode of the reality show “Giuliana and Bill” where Giuliana Rancic was trying to figure out how to inject her fertility medications. She was almost in tears due to her nerves and feelings of overwhelm. This reality of the pain, worries and discomforts (not to mention the expense and time commitment) of injectable fertility drugs is all too familiar with many of our readers. To make your experience a bit easier, I want to share some resources with you to hopefully help you handle the emotional stress that accompanies fertility medications and infertility treatment.
1. Do not underestimate how stressful the infertility diagnosis and treatment process can be. Infertility is linked with high rates of depression. Receiving an infertility diagnosis can be as upsetting as being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness so you must practice good self-care during your journey. By all means, seek infertility counseling if your emotions become too overwhelming, especially if your job, relationships, or general health start to suffer. And please remember that you are not alone. Find us on Facebook, share your story with us and connect with others who have been through this.
2. If you are doing infertility injections, involve your partner in the process. Infertility treatments can feel alienating to the partner who is not undergoing treatment. A woman trying to get pregnant may think her partner does not understand what she feels and what she is going through. Your partner may begin to think that he or she is not as important in the process. Sharing injections together can help you create memories (funny, stressful, sad, etc.) and help you bond during this extremely difficult time. Check out the recommendations by our friends at the American Fertility Association on how to perform infertility injections with your partner. About halfway down the page you can find some really helpful tips on how to prepare for your injections.
3. Many women report that their fertility drug injections become easier over time. Other women have a really hard time with it. Ask your fertility clinic for advice if you are having trouble with the needle sticks. If you have a needle phobia, phobia treatment is available.
4. For more inspiration and to feel more empowered about your fertility injections, check out the couple on this video. Watch towards the end of this video as they demonstrate how to inject fertility medications. We love this couple!
5. I also recommend that you read about Stephanie’s IVF journey as she explains her experience with injections and how she kept herself organized during IVF with injections. She does a great job of walking us through the process.
Wishing you all the best on your fertility journeys.
Britt Berg is a medical writer and is content manager for Attain Fertility. She is also a trained therapist and co-author of Making a Baby, a book about infertility.
