While Christmas and the surrounding holidays are a wonderful time to relax and see family and friends, it can be particularly difficult or stressful for people experiencing infertility or going through fertility treatments. You may need to make some adjustments to your standard Christmas activities to enjoy yourself or even to improve the efficacy of your fertility treatment.
Be Careful About Food and Drink
Christmas is definitely a time of over-indulgence, but this may not be an option if you are undergoing IVF or any other fertility treatment. You should still be able to enjoy the standard Christmas favourites, such as Christmas dinner and plenty of chocolate, but the advice to avoid alcohol still stands around the holidays. You may also want to alternate rich Christmas meals with lighter salads, oily fish, and more vegetables to ensure that your healthy lifestyle is not too affected by the festivities.
Take Some Time for Yourself
Family time can be overwhelming, so taking time for yourself to avoid stress or just to ensure that you enjoy yourself. For some, it can be particularly painful to be around pregnant friends or relatives, or those with young children – it’s perfectly acceptable to limit these interactions a little while you seek treatment and plan your own family. It’s a busy period, so most family members and friends understand if your time is limited. You should also ensure that you maintain your treatment schedule, which can give some respite throughout the month.
Focus on Festivities
Infertility can be exhausting, especially as it’s often your overwhelming focus before and during treatment. Christmas is full of distractions, whether it’s seeing family you don’t often spend time with or just throwing yourself into decorating a tree for half an hour. This change of focus can be an excellent distraction, so enjoy classic Christmas films, relax with a book, and hope for snow. You can enjoy your favourite Christmas traditions and spend time with people who have supported you through your journey so far.