April is National Infertility Awareness Month, when we focus on raising awareness to this common disease and finding ways to offer support to those who are struggling. Infertility impacts 1 in 8 couples, so it’s likely that you have a family or friend who has or will deal with infertility. Infertility can take a toll on an individual, emotionally and physically, making having a strong support system critical. So how can you provide loved ones struggling with infertility with the support they need? Below, the fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA offer five ways you can offer friends and family the infertility support they need.
1. Learn About Infertility
One key way to be a supportive friend is to learn as much as you can about infertility. This is not so you can offer treatment or diet suggestions, but instead so you can understand what your friend may be going through. Learning what goes into fertility treatment can help you understand why your friend needs to head home at a specific time to take medication and can keep you from responding with shock if they tell you they need to inject themselves with fertility drugs multiple times each day. Additionally, you can learn what the common misconceptions around infertility are, so you can avoid repeating them.
2. Learn What to Say – and Not to Say
When someone you love is struggling with infertility, it’s important to offer words of support. Commiserating with their feelings (I’m so sorry, that’s awful), asking them what you can do to help, and letting them know that you’re there for them if they ever want a shoulder to cry on can do wonders. As for what not to say? That list is a little bit longer. Make sure not to say anything that minimizes their feelings or their efforts to get pregnant – saying “It’s not that bad!” or “You just need to relax!” will definitely not help. Additionally, don’t go on about what other options are available to them as they’ve likely considered every option available to them.
3. Offer Up Distractions
For couples going through infertility, it can often seem as if their world revolves around it – injection schedules, blood draws, invasive scans – it can be overwhelming. So what can you do? Offer up some distractions! Invite your friend out for a movie, lunch, a hike, anything that can help them get their mind off of their fertility treatment. Sometimes a little break from the infertility grind is just what the doctor ordered.
4. Run Interference
Holidays, birthday parties, baby showers, and other big social events can feel like a minefield for those struggling with infertility. At one point or another, someone will likely ask your friend about their plans to have children or will start complaining about the difficulties of parenting. This can be incredibly painful for your friend, and finding a graceful way to navigate these conversations can be a big source of anxiety. To help, try to run a little interference (with your friend’s permission, of course). When one of these subjects come up, try to steer the conversation in another direction so they don’t have to answer intrusive questions or hear someone go on about how hard the sleepless nights are when they would do anything to have that problem.
5. Support Advocacy Organizations
Infertility impacts every aspect of the lives of those who deal with it, from financial to emotional. Infertility advocacy organizations like RESOLVE offer resources and support for those struggling with the disease – from support groups to fertility grants. These organizations also lobby on the local and national level to push states to mandate insurance coverage for fertility treatment (in most states, insurance companies aren’t required to cover infertility services) which can help lower the financial burden families face when undergoing fertility treatment. To support organizations like RESOLVE, you can donate, volunteer, or participate in your local Walk of Hope.
Trying to figure out how to support loved ones struggling with infertility can feel overwhelming, but by following these five tips you’ll be well on your way to being a supportive family member or friend to your loved one. If you or someone you know is struggling with infertility, or if you would like more information on how you can support someone in your life who is infertile, contact the fertility experts at IVF FLORIDA today at 866.770.2168.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 2 Apr 2019
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month! In honor of this month, the fertility experts at IVF FLORIDA go over what you need to know about this painful disease that impacts millions of women in their latest infographic.
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Endometriosis can have a profound impact on your life - including making it more difficult for you to conceive. If you have endometriosis and are having difficulty conceiving, contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of the fertility specialists at IVF FLORIDA, by giving us a call at 866.770.2168.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 7 Mar 2019
When you’re going through fertility treatment, romance can often fall by the wayside. Juggling multiple doctors’ appointments and injection schedules along with everyday life can easily get in the way of strengthening the emotional connection you have with your partner. But maintaining a strong bond with your partner is key for managing the stress of undergoing fertility treatments. So how can you and your partner inject some more romance into your relationship? Here, the fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA discuss how you can keep the romance alive during fertility treatment.
1. Schedule Date Nights
Don’t let hectic schedules keep you from getting in a date night! Plan one night every week where you and your partner go out for dinner, a movie, or a concert. Planning for this time helps to make sure that you and your partner focus on your relationship at least once per week.
2. Try Something New
Has the romantic spark begun to fade? One of the best ways to reignite it is to try something new together. Studies have shown that couples who try new things together are more satisfied in their relationships, so finally going on that tandem skydiving session may give your relationship the romantic jolt you’re looking for.
3. Play Games
Having fun together is a key part of any relationship, and playing games together is a great way to tap into that. To help amp up the intimacy, try choosing a cooperative game where you and your partner work together to win. Working together to achieve a common goal can help you and your partner bond while having fun.
4. Take a Staycation
Sometimes you and your partner may just need to get away. But if finances are tight, a full-on vacation may not be possible. A great alternative to this is a staycation, when you and your partner can act like tourists in your own city. Stay at a local hotel, spending the day relaxing by the pool and exploring your city with your partner. The mini-getaway may be just what you need to work some more romance into your relationship.
5. Get Your Heart Pumping
Are you or your partner big on hiking? Maybe you’re a gym junkie or cycling enthusiast. Whatever ways you and your partner like to work up a sweat, try doing it together! Exercising together doesn’t just help you stay in shape – it also helps deepen couple’s emotional bond and improves communication skills.
Infertility can take a toll on the strongest of couples. To keep the romance from leaving your relationship while you undergo fertility treatment, try using one or more of these tips regularly. If you and your partner want to learn more about ways to keep the romance alive, or if you’d like to schedule a consultation with one of the fertility specialists at IVF FLORIDA, contact us at 866.770.2168.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 5 Feb 2019
Planning to start a family is an exciting time for many couples. But before starting on the path to parenthood, there are a few things a couple can do to improve their chances of success when trying to conceive – and that can help improve the outcomes for mom and baby when they achieve their goal. In their latest blog post, the fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA in South Florida suggest five tips to couples planning to conceive in 2019 to increase their chances of success.
1. Ditch Your Vices
Whether its cigarettes or alcohol, if you’re trying to conceive, it would be best to quit now. Heavy alcohol consumption has been tied to reduced fertility in women and men. Additionally, smoking has been shown to decrease a woman’s egg count and quality, as well as negatively impacting sperm quality in men. For women in particular, quitting smoking and giving up alcohol are important if they are planning to conceive – not only because it decreases a woman’s chances of conceiving, but can impact the health of her baby when she does get pregnant. If you are planning on trying to conceive this year, make sure to quit smoking and abstain from alcohol.
2. Get to a Healthy Weight
Being over or underweight is one of the most common causes of infertility in women. For women who are underweight, menstruation can become irregular or cease altogether. Women who are overweight may also experience irregular menstrual cycles, but even those that have normal menstrual cycles have been shown to have lower fertility rates than those who are a healthy weight.
For men, being overweight has also been linked to lower sperm counts, making it more difficult for them to impregnate their partner. So if you’re TTC this year, make sure you and your partner make strides to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
3. Get the Right Vitamins
Most women know about the need to take certain supplements once they are pregnant, but there are particular one’s they should start taking once they start trying to conceive. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, women should begin taking folic acid once they start trying to conceive and throughout the course of their pregnancy to help prevent birth defects of the fetal brain and spine. Taking vitamins such a Vitamin C, D, and B-12 can also help improve outcomes for mom and baby.
4. Reassess Your Diet
While maintaining a healthy diet won’t guarantee that you’ll be able to successfully conceive, certain tweaks to your diets can help your chances. For example, women who consume full-fat dairy have been shown to have a lower incidence of ovulatory infertility than those who consume low-fat dairy. If you need to learn more about which dietary changes can help set you up for TTC success, speak to your doctor.
5. Get Checked Out
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine suggests that couples where the women is under 35 should seek fertility help after a year of trying to conceive without success, while women over 35 should seek fertility help after six months. But for women who are 40 or older should speak to a fertility specialist as soon as they decide they’d like to conceive. If you’ve been trying to conceive without success, contact the fertility specialists at IVF FLORIDA today to schedule a consultation.
There are a variety of things to you can do to help increase your chances of success when you’re trying to conceive, from making lifestyle changes to speaking with a specialists. If you want to learn more about what you can do to increase your chances of TTC success, contact us at 866.770.2681.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 15 Jan 2019
The holidays are just around the corner, and for those trying to conceive, this time of year can feel like a minefield. All of the drinks and treats can work together to make it harder to achieve a pregnancy, and the focus on family and children can be emotionally draining for those dealing with infertility.
To help, the fertility specialists of IVF FLORIDA have provided an infographic going over everything you need to know to have a happy, healthy, and fertility friendly holiday season.
Have you been trying to conceive without success? The fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA are here to help! Contact us at 866.770.2168 today to schedule a consultation and get started on your path to parenthood.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 15 Nov 2018