Yesterday was my first session with the psychologist at the Infertility Mind/Body Center. It is housed in the same complex as a major IVF clinic so I was figuring that the Center would be focused on ART. I wasn't necessarily correct with that assumption. The place seems very holistic and while they believe that ART does oftentimes need to be the method for conception, they also believe in a more well-rounded approach.
I was early for my appointment because I didn't want to be late if I couldn't find it. While I waited, I perused some of the interesting reading materials they had available in the waiting room. I picked up a thick binder of studies regarding vitamins/supplements and fertility. Wow. So interesting. There was even an article about CoQ10 and how it can help both men and women. I immediately felt comfortable in this place.
I met with the psychologist for close to an hour. This session was mostly about getting to know me and my unique situation. She was very understanding and went through infertility and 2 miscarriages herself. She listened to my "story" and asked some further questions about everything. She then mentioned a 10 week program that she is hosting starting in July. It is basically a holistic infertility/loss program that 12-16 women take part in (spouses are partially included). They don't kick you out if you get pregnant, especially since they know that getting pregnant is only half the battle for some of the women in the program.
Here are the goals of the program:
- Reduce infertility related stress symptoms of anxiety, insomnia & headaches.
- Self-coping strategies.
- Ideas for fertility enhancement by making lifestyle changes.
- How to induce relaxation.
- Alternative medicine approaches.
Each participant gets a manual, a book, a relaxation cd & a yoga cd, all to aid in having a successful pregnancy. The psychologist mentioned that once in the group, each person is assigned a buddy. You are encouraged to check in with your buddy regularly by meeting up for coffee or going for a walk together once a week. She also said that the people in the group usually form a very strong bond and end up meeting after the session ends for a monthly dinner. Getting together with bunch of ladies in my same situation...It all sounded really nice to me. The only drawbacks are that it is about $500 (after insurance) and it is almost an hour from my house. I guess I have to decide what to do. Yes or no?
Completely unrelated...last night I was taking my dog for a walk when my husband's friend pulled up and asked if I wanted to meet his daughter. I had been avoiding meeting her because I have had a hard time with accepting that they had such an easy time conceiving and I still haven't even been able to get farther than 8.5 weeks. They announced their pregnancy at 6 weeks. Seriously. Anyways, I decided that it would be totally rude to say that I was in a hurry so I met their little daughter. Wow she was so cute. Very pleasant and already over 6 months. I kind of felt like a huge a$$ for not making any effort to visit them after they had her. My husband's friend knows about the 1st 2 miscarriages. He asked me how I was doing and I just kind of shrugged and said ok. I could tell he knew it was hard for me. I was glad to have finally met her, although it made me so jealous. I was in a sad mood last night and feeling sorry for myself again. I think I am leaning towards a yes on the holistic session.
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Oh my gosh, this program sounds amazing! I WISH there was something like that around here. Honestly, anything that helps you connect with other women and reduce your stress is well worth the price, IMO. I'm curious to see what other folks think.
ReplyDeleteWow, this does sound awesome. I feel like I am on a one way tunnel to getting pregnant and keeping pregnant and this is totally something I could use. Its so hard to find others going through this stuff, and I also have late ovulation and "lazy ovaries". I upped the Clomid this month to see if I could possible ovulate before day 20...we shall see!
ReplyDeleteThe program does sound fantastic - the "curriculum" as well as the chance to form a bond with women going through a similarly painful experience. As for the drawbacks, well, I too think it's worth the price for the advantages. And since it's only for ten weeks, the long drive won't cut into your life for too long. Perhaps you'll find being alone in the car for the back-and-forth a good time to reflect on the sessions. I'm looking forward to hearing about what you learn if you do decide to go forward with it!
ReplyDeleteI did a similar program to this a year ago and found it incredibly helpful. I only wish I had done it while in treatment. I hope you find this program useful too, as it sounds incredible!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I give you a lot of credit for meeting your friend's daughter. It's always a double-edged sword: they are so precious and yet it can be so hard. Few people actually understand that it takes a lot of strength to do so.