Why self care is vital when your trying to conceive.

Last we PANDA raised awareness of perinatal anxiety and depression. Although it’s a different condition from postnatal anxiety, they are both mental health conditions affecting mood, behaviours, and well-being. Together they cover the period between conception and one year after your baby is born. Both women (1 in 5) and men (1 in 10) suffer from perinatal anxiety and or depression.

This is relevant to the TTC community because research I’ve read suggests the number of women can double for women with infertility.

When the road to conception has already been particularly challenging.

So what can help during this time?

Creating this time to dedicate to listening and taking care of your needs consistently will help many of the challenges that I see women facing when trying to conceive. In particular, stress and the impact stress has on fertility.

It takes a while to find the right self-care habits to suit you, your needs, and your lifestyle. Finding the perfect fit is just as much a part of my work as a fertility mentor as the guidance I offer around food, stress reduction, and strategies to build your mood.

All of the work done now will help to reduce your mental health risks during the perinatal and postnatal periods. This is because pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and motherhood are all part of the same journey.

Anything done to improve your mental health prior to pregnancy, will not only help, get through this period. It also helps set you up for a better journey in pregnancy and beyond.

The skills developed during your infertility journey provide you with greater tools for your toolbag, later on, so you can spend more time enjoying the pregnancy and the newborn baby you struggled so hard to arrive at.

What kind of self-care have you tried and found worked for you?

Would you like to know more about self-care for Fertility?  Send me a message and I will send you some free resources.

With love, Ileana xx

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