How to Relieve Stress

Having been through this whole cycle of IVF before, I feel like I know what to expect. The first round taught me to expect the unexpected. There are so many steps to getting to a transfer that you really can't get ahead of yourself. Or get discouraged if one step fails. Most couples go into IVF thinking this is the answer, and that the first round will prove to be successful.

Well we all know how that ended for us.

Something you may neglect to realize, is just how stressful this is all is on your body. A dear friend recently told me "Women going through IVF are just as stressed as if they were fighting cancer." I know I've shared this before, but I think it's important for everyone to realize. Stress plays a huge role in your health. So for all my ladies going through IVF right now with me, what are you doing to relieve your stress?

Yoga?

Meditation?

Working out?

Acupuncture?

Massage?

My mother in law recently filled me in on a juicy secret. There's a massage therapy company located in Clinton, Holden and Marlboro called Escape Massage Centers! You can sign up for a monthly membership for $45 per month, and get a 60 min massage once a month. So I scheduled one for myself for tomorrow to try it out. I was hesitant since I'm currently making multiple eggs and have been taking it easy. But the owner emailed me back with this:

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Yes massage is fine and even helpful to improve fertility if done in a circulatory manner.  Here is an excerpt for you:

Fertility massage is recommended for all women, especially if you have fertility problems or suffer from stress. Fertility massage has been proven beneficial to solve a few reproductive system problems such as:

• Endometriosis
• Twisted fallopian tubes
• Irregular ovulation
• Amenorrhea or the lack of menstrual cycle, which is linked to the lack of ovulation
• Pelvic adhesions
• Blocked fallopian tubes

If your fertility problems are idiopathic, the massage may help you conceive, as the fertility massage drives the blood to the reproductive organs and the blood carries fresh oxygen, which can be beneficial for fertility.

Also, the massage relieves stress. Stress is considered a fertility inhibitor, so the massage may only be helpful. The fertility massage can also help to relive constipation, which can affect fertility. The feces in the bowels will gather and press on the reproductive organs, so the fertilization may not take place.

The fertility massage therapy may be a treatment per se, but it is often combined with other fertility treatments such as the in vitro fertilization. The fertility massage has been linked to a higher success rate of fertility cycles.

Read more

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I will say I haven't felt entirely stressful this time around. But I'm really good at fooling myself. Working full time has added the most stress. The first time I was only working part time at our family's business, so I had the luxury of taking time when I needed it. I was 20 lbs lighter, working out like crazy, and super healthy. 

This time....not so much. But I will say mentally, I feel much stronger. I know I have no control over what will happen, and I've been dealing with that by focusing on what I can control. Like work. Like eating well. Working out lightly. And treating myself to a massage! 

But my fingers are still crossed, and I'm still praying like crazy. Until I hear back this afternoon about the blood and US this morning, that's about all I can do. US tech did say I had about 7-9 decent sized follicles and a whole bunch of little ones. We shall see!