OUTLINE:

• Why you need to take charge
• How to take charge
• What is under your control
• Daily reminders

     WHY YOU NEED TO TAKE CHARGE

• When it comes to fertility issues, everyone has an opinion
• No other person truly knows what you are going through
• Forget about what everyone is doing or saying
• Listen to your body
• Seek help
• There are consequences of not taking charge

     HOW TO TAKE CHARGE

• Invest in selfcare: Your mind and your body are going through this journey. They must be stable and function optimally to achieve results. Take care of your health, manage stress.
• Get support and ask for help: The fertility journey is challenging by default. Also, because it is usually a multifaceted situation, i.e, it has many components contributing to the challenge, you cannot know it all and should not handle it alone. Get counselling.
• Set boundaries: You do not owe everybody an explanation. Saying NO to questions about you Fertility is your right.
• Personal check-ins: Take time to assess how you are doing. Do it regularly.
• You can achieve this through journaling and practices like retreats and meditations
• Take breaks. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, tired, or you just feel you need a break, take one. Take breaks responsibly. Have timelines and ensure you do not jeopardise all you have worked hard to achieve.
• See the big picture. The fertility journey is a JOURNEY. It is usually a MARATHON than a SPRINT.
• Understand your plan. Know all the stages and everything involved. Get knowledge from professionals so as to make informed choices.
• Build relationships with your care team. God is the ultimate and supreme power and He has the final say, but He will likely use MEN to bring the results you desire either through the provision of
• Knowledge or through various kinds of treatments and support. From your medical team to your counsellors to your spiritual guides to your friends and family aware of your plans, maintain a good relationship with people. This provides positive energy around you
• Communicate effectively and honestly. Let people know how they can help you. Never assume a state where you cannot learn.
• Focus on what you can control

WHAT IS UNDER YOUR CONTROL?

Infertility can shift our lives to and fro. Targets and aspirations are no longer as you planned. This can be stressful and frustrating and make you seem like you have lost control of your life. But the truth is, life is generally out of control. Whether you are dealing with infertility or not, you are not completely in control of every outcome in your life. Yes, our choices and decisions contribute to our outcomes and destinies, but you cannot fully decide everything that happens to and around you. This is because other people around you are also making their own choices and somehow, sometimes it impacts on ours. So, what you can control are your decisions and your reactions to what you cannot control. Don’t try to control everything. The things you can control include;

1. DIET: In this journey, your diet plays a key role for so many reasons. Adjust your diet. You can decide what you eat and don’t eat. You have that control.
2. EXERCISE: Maintaining a healthy body in this journey can never be overemphasized. Get adequate exercise to maintain a healthy BMI. This has been shown to have direct impact on fertility outcomes.
3. LEARN YOUR SYSTEM: For males and females alike. Get a general knowledge of how your body works so as to know when everything is right or when something is out of place. Listen to your body.
4. TRACK YOUR CYCLE: This concerns women. It is better to learn about your cycle even before you start trying, before the pressure of trying to conceive sets in. Know the different phases, the dynamics and how to navigate around it. You don’t leave anything important in your life to chance. Why then your fertility?
5. SEEK APPROPRIATE HELP!!!: The key word here is APPROPRIATE. Not all proposed help is helpful. It is better to work with those with experience and knowledge in handling fertility issues with visible track records. Unfortunately, reproductive health issues are not largely regulated so caution is essential.

DAILY REMINDERS

1. Don’t set timelines
2. Manage expectations
3. Give yourself some credit. You are doing great!!!
4. There is no guaranteed success, but be hopeful.
5. Be open to plan B or c or D etc…
6. You deserve support throughout this process. Don’t do it alone. Get every healthy and appropriate help available.

LOVE FOUNDATION is available for all your fertility needs bringing you accurate resources, referrals and support every step of your journey. Contact us today via all our social media platforms @Love Foundation, or via email on info@lovefoundationng.com.