How to increase your stress levels when doing IVF

Being infertile is stressful and going through an IVF cycle can be even more so because so much is riding on the outcome of the treatment. An IVF treatment cycle is much more than just a medical procedure, because there are so many hopes, dreams and desires wrapped up in the treatment.

However, the biggest emotion is often that of fear ! What will I do if the IVF cycle fails ? Is there any hope of my ever having my own baby if even IVF fails ?

I feel it's the unrealistic expectations which cause the most stress . Most patients who start an IVF cycle refuse to even consider the possibility that the treatment may not work. They have been brainwashed into " thinking positive" , so they refuse to remember that the chances of the IVF failing for a given patient in any cycle are more than the chances of success !

Most of them keep on repeating the mantra - It's got to work ! It will work ! There are lots of family-members and friends who are hoping and praying for success as well, so everyone is on an emotional high during the treatment cycle, because they need to keep each other's hopes up. The truth is that no one would ever start an IVF cycle if they did not feel in their heart of hearts that it was going to work for them.

This is why patients arm themselves with prayers and lucky charms before and during the IVF treatment. While the IVF process is straightforward - grow eggs; make embryos; and then transfer these into the uterus , the outcome is always uncertain. This is because implantation - whether the transferred embryo will become a baby or not - is a biological process which no one can influence. Along with medical expertise and good protoplasm, it also requires a large dose of luck - the one intangible no one can control !

The truth is that no one can ever be sure of the outcome of the IVF cycle, which is why you need to keep your expectations realistic ! While you cannot control the final outcome, if you have peace of mind you did your best, you will find it much easier to manage your stress levels during your IVF treatment !

Please remember the Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.