Fertile Affirmations for Our Health | Infertility Support

Affirmations for Health: A Positive Practice 

You have the ability to replace thoughts or beliefs that you hold that may not be affirming or healthy.  

 

Know that using positive affirmations may feel strange at first.  These are suggestions.  Perhaps there are other affirmations that you prefer.  

 

As you become more used to repeating positive affirmations, you will feel calmed and soothed.

 

Ten Positive Affirmations to Try

• I hold myself up tall, with pride, for who I am in this moment: a beautiful, strong man or woman;

• I think well of myself and of my partner if I have one;

• I remember that I am a whole person, not an infertility diagnosis or a sperm count;

• I remind myself that I have value and worth, whether I am pregnant or not, whether I am a parent or not;

• I remind myself that I learn something about myself every day and that what I have learned about myself because of infertility is that I am strong and courageous.  I know how much easier it would be to accept my infertility and remain childfree.  I remind myself that I am brave enough to move forward and farther than I thought I could in my goal of becoming a parent;

• I remember the health and wellness that I enjoy in so many areas of my life;

• My gratitude towards the beautiful things that I enjoy in my life fill many moments;

• I know that when I become a parent I will hold it even closer to my heart because of my present experiences;

• I embrace my life as I am, knowing that my truest self is revealed through the hardship of this experience;

• I love myself--my body, my heart and my soul.

 

How to Use Affirmations

If you are creating or using your own affirmation, use it in the present tense, not the future tense. If you use it as a mantra, to repeat over and over again, let it warm you from the inside out.  If it doesn't do that, try another one.  And please share any affirmations that you like to use with us. I could always use a new one.

 

Here's a bonus, a long-time favorite of mine that my Fertile Yoga students are familiar with:

 

• I am beautiful, I am graceful, I am whole and complete.

 

Positive affirmations.  Try one.  

 

 

 

 

 

Mind/Body techniques;more useful for infertility than a swim with sharks

  How far would you go to get pregnant? What would you be willing to do?

Desperation, fear, sadness and frustration. One of those feelings or some combination of them tends to fuel the drive to get pregnant after attempts to conceive haven't worked. In fertility treatment, especially, some of us get the feeling that each negative pregnancy test is a sign that they will all be negative.

So getting back to the question, what would you be willing to do to see that positive pregnancy test?

There was a "Ladies Night Out" in Danbury, over a year ago, where one patient discussed her willingness to "swim in a pool of sharks" if it would help her conceive. That phrase was at odds, later in the evening, when she stated that she wouldn't try yoga. It made me laugh, actually. (I assure you, Fertile yoga classes are far more pleasant than swimming in a shark infested pool, unless there's something about high risk activities which excite you.)

I know, from personal experience, from being in treatment, how difficult it can be to push ourselves into healthy behavior. Especially if you are in treatment and having to deal with fertility medications, ultrasounds, blood draws, doctors' appointments, egg retrieval, and transfers. And that's if things are relatively simple. Treatment, of course, can also include other, more complicated, more expensive, more intrusive procedures. All of these challenges can be quite enough without having to add more to do to help that treatment along. Not to mention the debilitating effects that we feel with depression or anxiety, perhaps new to us since being challenged with infertility.

If you are new to the challenges of infertility or to Reproductive Medicine Associates of CT (RMACT), I am not trying to scare you. Really, I am not. In fact, quite the opposite.

What I am saying is that while it has not been established that swimming in a tank of sharks is effective in improving your chances of getting pregnant, there are other ways that you can participate in your fertility treatment beyond the purely medical aspects. Alice Domar, PhD (Executive Director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health and the Director of Mind/Body Services at Boston IVF. Go to domarcenter.com to read more about Dr. Domar. She has also written some of my favorite books on infertility and stress, including "Conquering Infertility: Dr. Alice Domar's Mind/Body Guide to Enhancing Fertility and Coping With Infertility) has the following to say:

 Mind/body techniques can decrease physical symptoms of stress such as insomnia, headaches, abdominal pain and fatigue as well as psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, hostility, and tearfulness. And recent research has shown that women who participate in mind/body programs in conjunction with treatment from their physician have significantly higher pregnancy rates than women who receive medical treatment only. infertilitymindbody.com/foreword.htm

So don't swim in a tank of sharks. Or do. But definitely try a slow walk with the dog, partner or a friend. Do try a morning on the weekend, reading a favorite book, with a cup of tea in front of the fireplace. Do try a meditation cd or a yoga class.

And if you're in my neck of the woods, do come see me on Saturdays for Fertile Yoga. I don't guarantee much, but I do guarantee that class will be more relaxing than having sharks circle around you in a tank of water.

Norwalk office 10-11 (peer support group meets from 9:30-10:00, you are most welcome to come) 20 Glover Avenue.

YogaSpace from 4:15-5:30- 777 Federal Road, Brookfield CT

No experience necessary. I would love to have you.