How to Cope with Being Pregnant After Infertility

You and your partner have tried for years to conceive a child. Unfortunately, the journey wasn’t as easy as you’d hoped. Negative pregnancy tests month after month has left you with no choice but to seek help.

You’ve taken medication and even tried to make healthy lifestyle changes, in an effort to increase your chances of getting pregnant to no avail. Perhaps you even suffered a few miscarriages or failed IVF treatments leaving you feeling hopeless. 

Then one day, you learn that you’re expecting. What should be one of the most exciting times of your life, however, has you feeling worried, fearful, anxious, and overwhelmed. You’re constantly asking things like, “Is this all some sort of sick joke?” or “Will you get invested in the idea of having a baby and then miscarry?”

After everything you’ve been through, it’s understandable that you would be skeptical, stressed, or anxious about your current pregnancy. Be that as it may, remaining in this emotional health isn’t good for you or your unborn child and can cause a number of issues throughout your pregnancy. 

How to Cope with Being Pregnant After Infertility

Learning how to move past these feelings can take some time, but here are some suggestions to try. 

Visit Your Doctor

If you’ve recently gotten a positive pregnancy test result you might be a bit skeptical or even in denial about its authenticity. Going to the doctor can help to put your feelings to rest and give you the reassurance that you are in fact, pregnant.

Your doctor can also do other things like check your uterus and cervix, listen to the baby’s heartbeat, or even conduct an ultrasound on a portable ultrasound machine. These tests can give you more confidence that you and your baby are doing just fine. 

Rely on a Close Few

You should have someone outside of your partner and doctor to talk to. You may not be quite ready to announce your pregnancy, but telling a close few people can help you to cope emotionally.

You can call on them for moral support. They can listen to your joys and fears, provide you with sound advice or encouragement, and be there with you throughout the pregnancy no matter what. 

Take Care of Your Health

You may be having mixed emotions about becoming pregnant after infertility, but deep down, you want nothing more than to bring a happy and healthy baby into the world. The best chances of doing that rely on your ability to take care of your health.

Make sure you’re taking prenatal vitamins, drinking plenty of water, eating a well-balanced diet, staying active, and getting enough sleep each night. When you make a habit of taking care of your health, you feel better both physically and emotionally, which can reduce those overwhelming feelings you’re experiencing.

Celebrate Milestones

After the first trimester, the risk of losing your baby to a miscarriage is dramatically decreased. It is also during the second and third trimester that your baby starts to develop in ways that are worth celebrating. If you want to improve how you feel about being pregnant after infertility you should celebrate the milestones. 

For example, around five or six months your doctor may be able to tell you the sex of the baby. Sharing this news with loved ones will certainly lift your spirits.

You could host a gender reveal party and invite a few of your closest friends and family over. You can celebrate the pregnancy, socialize, break bread together, play gender reveal games, and finally announce the sex of your baby. 

There’s no denying that you’ve been through a lot on your journey to get pregnant. Not only was it physically taxing, but it likely took you on an emotional rollercoaster, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.

Though the journey was rough, take comfort in the fact that you’re one step closer to having the family you always dreamed of. As the weeks turn into the months, your belly starts growing, the baby starts developing, and the risks reduce, you’ll soon start to see the true beauty in your current pregnancy.

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