The pandemic has affected everyone in one way or the other, whether it be restricting the ability to see family members and friends, to work, the significant impact on mental health and in many cases, and the way it has directly impacted medical treatment, including fertility treatments.

After a stressful and frustrating year, many people are looking forward to coming together and celebrating with friends and family.

One aspect, however, will remain the same each year, that being that this time of the year can be potentially stressful and somewhat painful for those struggling with infertility. This could be an especially painful time if you have had to delay treatment due to COVID-19 restrictions or financial stress.

We have previously written about the different coping strategies you may be able to use during the holiday season when faced with various situations that can be distressing.

This year, as families are able to come back together and celebrate safely in groups, it is still important to take the time to be kind to yourself.

1. Identify the triggers

It is important to identify the different things that may trigger feelings of stress or anxiety, whether it involves being around someone’s new baby, a relative that may ask inappropriate questions, or a friend who may offer you unwanted “advice”.

Planning ahead and understanding that it is ok to put yourself first are key in situations such as these. If you do not feel up to joining the family or a group of friends, it is absolutely ok to say no. Put yourself first and ensure you have a supportive network of people in your corner.

2. Organise something to look forward to

Xmas also marks the end of year and getting ready to make a fresh start in the new year. If you have had unsuccessful attempts at conceiving it can add to the stress and frustration you may be experiencing.

It is therefore essential that not only to you treat yourself with kindness, organise something that you, or you and your partner may enjoy. This could be an extra special gift you may treat yourself to, a fun date that you possibly wouldn’t be able to enjoy as much with children, or, if you’re feeling up to it, a wonderful get-together with family and friends may be on the cards too.

3. Managing your festive season

After you have identified the triggers, it is important to manage your time and activities.

You may plan to see your parents or family members, supportive friends, you may find that family gatherings are too painful and spending time away from these situations is a sensible solution. You may decide to avoid large shopping centres where you will face families, children, and Santa, you may choose to spend the time by yourself or surround yourself with holiday cheer.

Whatever you decide, planning ahead will help you cope with any stressful situation that may arise.

4. Tips for the family and friends

Often, we forget about addressing family and friends in these situations. We’ve provided patients with potential coping strategies, however there are friends and family who frequently feel useless in these situations when all they want to do is help support you.

To the supportive friend or family member watching a loved one struggle during this time, please don’t feel that you need to “fix” things, please understand that your support and comfort means the world and please don’t feel hurt or rejected if your loved one wishes to spend this time alone.

It is also very important to understand that feeling sad, jealous and emotional during this time of year is perfectly normal, probably even more so given how stressful this year has been.

Xmas can be overwhelming and trying to search for a solution may prove challenging, however there is no harm in needing to reach out if you are struggling.

Fertility First has a counselling service available to all our patients and support services such as Access Australia have been able to provide patients with the support and advice they need.

The post How to Nuture Mental Health this Xmas appeared first on Fertility First.

This is unfortunately something that occurs naturally, and it is something we see in both females and males who are struggling with fertility. Factors such as lifestyle, diet and environmental factors can exacerbate the levels of oxidative stress and disrupt your body’s normal metabolic processes which can in turn, damage cells.

Oxidative stress is simply an imbalance between your body’s antioxidants and free radicals, which can lead to poor egg quality and high levels of DNA fragmentation in sperm. The imbalance occurs during a disproportion between the body’s production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the level of antioxidants found in your body’s cells. Most ROS will form as a result of our body’s everyday metabolic functions and will play an important role in normal cell signalling and our homeostasis, however an imbalance of ROS will increase DNA fragmentation.

Elevated levels of DNA fragmentation have been linked to early pregnancy loss, poor embryo development and decreased IVF success, some studies also revealing that there is also a higher risk of abnormalities in offspring.

What can cause elevated levels of oxidative stress?

Aside from age, research has repetitively revealed that lifestyle and environmental factors such as pollutants, smoking and alcohol can have a significant impact on male and female fertility. ROS can develop during the body’s natural processes during ageing; however, it can also form by exposure to cigarette smoking, alcohol, pollutants and chemicals.

Studies have demonstrated that men who smoke have significantly higher levels of DNA fragmentation in their sperm, which can have an adverse effect on IVF outcomes.

Sperm with higher levels of DNA fragmentation have shown to increase the risk of miscarriage and will produce poor quality embryos. In addition to poor sperm quality, a recent study published in the Journal of Women’s Health was able to establish a strong link between smoking and the clinical outcome associated with IVF. During the study, scientists looked at data from 2009 to 2013 and were able to show that the harmful damage caused by smoking was not only associated with diminished ovarian reserve, but it also had a significant impact on ART cycle outcomes.

Is there anything you can do to help reverse these harmful effects?

Unfortunately, you can’t rewind the clock and your body will continue to age, however there are ways to help give your body that extra boost it needs help reduce the levels of oxidative stress. You can do this by eating a balanced diet, rich in fruit and vegetables, ensure you get regular exercise, limiting the amount of processed foods, especially ones that are high in fat and sugar, reducing exposure to pollution and chemicals, limiting alcohol and quitting smoking.

Changing your lifestyle and avoiding habits that put your body at risk is something you can actively do to help improve your chances of conceiving during this unprecedented time.

Foods high in antioxidants include blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, goji berries, artichokes, kale, beans, beets, spinach and for all the chocolate lovers out there, dark chocolate.

The post Antioxidants and stress appeared first on Fertility First.

It is completely normal to be experiencing feelings of sadness, fear and frustration, and the sense of uncertainty that was already present is likely even stronger. These are circumstances we have never experienced in our lifetime, and when you’re already facing a situation you feel is out of your control, it’s of little surprise that it can lead to further distress.

We’ve previously posted about how important it is to have support during the emotional rollercoaster of fertility treatment, and due to these uncertain times and additional stress you may be experiencing, support is more important than ever. This can be especially hard, now we are encouraged to self-isolate and to keep social contact to a minimum. Feeling alone will be something many people will have in common during this time, the fertility journey already being a very isolating one.

Therefore, it is incredibly important during this time that you are able to reach out and connect with someone who can help provide you with the support you need. Fortunately, we live in a time where technology has evolved to the point where it’s possible to work from home, speak to loved ones,  making it easier to connect. You have your phone, of course, but there are other ways, such as online messaging and video chat. You should do what you need to feel like you’re still connecting with people even throughout isolation. 

Although it may feel we have little control over the situation as a whole, identifying specific things that can add value to your day can help to produce some much needed positivity which may help to reduce the amount of anxiety you may be experiencing.

A few simple ideas you may benefit from include:

1. Get connected

An essential factor during this entire situation. Being encouraged to practice social distancing and self-isolation does not mean you cannot speak to anyone in the outside world or stop all forms of communication. Having the support of a community can be greatly beneficial at any point during your fertility journey and adding this current situation to the mix doesn’t change this.

Reaching out to a group who are experiencing similar frustrations to yourself can be important, however, at the same time, it’s also important to remain cautious in online forums when taking advice, especially when it comes to medical information.

2. Self-care

We have previously posted about being kind to yourself during your fertility journey and this situation shouldn’t be any different. Maintaining a healthy body and healthy mind begins with your personal mindset.

Being kind to yourself is one of the most important things you can do during this time and faced with a situation where you feel like you have lost control, providing yourself with self-care is essential. This means proactively looking after your physical and mental health, looking for ways to de-stress and find time for yourself so you can help cope with the emotions you may be feeling and address any doubt you may be having.

3. Gardening

Gardening has been shown to have therapeutic qualities and helps to bring some control back into your life.

If you don’t have a backyard, there are still things you can do, such as re-growing your kitchen vegetable scraps and learning how to replant and grow fruits and vegetables in pots. There are a number of different fruits and vegetables that are not only easy to grow indoors but are also healthy.

4. Physical health

There is no secret that the benefits of maintaining an active lifestyle is advantageous for both your physical and mental health, and that maintaining a healthy BMI is highly beneficial to your fertility treatment. When faced with our current situation, whether your treatment has been directly affected, it is still essential for both your physical and mental health to stay as healthy as possible.

Looking after your health and hygiene is not only critical for helping prevent you from getting run down or sick, physical health is also inter-linked to mental health. It may be challenging to find a way to exercise if you’re confined to your home and you may be limited for space, however many gyms, fitness clubs and fitness groups have developed a number of online training sessions that range from high intensity work outs, low impact exercises and Pilates lessons which can be done within the comfort of your own home. Look into what your local area has to offer.

5. Mental Health

Your mental and emotional wellbeing should be the number one priority during this challenging time. As this pandemic is unlike anything we’ve experienced before in our lifetime, the level of uncertainty and anxiety growing within the community is continuing to increase.

Mindful techniques such as meditation, listening to music, pilates, yoga or other physical activities can have a beneficial impact on your general wellbeing and provide you with a form of much needed emotional support, especially in instances where you’re finding it hard to communicate with others. There’s nothing to feel ashamed for by asking for help or reaching out if you’re feeling as though you’re having difficulties coping with the current situation.

Helplines that provide mental health support services have been set up to assist in managing the growing demand for support during this challenging time and offer free counselling services.

If you need to reach out or are finding this time difficult, please don’t hesitate to contact our clinic to make an appointment with our counsellor.

6. Hobbies

It’s hard to simply “switch off” and focus on yourself when COVID-19 coronavirus has taken over the news and social media. An excellent way to keep your mind distracted and shift the focus away from current events to give your mind a break could be to learn new hobbies.

If you’ve ever want to learn to sew, knit, draw, pain, play that instrument that’s now collecting dust, or working on that book you’ve always wanted to write, now could be the perfect time.

7. Writing

Another excellent therapeutic approach to the situation may involve keeping a journal of your thoughts or feelings. Not only is writing seen as a an excellent therapeutic outlet, Harvard Medical School tested the theory that writing about emotions may ease feelings of stress and trauma.

As part of the study, they looked at results from the Psychology department at the University of Texas, Austin and found that when individuals were asked to write about traumatic life events for approximately 15 minutes for at least 4 consecutive days they used pain relievers less frequently and found that they didn’t need to rely as heavily on the University’s health centre for emotional support as often as they did before.

Furthermore, expressive writing is not only cost effective, it’s easy, convenient and was found to have a similar effect to taking a walk in the fresh air.

The post How to care for yourself during the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis appeared first on Fertility First.

A very common question that continues to pop up in conversations with our patients is whether their stress levels will have a negative impact on their treatment outcome.

An Israeli study looking at psychological stress levels in patients undergoing IVF treatment from 2017 to 2018 was published at the beginning of the year. The prospective study looked at levels of cortisol and prolactin hormones, which are indicative of stress, in women undergoing IVF treatment.

Previous studies have suggested there could be a link between poor embryo quality, reduced pregnancy rates and the amount of emotional stress that women endure during their treatment, however the most recent study has revealed that this is not the case.

In fact, the research published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online reported that there was no correlation between negative outcomes during IVF treatment and physiological and psychological stress. Although this may come as good news and put a lot of minds at ease, it is incredibly important to look after yourself during treatment and take time out to be kind to yourself.

The journey is difficult and it’s very easy to lose sight of what’s important, especially when you’re chasing a dream. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, eating well, spending time with people who make you feel good about yourself are all easy steps in the right direction and the impact that they have on your mental health can make a massive difference.

The post Does Stress affect IVF outcomes? appeared first on Fertility First.