It is so wonderful to take some time for yourself for a change! Treating yourself to a bubble bath, massage, pedicure, or even a simple drive through a drive thru for a large fry. With the pandemic and the tense state of our country, we are doing a better job collectively at acknowledging the need to prioritize our self-care.
But let’s face it—slowing down to put yourself first, can be a lot more difficult than it sounds. Especially when you are on the journey of embryo adoption.
Whether you are going through a donation program or embryo adoption program, the process can be stressful for all involved. You become so wrapped up in squaring everything away, filling out the paperwork, checking things off the list, and all the emotions to process that you forget about yourself. There is a multitude of excuses we use:
“My future child is more important”
“Making sure that this embryo sticks is more important”
“Making sure my child has as smooth transition is more important”
“Having a spotless home for the home visit is more important”
You are part of the family that this future child is joining. If you are running yourself ragged, your stress levels are high, and your relationship with your spouse is on edge, the process will become rocky.
In addition, if these issues are unresolved before the child arrives, it could only get worse. Perhaps you will start to feel very alone and secluded on your journey while forgetting that your spouse is going through this with you. You may even lose sight of why you started this journey in the first place—to grow your family.
Wherever you are in the embryo adoption or donation process, take some time to step back from the process to care for yourself. Get the excitement back. Go on a date with your spouse. Take a weekend road trip to the mountains. Go out for ice cream after dinner.
The journey to embryo adoption in any form can be stressful. Do not add to it by not taking the necessary steps to take care of yourself. It will be much easier on you, your child, and can even help your reaction to certain situations throughout the process. Take some steps back when you are feeling overwhelmed, and take care of yourself. After all, you cannot pour into others when your own cup is empty.
To learn more about the embryo adoption process, visit EmbryoAdoption.org.
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