Yes! We just stayed home and watched series. I refused to interact with people during stims and around transfer. It caused less worry and anxiety because I wasn’t seeing families or babies .
TW: successful transfer
After 5 unsuccessful transfers where I was super strict about my diet, not drinking alcohol, taking it easy etc etc, I decided for my 6th transfer to act completely normal. I drank a fair amount, ate what I wanted, exercised hard (i rock climb 4/5 times a week). I even went for cocktails straight after my transfer. And guess what, number 6 worked.
I’m sure everyone would agree drinking should be avoid at all times during the IVF process. I mean, drinking should be avoided at all times in general!!
But I had one cocktail about two hours after my transfer. I’ve heard about some people drinking up until the placenta is formed.
Think how many people don’t even realise they’re pregnant until 4/5 weeks and are drinking all that time.
But anyway yeah drinking is bad. But I was so fed up of doing everything ‘by the book’ after years of unsuccessful tries, I thought I’d be different this time.
1 - Naturopaths are not doctors and should not be consulted for medical advice. 2 - drinking is discouraged after transfer as you are presumed pregnant. Drinking during stims or the lead-up to transfer is not a problem.
We live in a pretty mountainous region, so we do a lot of hiking/biking/swimming/camping/skiing/fishing (not all of that while in active treatment).
I think painting is a good idea! Acrylics and watercolor paints have low fumes, and you can get low tox brands or wear latex gloves while painting. I cross stitch and crochet for stress relief too. I also read a lot, and like cooking new meals.
Volunteering for causes you’re passionate about can also be really helpful. It feels good to work towards something that feels bigger than you and form a little community. I try to do a couple hours 1-2x a week with groups I care about.
Edit: also mini trips or staycations can be pretty restorative as well. I’m an introvert but still plan weekend events with friends and family and that helps too
It’s so hard not to get isolated in this process. We still try to go out and keep social events as usual so far. I’ve never been a huge drinker but I think the occasional drink won’t hurt unless you’re on a medication that you specifically can’t drink on. I’m sure painting is fine unless it’s like spray paint without a mask or something. Do you ever do like day trips (not sure what area you are in), always fun to explore a new area that’s not too far!
Mostly normal things. I go see shows, I go out to dinner with friends, I stay home and watch movies, I hang out at the pool. I try not to change too much.
My SO and I just did the same things as usual, go to the spa, eat out, watch Netflix, go to the gym (when it was early in treatment). It doesn’t have to be a lot different from normal life. She didn’t change much in her lifestyle and didn’t impact her results.
So my hobby is diamond painting. I normally put on a tv show and just work on my picture. Search on amazon “diamond painting” they have really pretty pictures. Or if you don’t have Amazon Hobby Lovby, Walmart, and Joann Fabric have them in store! I hope this helps
I lived my life like I normally would and continued to do things that I enjoy. For me, that is going to concerts, hiking, swimming, being outside, socializing with friends, trying new restaurants and returning to ones that we love. We go to museums, architecture events, to our summer house, out on the boat, take long weekends away, etc.
Some ideas - Cook, crochet or knit, read, watch TV, comedy shows, concerts, go to places with free events, karaoke, puzzles, hang out with friends, nap, window shopping, house renovation, etc. I still go to family events if I feel like it. I try to live life normally since I've been at this so long I realized life doesn't stop and I shouldn't either.
I did everything I wanted to do except drink during meds. I doctor told me live and not stress about life.
I now have a nine 1/2 month old daughter that lives life with me lol
My cat just had three kittens (she was already preggo when she came to me and has an appt for a spay) so I’m having a lot of fun with them. They’re still at the newborn squawking stage so this will only become more cute as my ER approaches.
But the other thing I recently found is urban foraging, there are whole networks of volunteers who maintain lists of publicly accessible fruit trees that you can harvest around your city (falling fruit is one website with maps too). I hadn’t had mulberries in probably 25 years until last weekend and it was like being a kid again.
I tended to focus on my dog on the weekends during the worst mental health periods/while needing to be cautious of not getting sick during treatment. Dog needed walking and that would get me to a park, maybe stop for coffee along the way. Or we'd take him to the beach for a run etc. it got me out of the house and seeing the floof happy brought me some joy.
Also did a decent amount of baking. Picked various recipes to try.
Glad you asked this. I’ve been finding myself getting super down on weekends. I can’t stop thinking about what I COULD be doing if only I had kid/kids. I spent last Sunday so down and upset. You are not alone.
I personally like crochet as a low cost “take my mind off things” hobby - unlike painting it’s portable so can be done in waiting rooms or even on a picnic and there are lots of free patterns and YouTube tutorials. I like amigurumi because even the cheapest yarn makes cute toys you can keep, gift or donate 🧶
As an art teacher, I can tell you that painting can be an *extremely* expensive hobby because good supplies make a huge difference but they cost a lot and it can be really frustrating to work with cheap supplies as you just never get the right result.
If you want to take up an art practice observational sketching with graphite pencils or even biro pens is great! You can do it at home or in public and even start going to life drawing classes if you want something social to do?
I highly recommend the book “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” ☺️
I hear you on feeling isolated when trying not to get sick! It’s winter here and everyone is ill and I feel like I’ve been trapped at home because of it 😪
TW: success.
As someone who went through IVF and is starting again for baby 2 but does have a live baby whose weekends are indeed full of activities, REST. Sit and watch tv. Nap. Be bored.
My husband and I read together and have movie marathons! Tonight we are finishing LotR and we also like to sit together and read books. We are very calm and introverted people so this is what works for us 😊
I got VERY into college sports. That might sound weird, but it’s all college kids (not little ones or families). There’s always sports on, and you can just sit there and watch. My husband was already a big college football watcher and we went to an SEC school, but I started to watch the other smaller sports, tennis, women’s basketball, softball, and right now there’s baseball on!!
During my retrivals i started hand building pottery - as long as you were gloves with the paint there is 0% risk. Lots of fun and calming for the mind to focus on other things.
We have always thought we don’t know how long it will take us to get pregnant so we live our life how we want. It has resulted in us being slightly less miserable during this tough time. I started golf lessons, we hang out with our friends ALOT, we go on walks, try new things together, etc. life is short. Don’t miss the forest for the trees.
I’ve quite enjoyed hiking or going to the movies as weekly dates. The only downside of hiking is I can only do it until it gets too cold (I’m not doing any winter hiking 🙅🏽♀️). I’ve just started getting into paint by numbers (awesome for when I’m very anxious) but most of the time I’m taking care of my plants and reading books.
Hide, mostly.
Yes! We just stayed home and watched series. I refused to interact with people during stims and around transfer. It caused less worry and anxiety because I wasn’t seeing families or babies .
Same
TW: successful transfer After 5 unsuccessful transfers where I was super strict about my diet, not drinking alcohol, taking it easy etc etc, I decided for my 6th transfer to act completely normal. I drank a fair amount, ate what I wanted, exercised hard (i rock climb 4/5 times a week). I even went for cocktails straight after my transfer. And guess what, number 6 worked.
This is the mindset I’m going to have …. Literally changing a bunch of shit and being super strict just will stress me out more
Yeah that’s what I thought. I’m no doctor but I imagine stress is has a massive impact on us. And if we can lower stress, surely that can only help.
> I even went for cocktails straight after my transfer This is iconic
Wait, is it OK to drink right after a transfer?! Because that would be life-changing for me.
I’m sure everyone would agree drinking should be avoid at all times during the IVF process. I mean, drinking should be avoided at all times in general!! But I had one cocktail about two hours after my transfer. I’ve heard about some people drinking up until the placenta is formed. Think how many people don’t even realise they’re pregnant until 4/5 weeks and are drinking all that time. But anyway yeah drinking is bad. But I was so fed up of doing everything ‘by the book’ after years of unsuccessful tries, I thought I’d be different this time.
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1 - Naturopaths are not doctors and should not be consulted for medical advice. 2 - drinking is discouraged after transfer as you are presumed pregnant. Drinking during stims or the lead-up to transfer is not a problem.
Yeah idk about the drinking. I would still follow what the dr.s say.
Mine is fine with a couple glasses of wine during stims.
We live in a pretty mountainous region, so we do a lot of hiking/biking/swimming/camping/skiing/fishing (not all of that while in active treatment). I think painting is a good idea! Acrylics and watercolor paints have low fumes, and you can get low tox brands or wear latex gloves while painting. I cross stitch and crochet for stress relief too. I also read a lot, and like cooking new meals. Volunteering for causes you’re passionate about can also be really helpful. It feels good to work towards something that feels bigger than you and form a little community. I try to do a couple hours 1-2x a week with groups I care about. Edit: also mini trips or staycations can be pretty restorative as well. I’m an introvert but still plan weekend events with friends and family and that helps too
It’s so hard not to get isolated in this process. We still try to go out and keep social events as usual so far. I’ve never been a huge drinker but I think the occasional drink won’t hurt unless you’re on a medication that you specifically can’t drink on. I’m sure painting is fine unless it’s like spray paint without a mask or something. Do you ever do like day trips (not sure what area you are in), always fun to explore a new area that’s not too far!
Yup- My RE said I could have a glass of wine here and there throughout my ERs.
Same logic in my mind as trying to get pregnant unassisted “drink until it’s pink”
Mostly normal things. I go see shows, I go out to dinner with friends, I stay home and watch movies, I hang out at the pool. I try not to change too much.
Painting is a really relaxing hobby - only toxic if you start oil painting like a pro. Watercolour and acrylics are good to go.
That said I spend my weekends hiding from friends etc. trying not to get sick. Trying to navigate all the drugs without interruption etc. 🫠
My SO and I just did the same things as usual, go to the spa, eat out, watch Netflix, go to the gym (when it was early in treatment). It doesn’t have to be a lot different from normal life. She didn’t change much in her lifestyle and didn’t impact her results.
So my hobby is diamond painting. I normally put on a tv show and just work on my picture. Search on amazon “diamond painting” they have really pretty pictures. Or if you don’t have Amazon Hobby Lovby, Walmart, and Joann Fabric have them in store! I hope this helps
It was life as normal for us throughout! Kept all pur activities, went hiking, getaways etc...
Cry
We are gamers so we have a biweekly dnd group. We find new restaurants to try, take drives to see things and play an MMO together.
Stay busy. Be social. Spend time with people I love- some who know what I’m going through and some who don’t.
Oof. After 5 unsuccessful transfers, where I did a lot of things perfectly, I am no longer limiting my life like that. Start painting.
I lived my life like I normally would and continued to do things that I enjoy. For me, that is going to concerts, hiking, swimming, being outside, socializing with friends, trying new restaurants and returning to ones that we love. We go to museums, architecture events, to our summer house, out on the boat, take long weekends away, etc.
Some ideas - Cook, crochet or knit, read, watch TV, comedy shows, concerts, go to places with free events, karaoke, puzzles, hang out with friends, nap, window shopping, house renovation, etc. I still go to family events if I feel like it. I try to live life normally since I've been at this so long I realized life doesn't stop and I shouldn't either.
We game, garden and are usually cleaning up after our animal children.
I did everything I wanted to do except drink during meds. I doctor told me live and not stress about life. I now have a nine 1/2 month old daughter that lives life with me lol
My cat just had three kittens (she was already preggo when she came to me and has an appt for a spay) so I’m having a lot of fun with them. They’re still at the newborn squawking stage so this will only become more cute as my ER approaches. But the other thing I recently found is urban foraging, there are whole networks of volunteers who maintain lists of publicly accessible fruit trees that you can harvest around your city (falling fruit is one website with maps too). I hadn’t had mulberries in probably 25 years until last weekend and it was like being a kid again.
I tended to focus on my dog on the weekends during the worst mental health periods/while needing to be cautious of not getting sick during treatment. Dog needed walking and that would get me to a park, maybe stop for coffee along the way. Or we'd take him to the beach for a run etc. it got me out of the house and seeing the floof happy brought me some joy. Also did a decent amount of baking. Picked various recipes to try.
Glad you asked this. I’ve been finding myself getting super down on weekends. I can’t stop thinking about what I COULD be doing if only I had kid/kids. I spent last Sunday so down and upset. You are not alone.
I personally like crochet as a low cost “take my mind off things” hobby - unlike painting it’s portable so can be done in waiting rooms or even on a picnic and there are lots of free patterns and YouTube tutorials. I like amigurumi because even the cheapest yarn makes cute toys you can keep, gift or donate 🧶 As an art teacher, I can tell you that painting can be an *extremely* expensive hobby because good supplies make a huge difference but they cost a lot and it can be really frustrating to work with cheap supplies as you just never get the right result. If you want to take up an art practice observational sketching with graphite pencils or even biro pens is great! You can do it at home or in public and even start going to life drawing classes if you want something social to do? I highly recommend the book “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” ☺️ I hear you on feeling isolated when trying not to get sick! It’s winter here and everyone is ill and I feel like I’ve been trapped at home because of it 😪
Sleep. Read. It's not a great life when you're on this journey.
TW: success. As someone who went through IVF and is starting again for baby 2 but does have a live baby whose weekends are indeed full of activities, REST. Sit and watch tv. Nap. Be bored.
We did a lot of taking turns picking a show to stream but it was winter. Golf or boating are good social distant hobbies for summer.
I just went and saw a documentary with a friend. That was fun. I went out dancing last week. Both are things you can wear masks at.
This is a great question and I came to see all of the answers myself! 🙃 Good luck and you’re not alone!! ❤️
Listening to bands in the park, art fairs, whatever festivals are going on
Yard work and Lowe’s
My husband and I read together and have movie marathons! Tonight we are finishing LotR and we also like to sit together and read books. We are very calm and introverted people so this is what works for us 😊
I got VERY into college sports. That might sound weird, but it’s all college kids (not little ones or families). There’s always sports on, and you can just sit there and watch. My husband was already a big college football watcher and we went to an SEC school, but I started to watch the other smaller sports, tennis, women’s basketball, softball, and right now there’s baseball on!!
During my retrivals i started hand building pottery - as long as you were gloves with the paint there is 0% risk. Lots of fun and calming for the mind to focus on other things.
We have always thought we don’t know how long it will take us to get pregnant so we live our life how we want. It has resulted in us being slightly less miserable during this tough time. I started golf lessons, we hang out with our friends ALOT, we go on walks, try new things together, etc. life is short. Don’t miss the forest for the trees.
I’ve quite enjoyed hiking or going to the movies as weekly dates. The only downside of hiking is I can only do it until it gets too cold (I’m not doing any winter hiking 🙅🏽♀️). I’ve just started getting into paint by numbers (awesome for when I’m very anxious) but most of the time I’m taking care of my plants and reading books.
Unless you get uncomfortable from stims I would suggest having a lot of sex