Setting Fertility Care Goals for the New Year

If you’ve made a commitment to yourself to start to build the family of your dreams, you’re ready to review some fertility care goals to consider for the new year. After you’ve undergone infertility testing and decided on a course of treatment with your fertility specialist, you’ll want to get yourself organized and learn as much as possible. If you’re mid-treatment, it’s a good time to take a deep breath and focus again on the basics.

New to fertility treatment
When you’re beginning fertility care, you’re likely in a swirl of emotions: excitement, fear, curiosity, etc. Here are a few attainable goals to make these first few weeks easier.

Collect your paperwork (invoices, agreements, estimates, insurance verification documents, etc.) in one folder to make finding and using it more efficient.
Keep a notebook and jot down any questions you think of as they arise, from queries about fertility treatment procedures to finances and more.
Plan your narrative and practice exactly what you will say (if anything) to family and friends about your fertility care plans.
Take care of yourself by eating well, sleeping enough, and getting the exercise that’s recommended by your fertility specialist.
Check out some educational resources that can help you better understand what’s happening to your body and your psyche during fertility treatment.

Refreshing your goals mid-treatment
It’s said that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was anybody’s family. Fertility treatment is a process with an ideal destination. If you’re on the road to building your family but you’re not quite there yet, it’s a good time to reevaluate your goals and take a look at the big picture.

Reconnect with your partner or with friends and family members you might have inadvertently neglected a bit during fertility care. Make a date for something fun and affordable, even if it’s just a walk around the park on a nice day.
Take a break from treatment if you feel like it will help you physically and emotionally — and if your fertility specialist agrees it’s a good idea.
Talk to your doctor about next steps when it comes to treatment, self-care, testing or any other related topics.
Revisit your paperwork and notes to make sure you’ve answered all your questions, and to remind yourself of your overarching goal to have a baby.
Join a support group to help find common ground with others, feel less lonely, exchange fertility treatment tips and more.

Congratulations on your decision to overcome infertility in the new year! It likely wasn’t the simplest decision to make. Take that big goal of building your family and break it down into smaller goals that you can conquer now and in the near future. Being able to check a box on your to-do list will go a long way toward helping you feel in control of your goals.