Throughout
my struggles to conceive, many Valentine’s Day had me hoping that this would be
the time I finally conceived, and so I would make the Day special for us. If I
am not mistaken, I think our daughter was conceived somewhere around Valentine’s
Day in 2011.
With
this said, trying to conceive can be so consuming and leaves not much room for
romance. Here are 8 creative ways designed to make things sizzle this Valentine’s
Day, courtesy of Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Who
knows, this might be well worth it.......
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Valentine’s
Day While Trying to Conceive: Keeping the Romance Sizzling
Fertility Centers of Illinois Shares 8 Ways to Spice Up Your
Relationship When Trying to Get Pregnant
Trying to have a baby can be, well, trying.
For couples trying to conceive, staying up-to-date on monitoring
ovulation, charting basal body temperatures, and timing intimacy can take a
steamy bedroom setting into the cold.
For couples pursuing fertility treatment, it is very common for
emotional and physical intimacy to decrease. Going through fertility treatment
can be emotional, grueling, and exhausting for couples. Life’s everyday
challenges can cause any couple to hit bumps in the road. When infertility is
added to the mix, couples may feel overwhelmed with how to overcome this
challenge as a strong, balanced unit.
“Treatment can take couples through a rollercoaster of emotion,”
explains Dr. Jane
Nani of Fertility
Centers of Illinois. “Couples find great help in speaking with a
counselor, and often find their relationships are stronger at the end of the
journey.”
It is important for couples to understand they are not alone.
Working together equally during the entire process – learning about
infertility, supporting each other, and making treatment decisions – will
strengthen your relationship.
With a little creativity, couples can make a swift u-turn back
to the romance they once had.
1. Recall Your Most Romantic
Moments
What was it that made you fall in love? What were the most
“swoon-worthy” moments? Close your eyes and imagine those moments all over
again, but don’t keep them to yourself. Write a love note to your partner recalling
the reasons and events that made you fall for him or her, and seal it with a
kiss.
2. Get Your Heart Pumping
Working out decreases stress, improves health and increases
happiness. Go for a walk or hike together, or try a new physical activity together.
Partner Yoga at Pulling Down the Moon on February 15th is a perfect opportunity – couples of
any experience level will learn how to stretch and breathe away stress, while
reconnecting the body and mind – together. Learn more or register on their website.
3. Set A Fun Goal Together
Want to have a weekly date night for the next month? Have you
always wanted to ballroom dance? Want to finish a half marathon in the summer?
Want to start a couple’s food and entertainment blog? Studies show that the
more couples invest time in doing fun things together, the happier they are in
the long-term. In the name of science and happiness, pick a fun goal that you
can work towards together, and focus on achieving it.
4. Mum’s the Word on Trying to
Conceive
Taking a break from infertility talk can give you the strength
to revisit treatment with new resolve and optimism. What you are going through
as a couple can be tough, and everyone deserves a break. Make a 48-hour rule to
take a break from infertility, and focus on fun instead.
5. Get Out of Town
Changing your environment can shift your mental outlook,
allowing the head space you need to gain perspective, release stress, and have
fun. Take the weekend to ski in the Rocky Mountains, drink wine in Napa Valley,
sit on the beach in Mexico, or surf the waves in Florida. Kick back, relax, and
focus only on enjoying each moment together.
6. Love Me Tender
See where your partner is truly at and what they need, both in
life and in the treatment process. Infertility can affect your partner’s
self-esteem and depending on the diagnosis, can make a man or women feel
“defective” or “incomplete.” Discuss where you're at, what you need, and how
you can help each other. If treatment has caused challenges, being tender and
attentive can help put a relationship back in balance.
7. Recreate A Movie Moment
Kiss under a full moon, hold hands as the sun sets, embrace in
the middle of a rain storm, watch the clouds while holding hands during a
picnic lunch. Who says that romantic movie moments can only star John Cusack or
Ryan Reynolds? Make your own!
8. Double Date
Spend some time with another couple -- preferably one without
children. Go on a double date, and spend the evening having fun together,
discussing current events, upcoming travel plans, and the latest in
entertainment.
# # #
Fertility Centers of Illinois, S.C., is one of the nation's leading fertility
treatment practices, providing advanced reproductive endocrinology services in
the Chicago area for more than 30 years. FCI physicians, embryologists
and support staff are stringently chosen based on educational background,
medical skills and their ability to collaborate. With a team of 10 nationally
and internationally recognized reproductive physicians who treat thousands of
patients each year, the practice has earned a reputation for overcoming
hard-to-solve fertility issues. FCI is dedicated to medical and clinical
excellence and continues to invest in the latest technologies and research. FCI
offers a comprehensive range of fertility treatment options including
intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization, donor egg, gestational
carrier, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis, as well as extensive resources
to address financial and emotional needs. Fostering a culture for continuous
innovation has made FCI home to the annual Midwest Reproductive Symposium which
attracts experts in the field of reproductive endocrinology from around the
world. FCI has 10 offices conveniently located throughout the Chicagoland
area (Buffalo Grove, Chicago/River North, Crystal Lake, Glenview, Highland
Park, Hoffman Estates, Lindenhurst, Naperville, Oakbrook Terrace, and Orland
Park). FCI is a member of the Attain Fertility Network which provides discounted fertility
treatment programs. For more information visit www.fcionline.com
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