Holiday Survival Tips for Infertility
We all know the holiday season can be a stressful time of year. But for the one who is still pursuing growing their family whether through birth or adoption, or who has experienced a recent loss, the holidays can be, well…oh, not so joyful.
I thought I’d list a few tips I’ve done over the years and have learned from others. I pray these tips will be a helpful guidance for you over the next few weeks. Just know you are being thought of and prayed for in this season. If you have any tips you’d like to add to mine listed, please feel free to leave them in a comment. It’s always great to hear from others. Our shared experiences lends help to others too.
Thanks for being a support to me and loving me through this personally challenging year.
Love y’all! and Merry Christmas too. {smiles}
Lesli
Holiday Survival Tips for Infertility
1. Be Prepared: Discuss with your spouse how you will handle questions about your future family, or how you two will respond with a distant relative who has the baby booties under the Christmas tree announcing the news of their pregnancy.
2. Support System: If you have close friends or family members who are aware of your situation ask them to pray specifically for you in this season. If you don’t have a support system, then form one! How? First of all, you are going to have to be vulnerable by opening up your heart and telling them what you are going through. Then, ask a close friend(s) or a family member(s) to pray for you. Better yet join a infertility support group.
3. Just say, “We’ll come later.”: It’s inevitable. Children will most likely be in the holiday mix, opening up presents, etc. If you know when and what time that will take place, just tell your family members you will join them later in the day. Avoidance isn’t a terrible thing. Telling them you’ll come later isn’t bad either. It’s at times like these you have to protect your heart and emotions.
4. Start a Tradition: You don’t have to wait to have children to start a family tradition. Whether you know it or not, or believe it…YOU TWO ARE A FAMILY! What better way to unleash those desires you have in your heart by starting now. There are a few traditions we do now and I know we’d do with our little ones. For instance, we were engaged on December 3rd. Now, when the Christmas season rolls around on December 3rd we always go and pick out our live evergreen tree. We recall the night of the proposal. How he got down off the horse drawn carriage in the freezing cold in downtown Atlanta, jittery (whether from nerves or he was freezing to death, I’m not sure) and asked me to be his bride. Then we laugh. Along with getting the tree on December 3rd there are other traditions I know I’d do as a Mother, but I do them now. Reading the Christmas story from the Gospels and a poem by Helen Steiner Rice, called The Story of the Christmas Guest. The poem gets to my heart me every time!
5. Gratitude: Gratitude will help you breathe through those awkward moments and get you through day after day. Reflect and make a mental note of what you are grateful for. When those moments arise, and they most likely will, just give a silent praise of thankfulness to Him.
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.'” Matthew 1:23