Help with Handling Mother’s Day and Infertility
In this country, we have no shortage of holidays. Though most of these occasions include family gatherings and festive celebrations, one event often causes extra distress for couples and individuals trying to conceive: Mother’s Day. At our Newport Beach fertility center, we want to acknowledge the sadness that Mother’s Day and infertility may cause for our patients.
A brief history of Mother’s Day
While Thanksgiving, Christmas and even Independence Day may involve parties that include children, Mother’s Day focuses a whole day on everything about carrying, birthing and raising kids.
Early recognition of femininity and motherhood dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held spring festivals heralding fertility, rebirth and Mother Earth. Ann Reeves Jarvis organized the first celebration of Mother’s Day in the United States in 1908, as a way to honor the sacrifices women make as mothers. Our country officially recognized the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1914.
Tips for coping with Mother’s Day and infertility
During the days leading up to Mother’s Day, the cards, flowers and commercials touting the joys of motherhood can feel unbearably cruel. Our Newport Beach fertility center doctors understand the heartache these constant reminders can cause for those trying to conceive. Consider the following suggestions to help with handling Mother’s Day and infertility.
- Evaluate your feelings. Take your emotional temperature and assess how you honestly feel about the upcoming holiday, so that you can decide what you need to do to cope on Mother’s Day.
- Find a kindred spirit. Reach out to a friend or loved one who may also be struggling with the holiday because of their own infertility, loss of a child, or death of a mother. Helping someone else who is hurting may allow you to temporarily disengage from your own pain.
- Set your boundaries. If you don’t feel like joining the annual family brunch or attending Sunday service, give yourself permission to say no this year.
- Practice self-care. Focus on activities that make you happy, and choose to spend your time doing them on Mother’s Day. A relaxing hike, dinner with childless friends, or seeing the latest blockbuster on the big screen will allow you to enjoy the day on your own terms.
When you are trying to conceive without success, Mother’s Day can feel especially disheartening, so know that what you’re experiencing is perfectly normal. The team at Southern California Center for Reproductive Medicine extends our compassion and support for those dealing with Mother’s Day and infertility. Call our office for more information about fertility treatments or to schedule a consultation appointment.