Coping after a failed Cycle

Coping after a failed Cycle

Coping after a failed cycle is like grieving for a loss-
A loss of hope
A loss of a precious embryo and a future life
Losing time, and money you have worked hard to save

A negative result can leave patients with lots of questions –
Why it didn’t work
Is there anything they could have done differently
What are the next steps
When can they start again
What can we do differently
Having to wait to receive answers to the above could be almost unbearable.

You might feel overwhelmed with feelings of sadness, anger & despair.
Often patients feel lost, with no one to turn to, since no one else seems to understand. This could get very lonely.
It is of great importance not to be left alone with these feelings, letting them out, process, in order to recover & be able to gather strength & move foreward for the next cycle.

Some ideas that may help to cope with this situation:

• Allow yourself time to grieve. Its ok to feel sad, it’s perfectly normal so try not to fight it. If this continues for a while and you are frequently feeling depressed, it is worth speaking to a counselor for some additional support.
• Take care of yourself. Take some time out to look after yourself emotionally and physically. Do something that you enjoy that will help you relax and feel nice.
• Take some time out with your partner to talk about how you are both feeling after the result. What you would like to do next. Use the time to connect and support each other.
• Plan in some nice things to do with your close circle – your partner, your family, your close friends. This will give you something to look forward to, and means you get to spend quality time with those people that you love.
• Attend support group meetings. You will be supported by other lovely people that know exactly what you are going through. It may feel like you are alone, but you’re not.
• Ask questions. Get answers to all your questions so you can feel fully informed and able to make decisions about you next steps – whether that be another round of IVF, some time out from the intensity of fertility treatment or investigating other routes to parenthood.

If you are struggling to process your emotions after a failed transfer and want some help to move forward, please don’t hesitate to contact us at GAIA FERTILITY. One of our counselors would be more than happy to listen to you at this difficult stage of your journey. We can talk through how you are feeling to make sense of your emotions, what you can do to help your emotional well being in the short term, and create a plan for moving forward.