Pregnancy After Infertility
Pregnancy after infertility is a whole thing! We often expect that once we have achieved our dream of getting pregnant, we will be able to relax and enjoy the pregnancy. But the fears that were created with many months and sometimes years of failed cycles or failed pregnancies often have a way of creeping into our experience and steal our joy!
High-Risk Pregnancy
Certain prenatal conditions can turn an exciting and joyful anticipation of your baby into an anxiety-filled experience where you brace yourself for medical appointments, question each sensation you have in your belly, and wait impatiently for each ultrasound to see and hear your baby. Most conditions result in a healthy baby and mother but the emotional impact can take it's toll on Mama and the parent's relationship as well.
Premature Birth
Technology has come a long way and outcomes are now excellent for most premature babies, but what about the experience for you as a parent? Many premature births come as a complete surprise, but even if it was a known high probability, you can never fully prepare for the emotional impact of having a baby come early and spend weeks or months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). There is the initial fear about the lives of the baby and mother during birth. Then afterwards there is the emotional impact of not being able to hold or nurse your baby, seeing your tiny baby in a box with tubes and machines everywhere, dealing with the procedures and sometimes surgeries that your baby needs to stay alive and healthy.
Therapy can help you process what is going on and improve your ability to cope with more than just assurances and self-care. Our ability to thrive instead of just survive these types of challenges that life throws our way relies heavily on our perspective. The way we frame these struggles can make the difference between a difficult barrier that makes us stronger and a traumatic experience with significant impacts.
You do not have to go through these experiences alone. I'm here to help with tools, an open heart and empowering information.
Call for more information or to set an appointment at (360) 467-9008. Services are available online and throughout the Washington State.