3 Fertility Treatment Myths you shouldn’t believe

There is a lot of information out here on the internet about infertility and fertility treatment.

And not all of it is necessarily true.

On top of this the speed that information spreads on social media, can make it tricky, even overwhelming to know what to believe.

With the patients that come through my practice, I get a lot of questions about things they may have read on social media about fertility treatment, or heard from friends that just are not true.

Of the many fertility treatment myths that I hear about here are three and why they’re not necessarily true.

You can’t exercise while going through fertility treatment

You can certainly exercise through fertility treatment, although it may look different now.

Your reproductive endocrinologist may ask that you make some adjustments.

So how do you adapt through this process, especially if you prefer high-intensity exercise?

It can help to find something that's going to really catch your attention that you CAN do.

It’s not going to feel the same way as exercise (especially if you love high-intensity exercise), but it will catch your attention and distract you, even help you work through any stress.

One suggestions to my patients who love exercise to find a home project, or some type of intellectual or creative project to do.

Something that can help you feel some achievement that in turn will end up giving you some of that high energy feeling you get with exercise.

What is something you could feel proud of?

What's something you could really get good at?

It's not going to be the same as the exercise, but we still want to try to replace as much as we can with that.

And of course, just be in touch with your reproductive endocrinologist on exactly when you can start your usual exercise routine again.

You can't take psychiatric medication while you're going through fertility treatment

This depends on what psychiatric treatment you're on. Of course there are some medications that you may be asked to stop during treatment.

The best thing in this situation is to have a conversation with your psychiatrist or whoever's prescribing your psychiatric medication about what would be a great replacement if you can't maintain that medication while going through fertility treatment.

If you do decide to quit a medication, such as your ADHD medication, there are some strategies that might help. You can read more about these here.

You can’t take a break when going through fertility treatment

Sometimes breaks are needed.

Allowing your body and mind to rest and recover after the mental and physical avalanche of fertility treatment gives you the opportunity to regroup, and reflect.

Depending on what your diagnosis looks like and what your reproductive endocrinologist says. Maybe taking an extra long break might not be in your best interest, but taking breaks is okay.

I've had so many patients say, “if I take a break, does that mean I'm giving up?”

No, it means you're taking a break.

It’s just like taking a vacation. Taking a break from your work and daily life gives you and the stressors that come with it.

Taking a break from fertility treatment can do the same thing.

If you found this helpful, you may find our free 30-minute webinar Navigating the Infertility Avalanche also helpful. You can learn more about it here.