If you’ve been thinking about fertility treatment, such as IVF, you’ll know that it’s a decision not to be taken lightly. Perhaps your doctor has suggested IVF to you, or you’ve come to the conclusion that it may be the only way you’ll have a baby.

Now you’re at the point of deciding whether to go ahead with IVF you may feel completely comfortable going into treatment and not feel stressed at all. Or you may be unsure whether this is the right course of action for you.

Do you have fears, worries or unanswered questions that need to be addressed first? Check in with how you feel when you think about IVF and allow yourself time to recognise and acknowledge any negative thoughts or feelings.

Why is this an important step?

I believe there are two important reasons to do this before you go into an IVF cycle:

1. If you’re undecided whether IVF is right for you, dealing with any concerns you have can help you make a decision you’re happy with. Overcoming any worries and fears could make the facts of your own situation clearer which will help you see whether IVF is right for you.

2. Many doctors now recognise the importance of reducing stress before and during fertility treatment, and advise their patients (you!) to take action to de-stress and relax. Many believe that this can improve the chances of success and some research is showing this to be true too.

So doing all you can to reduce stress and work through your worries both when deciding and during an IVF cycle could make the whole experience easier, more comfortable and more likely to have a positive outcome.

So how can you do this?

First recognise any worries that come up for you when you think of IVF treatment. You may find you’re asking yourself questions like these:

Can we afford treatment?
Does this feel like the right treatment for me?
Are there other options I want to explore before IVF?
Can I cope with how medicalised it will be?
Will I experience side effects from the drugs?
What if it doesn’t work, how would I cope and what would we do next?
Could we afford and handle more than one IVF cycle if needed?
How do I feel about my baby’s life starting in this way?
Are there any moral or religious aspects I need to address before I could go ahead?
Will my partner support me through the treatment?
Will I be able to have time off work for IVF?
How will I know this is the right treatment for me?

Once you’ve acknowledged your own thoughts about IVF, now it’s time to work through them. Firstly to discover whether they are legitimate concerns, and also to reduce stress and help you go ahead with trying to conceive, whether that’s with or without IVF, feeling as calm and positive as possible.

How to apply EFT…

You’ll need to know how to do EFT, so if you don’t already know start by watching this video first.

Then formulate your EFT set up phrases and reminder words with the main concerns you have. For example if you’re worrying about ‘What if it doesn’t work, how would I cope and what would we do next?’ your set up phrase could be:

“Even though I’m worried that this one IVF cycle won’t work, and I don’t know if we could afford another, I deeply and completely accept myself”.

And your reminder words while tapping all the points could be:

Top of head: I’m worried that this cycle might not work
Eye brow: And I don’t know if I could afford more cycles
Side of eye: I don’t know if I could cope with more treatment
Under eye: I’m not sure what I’d do if it didn’t work
Under nose: I’m not sure if it’s worth the risk
Chin: Worried about how stressful it could be
Collarbone: Pinning all my hopes on one cycle
Underarm: Is this something I could do?
Top of head: I’m really not sure
Eye brow: I could be open to looking at this in a different way
Side of eye: As an opportunity that I could take
Under eye: The opportunity of an IVF cycle
Under nose: It’s my choice what to do
Chin: Will I have any regrets if I don’t try?
Collarbone: Thinking about if this is right for me
Underarm: Considering the option of starting IVF
Top of head: Checking in with how that feels.

I hope that has given you a good understanding on how to use EFT to clear worries, overcome anxieties and be able to make a decision as to whether IVF is right for you.

If you’d like further guidance, please get in touch and I’d be happy to talk to you about how I may support you on your fertility journey.