Cryopreservation Coach

February 1, 2017

Just like in any sport, a coach can help give direction, guidance, lend a hand, and feedback when you need it the most … like game time … a cryopreservation, fertilty, infertilty coach can do that for you and more. Deciding to go through the egg freezing process is a big decision, one that is often overwhelming. First, you have to come to grips with the fact that yes you do want children. Or at least want it to be a possibility. Then there’s the process of finding a good clinic to see you through the process. And don’t forget about getting over the sticker shock of egg freezing and actually paying for it. To complicate things further going through this process can bring up emotions and make you question where you currently are in your life. And then there’s your family and friends … what do you tell them?

Navigating the world of fertility can be overwhelming. And let’s face it, if you’re a young woman that is considering freezing her eggs to use in the future, you are entering the world of infertility…. even though you aren’t currently trying to get pregnant. Why? Because the process used for freezing your eggs is similar to the IVF process. So you may (and most likely will) be going to a clinic that mainly treats women and men struggling with infertility. This means there are lots of options, medications, and appointments involved.

How can fertility coaching help?

There are different types of fertility coaches, but in general we:

–help you gain clarity about your reproductive goals
–help you gather information about your options to reach those goals
–strategize your actions to keep you moving forward in the process
–provide emotional support during the journey
–make dietary and lifestyle recommendations to get you in the best state of health possible BEFORE the egg retrieval (healthier you means healthier eggs)

Coaches can answer your questions

In my experience women that are considering freezing their eggs are successful women that have spent a lot of their adult years focusing on their career and enjoying life. These are BUSY women (sound familiar?). They often do a lot of research on the egg freezing process, but their doctor may not have a lot of time to answer all their questions. In this case, a fertility coach that is familiar with the egg freezing and IVF process can be invaluable. The right fertility coach can answer questions such as, “What side effects do you usually see with women when they take this medication?” or “Why is my doctor putting me on birth control before we start my meds?” or “Why aren’t they putting me on birth control?” in some cases.

Become an advocate

A fertility coach can also help you become your own best advocate. Sometimes we’re not sure when it’s appropriate to ask our doctor questions. A coach can answer some of your questions, let you know when more research is necessary, and encourage you to talk to your doctor or nurse when appropriate. Advocating for yourself may also be necessary when talking to family and friends about your fertility choices. For some reason, as women get older it suddenly becomes popular dinner conversation to discuss why you’re not in a relationship, why you don’t have kids, when will you and your partner have kids, etc. A coach can help you determine what you are comfortable discussing and how to phrase it.

Improve your health to improve outcomes

For women that are interested in taking three to six months to get as healthy as possible before doing an egg retrieval, you may benefit from a wellness fertility coach. This is a fertility coach that makes dietary, supplement, exercise and other lifestyle recommendations — all in an effort to improve your health and give you the best chance possible of retrieving healthy, high-quality eggs. After all, the whole point of this process is for you to have some amazing eggs or embryos to use later in life, right? So why not get as healthy as possible beforehand and give your future self the best chance possible of growing your family.

Gain clarity about your life

A fertility coach can also help you gain clarity about your life. Not just your fertility, but relationships and career goals as well. As we begin to think about freezing our eggs, it’s natural to begin to think about growing our family and what we want that family to look like. How old do we want to be? Do we see a partner in the picture? How will our career fit in with raising kids? As these questions come up the picture of what we want may shift, and many clients say support during this time provided them with the clarity they needed to pursue their goals. Sometimes that means getting more serious about finding a partner, starting your own business, changing jobs, or deciding to undergo IVF with a sperm donor. All of these things can be scary and overwhelming to do on your own, so having a coach can help you gain the clarity you need to make these changes, as well as hold you accountable for the steps you need to take to reach those goals.

Short and sweet, we’re there for you

In a nutshell, the right fertility coach can help you navigate the complicated world of egg freezing, embryo freezing, and IVF. We do this by helping you gain clarity on what you want your future family to look like, determining what steps we need to take to get there, helping you with any hiccups that occur along the way and holding you accountable during the journey.

Questions to ask a fertility coach before working with them

–Are you familiar with the medications I may be taking?
–Do you understand the egg freezing/IVF process?
–Will you make suggestions to help me improve the quality of my health and hopefully eggs?
–How often do we meet?
–Am I able to contact you between sessions for quick questions?

When looking for a fertility coach ask yourself what type of support do you want? Just emotional support? Health and wellness support? Someone that is familiar with the egg freezing and IVF process? Being clear about what you need ahead of time will help you pick a coach that can meet your needs. The egg freezing, embryo freezing, and IVF process can be difficult, but you don’t need to do it alone. Hiring a fertility coach means you’ll have an advocate and fertility expert to utilize on your journey.

ABOUT GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Misty Reed is the owner of Conceivable Coach, a holistic fertility consulting and coaching business. Misty has professional experience treating: fertility disorders, reproductive health issues, unexplained infertility, digestive issues, pain, and seasonal allergies. She works with women that are interested in having healthy babies in the future, as well as women that are having trouble getting and staying pregnant. She uses an integrative approach commonly referred to as Whole Systems Medicine.