I have been visiting my sons this past weekend and had a wonderful time with them. I cherish our time together and all the fun and laughter we share. For the past four and a half hours, I have been sitting on the airport runway waiting to fly home. The plane has been very hot, and with each announcement of the next delay, I have become more irritable and frustrated.
These delays remind me of all the delays I endured while trying to get pregnant. Each month I was ready to become pregnant, and with the next negative pregnancy test, my dream of being a mother was delayed. I chose to view my parenting as “delayed” rather than “extinguished”. So how do we learn to wait for what we most desire in life…whatever the desire is in the present moment?
As I sit on the runway, I do not like feeling frustrated, so I will practice waiting calmly. This is an opportunity to practice what I preach, and it is taking conscious effort on my part. These are some things I tried and found helpful:
* I thought about the fun times I just had with my sons. It helped make the wait to return home much more enjoyable. I felt lucky to be able to spend a wonderful weeekend with my family.
* When I was physically uncomfortable, I did yoga stretches in my seat and walked around the plane when the captain OK’d it.
* I asked for water several times to stay hydrated.
* I closed my eyes and practiced breathing slowly and deeply. Breathing in this way is calming, especially when you extend your exhalation.
* After I finished reading the 2 magazines I had, I listened to some of my favorite music on my ipod .
Others around me were complaining and were angry at the Delta flight attendants. It seems we often want to blame someone when things aren’t going our way, or maybe we just release upsetting emotions when we vent them to someone.
How are you managing the stress of infertility? Do you practice ways to stay hopeful and calm as you weather monthly disappointments of negative pregnancy tests? Try some of the techniques I mention to help you wait calmly as you stay the course of infertility treatment.