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5 Tips for Managing the Holidays When You’re Trying to Conceive

There’s a certain magic to the holiday season, whether you’re all-in on the decorations and the family time or a self-proclaimed Scrooge from mid-November to the New Year. But when you’re trying to conceive, it can be a challenging time. Your mailbox might be stuffed with holiday cards emblazoned with adorable family photos, seasonal movies and shows put the spotlight on parents and children, and your family might have zero issues asking you point-blank when you’re going to have a baby. All of these reminders that you aren’t yet pregnant can be… a lot. But you aren’t doomed to screening calls and eating pumpkin pie in bed for two straight months (unless that’s exactly what you want, in which case you have our blessing). We’re sharing five tips for managing the holidays when you’re trying to conceive.

Say No Thanks

This is a social time of year, but newsflash: You don’t have to attend every single gathering. Give yourself the freedom to pick and choose what you do this year, especially if you find it really difficult to spend time with pregnant and/or parents of little ones. It’s an entirely normal reaction to be happy for someone else and really sad for yourself, so decline the invitations to kid-focused events or plan to arrive after the kids will be in bed. We’ll encourage you not to say no to everything, but being choosey is entirely acceptable.

Gift Yourself a Social Media Sabbatical

Everything is sunshine and roses on the socials, but we all know that’s not real life, right? The trouble is, it’s really easy to forget that when you’re staring at another adorable family portrait. Give yourself a mental break from the mindless scrolling and endless posts that have the potential to send you right into a spiral of despair, and actively avoid social media until the New Year. Think of all the curated holiday porch pics you’ll be spared!

Prep Your Response Ahead of Time

Chances are good that some well-intentioned but clueless relative will at some point ask you about your plans for a baby. Of course, nobody deserves an answer to that highly intrusive level of prying and you’d be well within your right to play deaf or just walk away. But planning how you and your partner might respond in this scenario can keep you both from feeling caught off-guard. So together, come up with a plan of action. Maybe you want to completely change the subject. Maybe you have a canned response that answers the question (but doesn’t really the question). Maybe you want to be direct and honest. Whatever you decide, you’ll feel better prepared to face family and friends if you know how to tackle this situation.

If TTC is a particularly sensitive topic for you, you may also find it worthwhile to figure out a response in the event of a baby announcement from someone else. Many people choose holiday gatherings to announce a new pregnancy, and your reaction may reflect more of your own feelings than your happiness for someone else. Thinking through the possibility can help you feel like you haven’t been ambushed, especially if you’re keeping your own TTC news quiet.

Take Care of Yourself

This is sort of a part two to our first tip, but it’s important enough that it bears repeating. It’s perfectly acceptable to put your own needs first. If you’re feeling emotionally fragile and the holiday gathering ahead feels positively overwhelming, bow out! Listen to yourself. Take care of yourself. After all, preconception health plays an enormous role in all the things to come. If you’re actively trying to get pregnant, that means it’s really important to be mindful about supporting your body and mind. Remember that your fertility health is directly tied to your overall health, and being proactive with the things that are in your control can be empowering. We cover the importance of taking care of your preconception health in detail, but let’s quickly run through the highlights:

  • Start taking a daily prenatal vitamin to ensure a steady source of key micronutrients that help support the processes behind reproduction in both women and men. We formulated Beli for Women and Beli Vitality for Men™ with key nutrients for fertility health—everything you need, and nothing you don’t.
  • Find healthy outlets to manage stress, which can make it really difficult to successfully conceive.
  • Eat well and hydrate properly to support and nourish your body.
  • Get regular exercise, since humans really aren’t designed for sedentary lifestyles.

Of course, it is the holiday season, so the occasional drink or rich meal isn’t going to destroy your chances of conceiving. Just remember — everything in moderation.

Get Some Darn Sleep

Everything is so much worse when you’re tired, so do your very best to get at least seven hours of sleep at night. Yes, that can be a big ask, but there are a zillion guides and websites that will enlighten you to the magic of sleep hygiene. When you’re well rested, you’re far better positioned to manage your own emotions and you may find you have a little more patience and tolerance, too. Plus, getting enough sleep is one of the healthy habits experts encourage couples to embrace during TTC.

The Takeaway

When you’re trying to conceive, everything can feel heightened with emotion. The holidays are no exception and may even be the trickiest time of year. Between nosy relatives, back-to-back parties and celebrations, and surprise pregnancy announcements from some other happy couple, the holiday season can really highlight the fact that you still don’t have a baby. So cut yourself a little slack. Bow out when you don’t feel up to it, step away from social media, and plan how to respond if you are cornered and interrogated by your great aunt. If you decide that bailing on that cookie-decorating party in favor of a nap is the best idea, we totally agree.

Additional Resources

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Read More

When the plan is a baby, but you’re having a hard time conceiving, it’s normal to start wondering why. While there can be a number of issues in play, one tends to be overlooked: sleep quality. Specifically, men who have the sleep disorder sleep apnea could be at greater risk of fertility issues. Now, new research is drawing a more definitive link between sleep apnea and male fertility. Let’s review.

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

The summer heat really can have a temporary effect on male fertility, so doing what you can to keep cool, especially if the goal is becoming a dad, is really important. Here are tips to keep you and the boys cool this summer.

Read More

If you’re no stranger to the telltale signs of seasonal allergies—sneezing, itching, nasal congestion, irritated eyes, the works—you’re likely familiar with antihistamines. When you’re actively trying to conceive, there’s more to understand about histamines, seasonal allergies and how it affects your fertility.

Read More

When the plan is a baby, but you’re having a hard time conceiving, it’s normal to start wondering why. While there can be a number of issues in play, one tends to be overlooked: sleep quality. Specifically, men who have the sleep disorder sleep apnea could be at greater risk of fertility issues. Now, new research is drawing a more definitive link between sleep apnea and male fertility. Let’s review.

Read More

Fact: You can’t look at a guy—or eyeball his semen sample, for that matter—and determine his fertility. It just doesn’t work that way. The only way to truly assess sperm health is with a semen analysis. But there are a few lifestyle choices and truths that may indicate whether a man’s sperm is healthy and happy. 

Read More

While it’s lumped into the “bodily fluid” category, semen is a complex cocktail of compounds designed to support fertility. Like sperm quality, semen health can be influenced by lifestyle factors—an important realization for couples trying to conceive. From color to consistency, here’s what healthy semen looks like.

Read More

There’s a lot of chatter when it comes to male masturbation and what it says about a man’s fertility or whether it’s an issue when a couple is actively trying to conceive. And in the interest of clearing up the confusion, we’re taking a facts-based approach to the topic of men, masturbation and fertility.

Read More

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Read More

Raise your hand if you already know that you have a biological clock. From age 35 and beyond, there is a natural decline in testosterone and sperm quality. Just as people lose muscle strength, flexibility and endurance with age, sperm also tend to lose their "fitness" over the life cycle. But what does that mean—and does it really matter?

Read More

It’s an easy assumption, but you’re much better off thinking that every prenatal vitamin is wildly different in terms of composition, nutrient quality and, importantly, nutrient amount. Not only is that actually true, it puts you in the smart consumer mindset of understanding what matters in a prenatal vitamin—and why.

Read More

Men really do benefit from specialized nutrition in the form of a prenatal vitamin that’s formulated to support sperm health. Here’s what that looks like, and how specific nutrients can impact a man’s fertility health before fatherhood.

Read More

Shilajit is finally getting the credit it’s due, and we’re proud to point out that our proprietary formula was the very first to include this powerful Ayurvedic compound. Here’s why shilajit is rapidly becoming the darling of the male fertility world–and what you’re missing if you’re skipping it.

Read More

Ever wondered why men produce so much darn sperm, especially if only one of them will ultimately fertilize the egg? There are millions of sperm in normal ejaculate because it increases the likelihood that one will reach the egg and seal the deal. It begs the question, what exactly happens on the journey to the egg?

Read More

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Read More

Egg quantity and quality are critical aspect of our reproductive well-being. By understanding the ideal number of eggs at various ages, why egg quality and quantity matter, and how to nurture and improve egg health, we can make informed decisions about our fertility and overall health.

Read More

The long, lazy days of summer aren’t just prime vacation days. Summer could actually be an especially fertile season, which may be of interest to couples who are interested in starting a family. If you’re angling for parenthood this summer, here’s what to know about the season of fertility.

Read More

If you’re no stranger to the telltale signs of seasonal allergies—sneezing, itching, nasal congestion, irritated eyes, the works—you’re likely familiar with antihistamines. When you’re actively trying to conceive, there’s more to understand about histamines, seasonal allergies and how it affects your fertility.

Read More

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Read More

While PCOS can be a challenging condition to manage, natural supplements like inositol that are included in Beli Preconception Boost offer a beacon of hope. Inositol's ability to improve insulin sensitivity, hormone balance, and ovulatory function makes it a valuable tool in the PCOS management toolkit. 

Read More

The concern that hormonal contraception affects future fertility is making the rounds on social media again. But research continues to show that all that worry is for naught. While birth control doesn’t cause long-term fertility issues, it can mask them by creating an artificial cycle—something that’s important to understand.

Read More

For many of us, our twenties and even thirties are a time when the focus is on pregnancy prevention. And that’s okay! But even when the idea of motherhood is miles away there is tremendous value in understanding your fertility health and what you can do to support it during these young, carefree days.

Read More

Once a month, PMS symptoms make their unpleasant presence known. And while knowing what’s happening won’t make PMS magically disappear, it can help you manage symptoms by balancing hormones and supporting your reproductive health. Let’s review.

Read More

It’s an easy assumption, but you’re much better off thinking that every prenatal vitamin is wildly different in terms of composition, nutrient quality and, importantly, nutrient amount. Not only is that actually true, it puts you in the smart consumer mindset of understanding what matters in a prenatal vitamin—and why.

Read More

If you have endometriosis, you can already recite its lengthy list of pretty terrible symptoms. And the standard options for managing those symptoms — medications, hormone therapy, hormonal birth control, estrogen blockers, surgery —  aren’t always great. But there is evidence that a so-called “endometriosis diet” can help.

Read More
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