09/11/2025
When you get on an airplane, one of the first things they tell you in the safety demonstration is that, in the event of a change in cabin pressure, you should put on your own oxygen mask before helping anyone else with theirs.
Of the many journeys we take in our lives, if there’s any one of them that’s sure to involve a change in “cabin pressure”, it’s a fertility journey.😮💨 In my recent conversation with reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Stacia Mills, we talked all about why taking care of your mental health should be one of the first things you do when starting your journey toward growing your family.
Both fertility and mental health are topics that hold a lot of stigma. It can feel taboo to bring them up in “normal” conversation, and it can feel like you need to keep things to yourself and figure it all out alone. But the truth is, building your support system is the best thing you can do to help yourself succeed.
That means friends and family you can trust, *and* mental health professionals who can help you with diagnoses, medications, and tools to get you through your fertility journey and beyond.
During our conversation, Dr. Mills talked about the widely-held belief that you have to be willing to sacrifice everything for the future of your family - but that idea could not be farther from the truth. She rightly added:
"If you're going to show up for your family, you have to show up for yourself first."
Remember that your journey doesn’t end as soon as you get pregnant, and you deserve to be able to navigate all of it without unnecessary strain and suffering. Your mental health will thank you, and so will your future family.❤️
Tune in to my insightful conversation with Dr. Mills here: https://www.draimee.org/guide-to-mental-wellness-while-trying-to-conceive-with-dr-stacia-mills
