Here’s how golf helped me navigate the rough (excuse the pun) journey of infertility, IVF and having a baby.
This time last year, my husband and I were gearing up for our first round of IVF.
It’s hard to explain how I felt then.
I was terrified but hopeful. Frustrated after years of fertility treatment. Heartbroken from a miscarriage the year before. And oddly empowered; we finally had a clear plan that would, hopefully, result in the baby we’d been dreaming of.
Skip to the good bit and we welcomed our baby boy in November 2022.
But as I look back now, I seriously underestimated how much golf helped me during that time in my life.
There are no two ways about it: Infertility is s**t. It’s a messy, complicated, emotional rollercoaster. It’s a whole new world you never knew existed, one of confusing acronyms and conflicting advice.
Exercise, but don’t over-exercise. Eat this, but don’t eat that. Try this drug, but cut out all chemicals.
Get more sleep.
And my all-time favourite piece of advice ... just switch off (yep, that's easier said than done).
But I realise now that golf did help me switch off. It was my release.
Golf made me get outside and exercise. It forced me to think about something other than counting the days of my cycle or when my next injection was.
And it quite literally kept me sane.
Even as my bump got bigger, I loved nothing more than going up to the golf club in the evening. I’d spend an hour or so just chipping and putting, listening to a podcast or music. Or just chatting to other members.
Golf made me stay in the present and meant I couldn’t think too much about anything else.
It became vital for my mental health, and that undoubtedly helped in the outcome of our journey to having a baby.
Infertility isn’t talked about anywhere near enough. And I remember feeling so frustrated at the lack of clear information I could find about how to cope with it.
If that’s your reality now I really hope my story helps. And if you play golf, keep swinging – I promise it will help.
Now on to the next challenge of being a mum.
I'll keep you posted ...
Did you play golf when you were pregnant? If you did, I want to hear from you! Email me at [email protected]