How Does My Disability or Chronic Illness Impact My Preconception Period?
Beyond lifestyle changes, are there specific things I should be considering?
While many interventions to decrease inequities are structural in nature, given the systemic nature of ableism, there are opportunities to be proactive and support your own health and wellbeing.
1. Build upon your existing community of care and holistic health practice as you consider your preconception journey. You likely already have a strong foundation for this; this is an opportunity to lean into the resources you have already built for yourself.
2. Seek out support networks and resources created by and for disabled parents and families, such as the Disabled Parenting Project. Preconception resources should address the medical, emotional, and social effects of all of your preconception options.
3. Using the 3 Pillars of Fertility Health as your guide for where to start, strengthen your individual mental and physical health, be as proactive about your mental health care as you can, and lean into any supportive movement practices.
4. Preconception journeys can feel isolating, in addition to sometimes isolating experiences of illness. Connect with other disabled or chronically ill parents or peer support networks to share preconception stories, and share your story as you feel comfortable. You are not alone in this experience.
5. Understand how your unique medical experiences may affect your conception options, and don’t be afraid to ask for additional opinions. There is no one size fits all, and depending on the nature of your disability (e.g. intellectual, physical, chronic pain, etc), there may be many available options, including embryo creation, egg and sperm freezing, and carrying a pregnancy.
6. Don’t be afraid to be your own advocate through this process as well! Feel free to express your concerns or questions throughout your fertility journey. You are the expert on your own body and your own preconception needs.
7. Seek out disability-friendly care providers, and ask about their experience supporting patients with chronic illnesses or disabilities. You can always change providers if their style doesn’t work for you.