We commonly refer to the beta wait as the time that passes until the patient obtains the result of the blood test to confirm the pregnancy. It is a period marked by uncertainty and anxiety. For this reason, we have asked Soledad Chamorro, a psychologist at IVI Madrid, to talk to us about how to manage this emotional part of an assisted reproduction treatment.
What is beta wait
Betawaiting receives this colloquial name because pregnancy is confirmed by measuring the presence of the hormone beta-hCG in the blood, the ‘pregnancy hormone’. This time occurs from artificial insemination or embryo transfer, in the case of in vitro fertilization, to the result of the pregnancy test in the laboratory. As we said, this is one of the most distressing periods for the patient who has undergone assisted reproduction treatment. It usually lasts between 9 and 14 days, depending on when the transfer was made. Specialists recommend not waiting to ask for help, but to have psychological support from the beginning of the treatment. This will make the patient reach the beta-wait with tools that allow her to face this stage, avoiding progressive wear.
Stress in assisted reproduction treatments
Nerves and fear take over the patient, making the days endless until the result is known. To such an extent that this restlessness can undermine her illusion. Whether alone or with her partner, the patient has all her hopes pinned on the treatment she has just undergone and she is afraid of a possible negative pregnancy test. In addition, it must be taken into account that in most cases the patient comes with a prior emotional burden, due to stress, wear and tear… This is due to the fact that she has not been able to achieve pregnancy naturally, having to ask for help to find a solution and, of course, by the impact of the diagnosis itself and infertility.
“Betawait has a high emotional implication, especially for women. It is she who bears this responsibility in a very particular way. It is understandable, since it goes from the first phase of treatment with an established roadmap (punctures, consultations, etc.), to waiting times without being able to know the result. This takes forever and you have no control over this wait. Managing this level of stress is very important so that it affects the day to day and the process itself as little as possible”, explains Soledad Chamorro.
The betawait, a roller coaster of emotions
When starting an assisted reproduction treatment, it is common to imagine the path to pregnancy as something idyllic. However, if complications appear, blockage and frustration can appear, fear and fear appearing. Feeling fear in an unknown situation is normal, the problem is taking it to an irrational level. And it is that up to 40% of women who go through this situation have high stress, causing them to have episodes of anxiety. This translates into the inability to think about anything else or enter the dynamic of having only negative thoughts. This turns beta-waiting into a roller coaster of emotions that, in addition to making the patient suffer, can negatively influence her relationship with her partner or with her closest environment. “It is important, therefore, that the beta wait is a period in which we put in place resources that pursue greater emotional well-being and thus also reduce the associated stress”, adds the psychologist.
Guidelines for coping with the betawait
In order to carry out this stage in the best possible way, it is important to have different tools:
- Obsessive behaviors. The fact of analyzing every detail or physical signal that may indicate a possible pregnancy or, on the contrary, constantly checking if you have menstruation, is not healthy.
- Avoid constantly talking about it. It is necessary to talk about what we feel. Acknowledging feelings helps us know how to handle them, but checking that these conversations do not monopolize our lives and make us feed back. This can also be applied to insistent questions from friends and family.
- Keep your mind busy. With activities that we like and that make us leave our comfort zone, if possible outdoors. With this we can enhance those more optimistic thoughts.
- Trust the professionals who handle your case. Searching for information on the internet, on pages that offer unreliable and scientifically unverified information, will only make the wait more complicated, increasing anxiety.
- Do not do home tests. These are not recommended because we can get a false positive or negative. This will make us have a preconceived idea when facing the result of the laboratory test, with the consequent impact on our state of mind.
- Focus on the present, the here and now. “What if…?” thoughts They will only cause stress and discomfort. Emotions are on the surface, making it difficult for us to reason. Avoiding this loop of thoughts, letting time pass, we can focus on the day to day and the wait will not be so heavy.
IVI Emotional Support Unit
“Mental health is very important to start this path. No patient should go through this process with an emotional overload that prevents her from functioning normally in her day to day life. They are long processes that usually wear out, so it is important to go to a professional when we see that these episodes appear and modify our daily and social habits. In short, it is important to stop them before they make a dent and discourage us even more”, concludes Soledad Chamorro.
Therefore, we want to remind you that you have the Psychology Unit at your disposal in all our clinics. In it we offer you the necessary support and accompaniment, with the aim of achieving your emotional well-being during treatment.
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