Coping with Mother’s Day 2011

Not everyone celebrates the arrival of Mother’s Day 2011. While most infertile couples will recognize their own mothers, Sunday, May 9 represents a holiday that they’d like to temporarily strike from the calendar.

This year, why not shift the focus from mothering babies, to babying yourself? Find an activity that you seldom make time for, but thoroughly enjoy at venues where you won’t likely encounter throngs of children and their mothers. Consider art exhibits, coffee houses and theaters.

You’ll even find discounted tickets for those Sunday matinees. Try booking a spa service, room at a B&B or challenge yourselves as a couple to learn an extreme sport like rock climbing, street luge or kayaking.

Other tips for patients

Even if you attend religious services every Sunday, give yourself permission to sleep in this particular weekend and avoid the commemorative portion of the sermon. It can be painful to remain seated while every other woman over 20 stands for applause and recognition, so consider spending some time reading, in prayer or quiet meditation at home instead.

The special women in your life will understand if you move the traditional brunch to a different weekend in May, when restaurants aren’t teeming with little ones. Now is also a good time to talk with your close friends and family about your difficult journey to parenthood; explain that Mother’s Day adds to your stress level by emphasizing a dream yet unfulfilled for you and your spouse.

Most importantly, remember that you are not alone. In any given year in the U.S., there are around 4 million new mothers, yet 7.3 million women experience infertility**. Seek out supportive friends and support groups that empower you to survive Mother’s Day with the hope that next year will be different. In fact, 80-88% of women who partner with a fertility specialist do become pregnant. That’s Texas Fertility Center’s Mother’s Day gift to you. Contact us to learn more.

10 things to do on Mother’s Day 2011

Brew & Que Festival featuring Joe King Carrasco, Waterloo Park, 11 a.m. www.austinlatinomusic.com
InnerSpace Cavern Tour, Georgetown, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.myinnerspacecavern.com
Yoga and Pilates Fusion, Vortex Café & Yard, 10 a.m., www.vortexrep.org
Round Rock Express vs. Memphis Redbird at 2:05 p.m., www.rrexpress.com
Our Town, Zach Theater, 2:30 p.m., www.zachtheatre.org
Salsa lessons, Ruta Maya, 2-5 p.m., or free guitar lessons, 5-7 p.m., http://rutamaya.net
Stomp, Paramount Theatre, 3 p.m., www.austintheatre.org
Coppelia, Long Center for Performing Arts, 3 p.m., www.thelongcenter.org
Alvin Crow, Gruene Hall, 5-9 p.m., www.gruenehall.com
Midnight Movie Double Feature, Spider House Coffee Bar, 9 p.m. www.spiderhousecafe.com