Emma Despres

Dancing with the Moon Emma Despres

As a yoga teacher and Reiki master, I am very much in tune with energies and connected to all things holistic. I had imagined that I would conceive in a beautiful, romantic, natural and conscious way, on a bed of rose petals under a starry night. Don't laugh! However, at 36, after a year of trying (and failing) to conceive, my fears were confirmed: we were told we may never have children. Humbled by this sobering truth, I realised I would have to throw myself into the world of science, hook, line and sinker, if there was any chance of motherhood. It was against all my instincts and everything I believe in, but it was the only way. I don't even normally take any medicines and suddenly, I was injecting myself with synthetic hormones, having the most invasive of examinations, and manipulating my hormonal system with drugs. Dancing with the Moon is my journey, my way of incorporating elements of the spiritual and the holistic into such a clinical process. Although different for each couple, IVF is an incredibly challenging and exhausting process, both physically, mentally and emotionally. I hope that in sharing how I navigated my way through the process, I can help other women feel more at ease and, crucially, able to maintain a positive mindset on their own IVF journeys.