Home
print
glossary
send page
after therapy
You have gone through all the tests, examinations and treatments, and maybe even shed some tears, all for one reason - to have a child. Now that you’ve completed the treatment phase, there are two possibilities. You have either tested positive in a pregnancy test, or the treatment has unfortunately not resulted in pregnancy and you have decided not to continue treatment. This chapter contains information to help cope with both scenarios.
Pregnant?
It is of course fantastic to have come so far and for the pregnancy test to be positive. This is an extremely important event and an encouraging milestone on the way to reaching your ultimate goal - a child.
Nevertheless, you are probably feeling a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, you are delighted to be at this point, while on the other you are scared you will lose the pregnancy. This fear is completely natural. Couples who have had to deal with reduced fertility often find it harder to escape this fear. Although you and your partner may not immediately be able to enjoy your pregnancy without worrying excessively, it is still a good idea for both of you to try. That’s why it is important to keep your worries in perspective. Your worries won’t stop after pregnancy or birth; having a child (or children) will change your life completely, and worrying is a fundamental component of the job-description for parents and parents-to-be!
As you know, a pregnancy does not always run smoothly, there may well be surprises and obstacles to come. Couples that achieve pregnancy after fertility treatment are often more concerned about potential complications than couples that have become pregnant spontaneously, although this often unwarranted.
That said, some fertility treatments do indeed involve a slightly higher chance of a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy. There are also scenarios where the pregnancy itself can be accompanied by special risks. For couples who have become pregnant after fertility treatment; the most common of these are multiple pregnancy and pregnancy in women over the age of 35.
Your doctor will naturally inform you if there are special risks in your case. It is of course sensible for every pregnant woman to be aware of potential complications during pregnancy and how these can be recognised. The information in this chapter can help you to be better prepared.
Not pregnant and stopping treatment?
If, unfortunately, you have not become pregnant and have decided to stop treatment, then you will be trying to come to terms with this huge disappointment. This will take time. But subsequently there are a number of other options available to you. You could decide together to remain childless, or you could consider, adoption. Irrespective of which decision you take, it is important that you are well informed about the options available to you, and can consider them in the context of your personal situation. Nowadays there is also professional help available to help you decide what is best for you. For this reason, we will only be dealing with these subjects briefly in this chapter.
