When is Enough, Enough?

#ThursdayThoughts

As promised, each Thursday, we will now offer you a piece of educational, science, or research related information.  The purpose of our #ThursdayThoughts post is to share with you fact-based content that can enlighten and assist you on your fertility journey.  Enjoy our post! Helping to Create New Beginnings….

When is Enough, Enough?

Many women struggle with pursuing and continuing fertility treatment. Fertility treatment can be difficult to manage.  There are work schedules to juggle, finances to manage, and emotional and relationship stressors that can result.  Sometimes life gets too busy, and even though individuals have the intent of returning to treatment, they never get around to it. For others, the rejection, disappointment, and despair after a negative pregnancy test or failed treatment cycle is too discouraging to find the motivation to do it again. Every year, fertility providers see patients discontinue treatment without reaching their goals, even when they have embryos in cryostorage. 

The fertility journey is different for every individual.  While some people may get pregnant within their 1st or 2nd try, others struggle for years with repeat fertility treatments to build a family. Fertility doctors are frank and honest with their patients regarding what their prognosis is.  And the data supports that for most individuals facing infertility struggles, continued treatment should eventually lead to success. In fact, a prospective study published in JAMA, indicated that cumulative live birth rates continued to increase up to nine IVF oocyte retrieval cycles. And in reality, most individuals will get pregnant FAR sooner than that, even though repeat embryo transfers might be necessary.  The bottom line? Many people abandon treatment too soon even though the statistics are in their favor.

So how can someone not get discouraged? When should you discontinue fertility treatment? First off, discuss with your doctor if they believe you should continue treatment. The other important thing is having a strong support network.  Sometimes that person is your partner, a sibling, a friend, or a parent who can be a good listener and offer encouragement.  Others find support with a local infertility support group or professional counselors, therapists, and psychologists.  And with today’s ever increasing social networking, Facebook Groups, infertility forums, and other networking opportunities are becoming more and more popular. Everybody’s infertility journey takes their own course.  We want to see you cross the finish line. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit https://www.ivfcenterhawaii.com or call us at 808-545-2800. 

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2478204

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