Motherhood is one of the most sought-after virtues for every woman, so when you are unable to conceive on account of the fact that you are past the usual conception age or any other reason, it becomes a challenge.
Thankfully, with technological innovations, motherhood has become a lot easier and more accessible thanks to various techniques such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). These developments make having a baby attainable for women of all age groups and health status.
This is good news for most couples. If you do not know already, IVF has enabled millions of infertile couples all over the world to become parents.
Since Louise Brown, the first “test-tube” baby was born in 1978, IVF has become the most preferred mode of Assisted reproductive Technique. There are more couples choosing to give birth with the help of ART today than at any other time.
It is not surprising that couples are increasingly opting for IVF because either or both of the partners are infertile.
This procedure is quite appropriate for a man that is unable to produce sperms of high quality or quantity. It is also ideal for the female partner who has infertility issues either because you are unable to produce enough eggs or the eggs you produce may not be high-quality.
You may also have a blockage in your Fallopian tubes as a result of which sexual intercourse doesn’t lead to the formation of embryo and pregnancy.
What this means is that IVF is an alternate or artificial arrangement of fertilization which is the fusion of eggs and sperms if it doesn’t happen naturally.
Better still, there is virtually no difference between children born out of IVF from the children conceived naturally. The children born out of IVF are normal just like the children conceived naturally. The only difference is in their procedures of conception.
The truth really is that apart from the mode of conception, there is no difference or parameter to distinguish between IVF babies and other children born naturally just as there is no difference in the parent-child relationship and even the children’s psychological development after IVF.
While babies born as a result of fertilization in the womb of the mother are conceived through sexual intercourse, IVF children are conceived differently – their conception happens in laboratories.
Because of this, there are common notions that IVF children are different because they are not conceived in the bedroom through sexual intercourse but in the laboratory out of surgical mechanisms.
Regardless of the difference in conception, IVF children are as normal as other children with respect to their mental and physical attributes and abilities.
In IVF, the sperms and eggs are fertilized in the laboratory under controlled conditions and monitoring by fertility experts. The fusion takes place in laboratory dishes instead of the Fallopian tubes of the mother. The doctor inserts the embryo into the uterus of the woman through the cervix and the rest of the pregnancy is the same in both cases.
If you are getting pregnant through IVF, you would know that you are pregnant from around two weeks to 10 weeks when the embryo is inserted in your cervix, unlike natural pregnancy that you wouldn’t know about your pregnancy until a month or so.
After a successful round of IVF, you might wonder what you can expect from an IVF pregnancy. The process of achieving pregnancy with the help of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) can seem far removed from natural conception, and you may worry that this difference will continue into pregnancy.
Usually, the first few weeks of an IVF pregnancy is the same as natural or regular pregnancy. Every woman and every pregnancy is unique, no matter how the baby is conceived.
Ideally, if you become pregnant on your own, you may not know that you are pregnant until a month or more into the pregnancy. As an IVF patient, that awareness begins the moment after the embryo is transferred. This can mean that you may be dealing with a higher level of anxiety and a greater sensitivity to early pregnancy symptoms than many women experience at this stage.
Fertility medications you have taken during the ovarian stimulation phase of IVF can mimic the symptoms of early pregnancy. It makes the two weeks wait between transfer and your official pregnancy test a particularly difficult time.
If you experience severe cramping, bloating, or nausea, you should immediately inform your doctor. Constantly evaluating and guessing at symptoms is quite stressful for most IVF patients, but it’s difficult to avoid.
It’s a good idea to step up your self-care at this point. Give yourself a break and be gentle with yourself physically and emotionally. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and quality nutrition. Avoid high-intensity activity: low impact exercise such as gentle walks can help you manage stress, but anything more strenuous should be suspended.
During this part of your pregnancy, you will remain under the care of your fertility clinic. The main difference at this time is that you will be monitored more intensively than a patient who conceived naturally. However, the rest of the pregnancy and symptoms are identical. At around 10 weeks, if all is well, you will be released into the care of an obstetrician. From that day forward, your IVF pregnancy at this point is indistinguishable from a regular pregnancy.
You may have appointments and ultrasounds every 1 to 2 weeks. You may notice typical pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness, cravings, and increased urination.
When it comes to having babies, no compromise is acceptable. You must consult the best doctor with expertise in IVF. Go to a clinic/hospital that is equipped with all the latest techniques and qualified personnel.
