Personally I have been working with fertility for the past 24yrs. My dissertation was about Male Infertility and I then undertook several training courses regarding IVF and Fertility issues. I find all my patients who are trying to reach their dream of becoming parents are highly anxious and stressed. And this is before they begin their IVF story….
Why Is IVF So Hard?
IVF is both physically and emotionally demanding. The medications can have side effects, and procedures can be intrusive and sometimes painful. There may already be emotional suffering with the inability to become pregnant, and personal relationships can become strained as treatments drag on and there’s still no pregnancy. There may be personal conflicts based on religious, moral or ethical challenges with IVF. Sometimes, it can be difficult to engage with clinical staff, creating a problematic dynamic whereby patients have little patience or do not feel supported by clinical staff. Conversely, staff cannot cope with patient needs and demands, leading them to burn out quickly.
The psychological burden can become so great that up to 50 percent of fertility patients may abandon treatment before they become pregnant, even if they are still eligible for treatment or their cost of care is covered. The most common reason is the emotional cost. Still, hundreds of thousands of people have been successful. In fact, since the first successful cycle in 1978, an estimated 8 million babies born globally have been conceived with IVF.