What to do after your fertility treatment
In fertility treatment, no two journeys towards parenthood are the same. Some get pregnant on their first try, while others need a few more rounds of fertility treatment to fulfil their dream. Therefore, we have created this blog post as a checklist for you to use during your treatment to make sure that you are prepared for the next step.
When having fertility treatment, there are two possible outcomes; either you are pregnant, or you need to try again. This blog post will be divided into two sections as the next step on your journey depends on the result of your pregnancy test.
What to do if you are still trying to become pregnant?
- Try another type of treatment
- Changing sperm donor
- Ending the treatment cycle
What to do if the pregnancy test was positive?
- Register your pregnancy
- Consider potential siblings
- Enjoy this special time
What to do if you are still trying to become pregnant?
- Try another type of treatment
- Changing sperm donor
- Ending the treatment cycle
What to do if the pregnancy test was positive?
- Register your pregnancy
- Consider potential siblings
- Enjoy this special time
Still trying to become pregnant
If the result of your fertility treatment was not what you hoped for, it is important to keep in mind that on average, most people need five or six treatment cycles to get pregnant. Depending on the number of treatments you have been through, your general condition, and your fertility level, there are different ways to proceed, when your treatment did not result in a pregnancy.
As a rule, however, you should always consult with your doctor before starting another round of fertility treatment, as you may need to change the treatment type or do something different.
Try another type of treatment
If you have tried the same type of fertility treatment several times with no result, it may be worth considering changing fertility treatment. How many times you should try the same fertility treatment depends on different factors such as age and medical history. In general, fertility doctors will usually recommend 3 IUI attempts before changing to IVF, but for some people, up to 6 attempts might make sense.
If you decide to try another form of treatment, you must be aware that the sperm motility or MOT requirements regarding the donor sperm may change. As a result, if you have already made a reservation, you may need to order other sperm straws with a different MOT. This could result in a change in cost, as MOT is a factor in determining the cost of donor sperm. If you need to order new types of straws, make sure that you cancel or terminate any redundant reservations you might have.
Changing sperm donor
After a couple of treatment cycles, you may want to change donor to rule out the possibility of him being a “bad match”. It may also be that a new donor has been added in the meantime or perhaps a donor that was previously unavailable is back in stock. No matter the cause, if you decide to change the donor before your next treatment cycle, it is important to ensure that the new donor has enough straws available for the entire treatment process, and possibly more if you want siblings from the same sperm donor. To ensure that enough straws are available, we recommend that you make a reservation for extra sperm straws when you place your first order. Remember that if you decide to terminate the reservation, Cryos offers to refund 75% of the straw price, as long as they are still stored at a Cryos location.
If you have questions regarding ordering or cancelling a reservation, you are always welcome to contact our Customer Care Team.
Ending the treatment cycle
Fertility treatment is hard, both mentally and physically, on the female body and relationship. If you consider taking a break from fertility treatment or ending your treatment altogether, we recommend that you consult your fertility doctor. If you decide to end the treatment, you should cancel any reserved sperm straws and/or Quota Reservations, to ensure that others may benefit from the sperm.
What to do if the pregnancy test was positive?
If you are pregnant, then congratulations! If you have taken a pregnancy test that was positive after having fertility treatment, you should contact your fertility clinic if they did not already schedule a blood test to confirm the pregnancy. Most clinics will offer an early pregnancy scan around 6-8 weeks after conception to confirm the pregnancy and monitor its progress.
Register pregnancy
It is important that you let Cryos know when you achieve pregnancy with help from one of our donors. Pregnancy registration helps ensure that the limit of pregnancies obtained from the donor is not exceeded. You can register your pregnancy by following the link or in your account on our website, under Pregnancies.
Think about potential siblings
Even though the thought of more children may seem far away at this point, we recommend that you consider making a reservation of sperm straws, if you consider having more children with the same donor.
Enjoy this special time
Finally, take time to enjoy this special time in your life. You have most likely been through a lot to get here, so make sure to celebrate and enjoy the pregnancy with your loved ones. You might also want to read this free book about pregnancy written by our experienced midwife Julie. The book covers everything you need to know about the pregnancy, the birth, and the first months with your baby.
Inspiration for parents to donor-conceived people
At Cryos, we want to help children conceived with donor sperm as much as possible, including making inspiration and resources available for parents. If you are looking for inspiration on relevant topics for parents of donor-conceived children, follow the links below:
- How to talk to your child about donor conception
- Getting in contact with the sperm donor
- Learnings for parents of donor-conceived people
- Testimonials from other parents
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Customer Care Team, as they are happy to answer any questions you might have.