Undergoing fertility care is not easy and comes with many questions.
But there’s one question that tops them all for most fertility clinic patients:
How can I increase the chances of success of fertility treatment like IVF? It’s a great question, but a tough one to answer in one sentence!
There are so many things you could be doing to create a healthy foundation for reproductive health and pregnancy.
So we asked 5 expert fertility doctors for the #1 tip they want to share with people facing struggles getting pregnant or staying pregnant - so you can take the best approach for your situation and have a more successful experience of treatment.
Let these tips be your north star to guide you towards better experience and outcomes, and help you confidently take the next steps on your journey.
Here's what they said...
1. Never Worry That It's Too Early to Seek Expert Help
"It's never too early to start thinking about your reproductive goals. Knowledge is power and the younger you are when you start thinking about your reproductive plans the more options you may have.
You should feel that the care is personalized for your situation and is not 'cookie-cutter' care." ~ Dr. Lynn Westphal, Chief Medical Officer at Kindbody (New York, LA, San Francisco, and more.)
2. Anticipate That This Might Be a Rollercoaster
"Be up for the rollercoaster. There's no way 100% to know how things are going to turn out and sometimes when things are potentially a set back in the immediate, it doesn't mean in the future there won't be another up, and that setback might actually be something that might be beneficial somehow. You have to be up for the ups and downs of it all. Look out for emotional and social support." ~ Dr. Diana Chavkin, HRC Fertility in Los Angeles
3. Don't Give Up Too Soon
"My advice is don't give up. Sometimes it can be discouraging, but if your doctor thinks your chances are pretty good that you're going to be successful, don't give up.
Sometimes people give up too soon and they miss their chance to get their family started." ~ Dr. Carolyn Givens, Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco
4. Build Up Your Emotional Strength and Persevere
The best advice I could give anyone undergoing fertility treatment is perseverance. Just like in life there is a great deal of difficulty, and you have to build up the emotional strength to be able to go through fertility treatment.
There's the desire for it to be immediately successful - and for many people it is, but for those that are not immediately successful a little bit of perseverance can pay huge dividends." ~ Dr. Ashim Kumar, Western Fertility Institute in Encino, California
5. Don't Let It Take Over Your Life
"It is really tough. It's a challenge that you're not prepared for. There's nothing that prepares you to be going through fertility treatment. You have to understand the science, because if you understand the science then you understand why this month didn't work and you don't get so discouraged and feel hopeless.
You need to feel hope. Odds are in your favour, but the secret sauce to success is not giving up. And there are moments when you feel like you're going to give up, when you want to give up. And there's moments when you just feel really bad and you blame yourself for things that aren't your fault. This biological system wasn't designed for what we're doing: we fight odds. It is a numbers game and the more times you are in the game the better the chance you're going to win the game. So you've got to stay in it.
Sometimes you've got to take breaks, you've got to give good self care and manage your stresses. If you're feeling bad you've got to do something about it and not let it take over your life and take you over." ~ Dr. Jamie Grifo, NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Bonus Tip: Find A Physician and Clinic You Are Comfortable With!
Success rates at many top clinics are now roughly on par with each other - and many patients are choosing clinics based on the quality of care and communication and approach of their doctor.
Discover more information on fertility experts and the approach they take to your care by searching the ELANZA Wellness Clinic Discovery Tool.
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