When you make the decision to undergo fertility treatment, you’re hopeful that the end result will be a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. Many advancements have been made in fertility treatments that may make pregnancy possible, but there are no guarantees of success. If month after month goes by without the outcome you’ve been hoping for, it may feel like you’re riding an emotional rollercoaster. How do you know when to stop fertility treatment?
Ultimately it’s a very personal decision, and each couple has to decide what’s best for them. The experts at the Center for Reproductive Health recognize how overwhelming this decision can be and are available to answer questions and offer support.
Reasons to Consider Taking a Break
In some cases, there are medical reasons to stop fertility treatment. Patients who are attempting to get pregnant at an advanced childbearing age know that the more time that passes, the less likely it is that they’ll succeed in attaining a healthy pregnancy.
Some couples are afraid to decide to discontinue fertility treatments because they may think they might be successful if they continue treatment just a little bit longer, maybe just one more month. If there’s no medical reason to stop trying, couples may want to consider simply taking a break to give turbulent emotions some time to calm down before deciding whether to resume treatments. Some reasons to consider taking a break include the pleasure has gone out of your sex life because all you think about and talk about is making a baby, or there’s frequent tension between you and your partner because you feel like you’re disappointing each other.
Is it Time to Stop Altogether?
Undergoing fertility treatments can be emotionally draining and it’s also expensive. Couples who are taking out loans that can’t be paid back within a few months may be creating additional tension for themselves. Instead of continuing to make things worse, they may come to the conclusion it’s time to stop instead of continuing to worsen their financial burden.
Having adverse reactions to fertility drugs such as mood swings or physical pain is another good reason to consider discontinuing treatment. Couples who start spending less and less time together because they find they’re no longer able to connect with each other may also decide to stop altogether.
Some couples set a financial limit or a deadline ahead of time regarding the number of months they’re willing to go through fertility treatment. When the decision is made ahead of time, it can help couples feel more level-headed about deciding to stop and some even feel relieved that they can stop thinking about trying to get pregnant. When the decided number of months has passed, couples feel free to focus their attention on other goals.
Some people reach a point where the emotional upheaval is too much for them. While the decision on whether to continue to pursue fertility treatment is up to each couple, couples have to take stock of both their emotional and financial investment to see if it makes sense to continue or finish fertility treatments altogether.
Get in touch with the compassionate team at the Center for Reproductive Health to discuss your options.
