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Questions/Answers
  Pregnancy after IVF

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ:  IVF Connections maintains this web site as a resource for IVF patients. Although some information on this site is about medical issues it is not intended to provide medical advice or to replace the care of your existing health care professional. Do not rely on any of the information contained in the IVF Connections web site for diagnosis or treatment. If medical advice is needed, the service of a licensed physician or healthcare professional should be sought. IVF Connections and its affiliates assume no liability whatsoever of any kind for the information and data contained on this web site or for any diagnosis or treatment made in reliance thereon. Please read our full disclaimer before continuing.

How many weeks pregnant am I?
The start of an unassisted pregnancy is usually measured from the first day of your last menstrual period. When calculating, how many weeks pregnant you are after an IVF cycle, start counting from 2 weeks prior to your retrieval. For example if you had a positive pregnancy test on November 30th and your retrieval happened on November 14, you would now be just over 4 weeks pregnant. **Please note that some clinics calculate the estimated due date differently. To be more precise, always have your clinic calculate the due date for you.

I should be happy to finally be pregnant, why do I feel all these conflicting emotions?
When you finally reach your goal in becoming pregnant, you will probably feel many conflicting emotions. The first trimester is usually the hardest because the pregnancy is not obvious to you or others yet.
Disbelief: Many women have trouble believing that they are pregnant after trying for so long. Pregnancy symptoms can be a source of comfort, however symptoms can fluctuate from day to day and not all women have them. It is important to realize that many women that have gone through infertility feel the same emotions that you do.
Worry: It is perfectly normal to feel a bit worried about your pregnancy, even women who haven't gone through infertility do. Try sharing your feelings with women in a similar situation and you will soon find that you are not alone. If you think your pregnancy really is in jeopardy, call your IVF clinic or your OB for instructions instead of allowing the worry to build up. If the worry becomes overwhelming, try seeking the help of a professional counsellor.
Guilt: If your pregnancy symptoms are severe or you are feeling apprehensive about the pregnancy you may feel guilty about complaining or voicing your concerns. After being infertile, your friends and family may expect you to be happy about your pregnancy all the time. This assumption is simply unrealistic. Try to find somewhere to get sympathetic support (a trusted friend, a pregnancy support group, a counselor, etc). IVF Connections also has pregnancy and a pregnant with twins or more bulletin board and an email list for pregnancy after IVF.

Milestones of Pregnancy
6 weeks: A fetal heartbeat may be detected on an ultrasound. It shows up as a flutter on the ultrasound screen. (Curtis, 62)
11 weeks: The development of the embryo's organs is now underway and it enters the fetal period (Curtis, 95)
12 weeks: A doppler device can sometimes detect an audible heartbeat. (Curtis, 109)
13 weeks: The second trimester officially begins and the miscarriage rate decreases for most pregnancies. (Johnson, 153)
16-20 weeks: The mother may be able to feel the first fluttering movements of the baby. (Johnson, 153)
23 weeks: A baby born now can sometimes survive outside the womb with assisted neonatal intensive care. (Johnson, 33)
24 weeks: A baby born now has more than a 50% survival chance, but at this early stage complications are still common. As each week goes by the baby has a better chance of survival outside the womb. (Johnson, 33)
28 weeks: The third trimester officially begins. (Johnson, 175)
37-40 weeks: A baby born now is considered full-term. (Johnson, 34)

References:
Curtis, Glade B. Your pregnancy week by week. Tuscon, AZ: Fisher Books, 1997.
Johnson, Robert B. Mayo Clinic complete book of pregnancy and baby's first year. New York: William Morrow, 1994.

General Pregnancy Web Sites


 
 



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