quick clicks

preconception articles

preconception q&a

community & groups

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

When Dreams Come True

Pregnancy After Infertility

By Gwen Morrison

Dr. Fady I. Sharara, medical director at Virginia Center for Reproductive Medicine, says the hardest thing to tell women who have conceived after infertility is that they have to leave the practice and go see their obstetrician. "They all dread it, and nearly everyone pleads with me to have me deliver them," he says. "They feel we cut that umbilical cord, and they go from a place where they have 100-percent attention and handling to a waiting room where they are one of many pregnant women. Some feel we are kicking them out of the practice, because if it was up to them, they will keep coming to the office until they deliver. We have patients that keep e-mailing, passing by, calling, just to check if their OB is doing the right thing. Fear and anxiety are definitely there, but most adjust after the first few weeks when they go to their OB."

Debra Langbacka from Springfield, Va., experienced infertility due to a blockage in her fallopian tubes. Having already had one child, she was distraught at the thought of not having another. Doctors told her that chances of having another child were around 1 percent. When she became pregnant with IVF, she knew it was a miracle.

"I can't explain how elated I was," says Langbacka. "It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. It was so huge – truly a miracle."

Want to see more?

• Infertility FAQ: Common Questions Answered
• Are You or Aren't You? Common Signs of Pregnancy
• Baby's Early Days: First Trimester Growth
• Talk about it!