It should be an exciting, wonderful time of your life. After years of infertility and perhaps rounds of infertility treatments – you’ve finally reached that goal. You may be nervous – after all – you worked hard to get to this stage, but it’s finally happened.
So, you ask yourself, why are you feeling so depressed? According to the article, Increased Risk of Depression during Pregnancy and Postpartum Following Successful IVF, you’re not alone. The findings of a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, researches found that their study group of women who conceived through assisted reproductive therapy (ART) recorded a higher depression test score during the final trimester of pregnancy, as well as 1 week postpartum than did the group that conceived naturally.
The authors of the article wrote, “Additionally, women who conceived through ART reported feeling depressive symptoms more frequently during the third trimester than the women who conceived naturally, but the investigators found no significant difference postpartum. This study provides greater evidence that mild to moderate psychological symptoms associated with infertility may persist even after a woman conceives.”
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[...] of IVF outcome. Basically, there are biological markers in the blood that may possibly predict IVF outcome, but no test has yet been developed to take advantage of [...]
[...] In the beginning of the month, I wrote a post about IVF and depression (Depression during pregnancy following successful IVF) [...]
I am not sure whether the two previous posts come from people who have undergone fertility treatment or not but thought I would leave a comment with my experience.
I am 28 and my DH is 29. We had been trying to conceive (naturally and with treatment for this last year) for 6 years. During this time I often had bouts of depression, particularly when an attempt to realise our dreams failed however, this was not the only factor in my depression. The fact that my life had changed irreversibly meant that I lost friends as I was no longer “as much fun”…sorry but my world came crashing down when I lost my fallopian tubes last year and “fun” just wasn’t high on my list of priorities – I needed time to re-evaluate my dreams and, as incomprehensible as it seemed I had to try and think of a future without children.
I had a unsympathetic employer and, after much discrimination, I was forced to resign and begin legal proceedings.
We had IVF back in March of this year which was successful but sadly I miscarried at 7 weeks.
We had FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer) in September and thankfully, we received the joyous news we so craved. I am currently 10 weeks pregnant and in all honesty, despite being overjoyed that we are finally pregnant, I am absolutely terrified that this miracle will be taken away again.
I am experiencing depression and with help from a Counsellor I have come to the conclusion that I am depressed because, for the last year (since having the operation to remove both my tubes on Halloween) I have constantly been motivated by “what’s next” and this deflected me from dealing with feelings that arose because of having treatment and the profound effect it has had on my life.
All of a sudden I have nothing to “focus” on and find myself worrying about problems in this pregnancy as well as dealing with 6 years of hurt, pain, agony, loss and grief.
Anyone who has not endured the horrific journey of fertility treatment in unlikely to completely understand the effect it has physically, emotionally, mentally and psychologically although most people are capable of empathising. Even though I have been through it I cannot describe it fully as no words seem to fit.
I fully appreciate that women who have fallen pregnant naturally can expereince depression during pregnancy and my heart goes out to them too but in my opinion I do not think that it takes a team of scientists or highly educated people to suggest that depression may be more prelevant in those who have undergone treatment as there are huge issues that have to be dealt with and that, unfortunately, does not magically disappear when they conceive.
I know that even when I cradle my baby for the first time that yes, I will be tremendously overjoyed, feel blessed and be extremely thankful however my journey through the realms of infertility is now part of me, I cannot change it and will stay with me forever. As much as I hope and pray that this will not be the case, I do feel that from time to time these horrible feelings will rear their ugly heads but I do know in my heart of hearts that I will have my reason to drag myself up and that will be my child. Ask me now if it’s all been worth it and you will be met with a resounding “Hell Yes!!!” although that still does not mean that I find it easy to deal with nor does it mean that I am inherently “happy”. Yes, I feel blue but underneath it all lies a very very happy lady.
Ultimately, it is a big step forward if research will continue into depression during pregnancy as until recent years it was not even considered possible. Post-natal depression is widely accepted and there is lots of support on offer (and, of course, this is more prevelant in those who have undergone treatment) but advances need to be made in to understanding why depression occurs in pregnancy to help those suffering (whether they have had treatment or not).
The medical world work wonders and give the gift of life to those who never thought they would experience parenthood and despite there being counselling available to couples during treatment this is extremely limited. They also need to understand that they cannot simply push them aside once treatment has worked as those couples are still extremely vulnerable and, I would suggest that they need professional support to deal with everything they have been through following successful treatment.
That’s an excellent point Gabrielle and I’m glad you weighed in on this. As I read the information, I wondered if maybe this may play a role, but I also wondered if there may be a situation of “oh my, now that I have this after all this effort, will it be what I want it to be?” or a strange kind of let down with the success because of all the stress and issues that went into pregnancy and the fears that any pregnant woman may have – if that makes any sense.
Finally, I wondered how relationships with other couples hwo hare having these issues may be affected when one couple is successful with IVF and they may not be.
or am I completely way off base?
Marijke
While I appreciate the article’s conclusions – that “infertility is a clinical condition with complex psychological issues” – I think it’s important to note that the researchers “did not address differences in rates of depression pre-pregnancy by mode of conception.” Women who showed slightly more signs of depression post partum may have been carrying that anxiety before they even conceived. I’m not sure that IVF itself can be seen as a factor. I also read this report and wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. It seems that if you were depressed before you were pregnant, odds are higher that you will be depressed while you are pregnant and perhaps even after.