Being pregnant and raising a family is a dream many people have; however, sadly, for many, this dream isn’t an easy one to realize and isn’t the smooth process they want or need it to be. Infertility is sadly extremely prevalent, and it’s thought around 1 in 6 people worldwide struggle to conceive and experience infertility, putting a barrier to plans to start a family and get pregnant.

And while knowing that you are not alone isn’t comforting, it does mean that you don’t need to accept your fate that naturally falling pregnant might not be on the cards for you. Medical technology and advancements have evolved so that you have multiple avenues available to you to help you in your pursuit of falling pregnant, and this post is going to look at a few of these choices. This post is for information only and does not replace medical advice. Always talk to your doctor for the best approach for you and determine your fertility and options.

IVF

IVF is in vitro fertilization and is probably the most commonly known procedure for helping people conceive. It is a fertility treatment in which both eggs and sperm are fertilized outside of the body in a lab, and any resulting embryo is then transferred to the uterus. The process can be long and emotional, and it requires strict adherence to the process to maximize the chances of success. Since the birth of the world’s first IVF baby in the UK in June 1978, millions of babies around the globe have been successfully born via this route.

Plus, IVF opens up the option of FET, which is frozen embryo transfer. This means you get to decide what to do with any unused embryos from your IVF and choose to freeze them or not for use down the line. And there’s no worry about not using them immediately if you’re not ready; you can even choose to freeze embryos even if you don’t want to get pregnant right now. In fact, the oldest frozen embryo to result in a live birth was 24 years old.

Fertility Boosting Drugs

There are a few fertility-boosting drugs that might be recommended for you and your journey to falling pregnant. Your doctor or fertility specialist will be able to advise you if this is suitable and what the right medication for you is. However, these medications, such as Clomiphene Citrate, Gonadotropins, Metformin, and Letrozole, work to simulate the ovaries and improve egg release function to release eggs that can be fertilized. This boosts your chances of falling pregnant naturally and helps you in some instances of infertility (depending on the reason you are infertile).

IUI

IUI is intrauterine insemination or artificial insemination. This includes inserting sperm directly into the womb via a thin plastic tube, and it’s less invasive and less expensive than IVF. The sperm is placed in the uterus around the time of ovulation to help maximize the chances of falling pregnant. Timing is critical here to help the sperm find the egg to fertilize. And while success rates are generally higher with IVF, it can be the perfect option for suitable candidates to try on the their journey to become pregnant.

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