Is it best to reduce all stresses before ivf?

[jules30]

I was talking it over with one close workmate who i have confided in about whole ivf thing and she mentioned that her fiance actually deferred uni for 1 year since they were going overseas for 5 weeks, and following that they have their wedding to organise next year.

Here i was thinking that doing ivf wasn't a good enough reason to defer studies! I just have that feeling or silly perception that im giving up or failing myself if i dont juggle it all.

And yes what a Rollercoaster!! We haven't even started it but the the last several months of just deciding to do ivf have been up and down!

[farmgirl77]

To look at it from a positive perspective - it might be easier to study while doing IVF than to study with a young baby, so maybe trying to keep going with the study (if you feel you can), and getting it out of the way is a good thing

Good luck and wishing you lots of

[Chez67]

Hi Jules

I was in the same situation as you last year, having already been half way through the first semester of my masters when it became apparent that we were about to start our first IVF cycle. Looking back on it, I don't think it affected my study or vice versa, if anything the study helped to keep me distracted (I am a bit of a control freak at times!).

At the beginning of this year I was reflecting last year and trying to work out whether to defer for a semester and really put my heart and soul into another cycle or keep going with study. In the end, timing resulted in me continuing with study for a couple of reasons. Firstly I worked out that the earliest we start another cycle would Apri (it is now looking like May) because of waiting to see my FS, waiting to heal after my lap and timing with my period. Consequently, I would be most of my way through the first semester before even starting. Secondly, I didn't want to put everything on hold while trying to get pregnant. Too much of my life has been obsessed about it, to the point of lots of 'what if...' scenarios being entertained about everything, including holidays.

One wise person (thanks Slyder) said last year that you have to live your life even while doing IVF and I realised that I would regret deferring the masters so I am doing one subject, trying not to be wonder woman and not being manic about doing everything perfectly. Of course that is easier said than done, but in the end I want to keep doing what is important to me. We have given ourselves this year and if by the end of it we are not pregnant then at least I will be half way through my masters degree and will accomplished something!!

I hope you can work out what fits best with you.

Take care and good luck.
xx