If you have had to go through any kind of medical intervention to successfully conceive - IVF or any other form of assisted conception - you may feel that your pregnancy is going to involve more medical appointments than another woman's might do. However, that is far from neccessarily the case.
Medical care for pregnancy from IVF
There is no reason why your pregnancy should not develop just as a regular conception and pregnancy might. For starters, check out the I'm pregnant, what now? article on ThinkBaby and keep in touch with the forums and well being articles so that you feel on top of your pregnancy.
It is very possible that you will feel the pressure is on you more, because you have had to try harder in some ways, in order to get pregnant in the first place, but the health of your baby and your pregnancy should not be affected by having gone through the process.
Possible extra risks
The HFEA who regulate fertility clinics and the fertility treatment process in the UK, do acknowledge there is slightly higher incidence of miscarriage in pregnancies from assisted conception. However, they believe this is mostly down to the fact that a woman who is confirmed pregnant from this method is more likely to be aware of the pregnancy much earlier than a woman who has not been treated. Miscarriage is most common in early pregnancy and therefore it is possible that other women are experiencing early miscarriage but thinking it is a heavy period, and it is not being logged as a miscarriage through natural conception.
The main risks may come from the condition which originally hindered natural conception. For example, if you have blocked or damaged fallopian tubes this can cause an ectopic pregnancy. Ultrasound scans can help check for this condition or an ectopic pregnancy.
When you might be more closely monitored
If you have a history of miscarriage or stillbirth, then you may be seen more regularly by a specialist during your pregnancy. This would often be the case for a pregnancy via natural conception too, if you have this history.
If you are expecting more than one baby you will probably be monitored more closely than in a regular pregnancy. Check out our article on being pregnant with twins for more.
If you went through assisted conception treatment because you were trying for a baby and are relatively old (over 35), you may be more closely monitored for your own health (blood pressure, gestational diabetes etc) and for the health of the fetus. There is nothing to unduly worry about, but regular monitoring is a wise move.
If your general health has been compromised by your treatment in any way (though this is rare) or you have an ongoing condition with which originally led you to take the assisted conception route, you may be required to see a doctor or specialist a little more regularly than a woman going through a regular pregnancy. This is purely a precaution for most women.
