Pregnancy After Infertility
A guide to what’s different and what’s next.
About The Book
Falling pregnant after a battle with infertility is a time to celebrate. Yet, when you’ve been infertile, things are very different. You might have extra health concerns and screening to face, and it’s likely that you’ll be a little more worried about your unborn baby’s health.
There’s every chance that you and your baby will be just fine, but your experiences will be unique. And while your pregnancy after infertility may be quite unique, you’re so not alone.
I’ve been where you are, and now, after triumphing over infertility, I’m a two-time mum with two beautiful children.
I wrote this book to share my hard-won experience and the research findings from experts in this field. My prior medical background sure came in handy. And now, my mission is to improve the care that expectant mothers and babies, before and after birth.
Learning from other’s experiences can help you to understand what your are currently feeling and what to expect during pregnancy and beyond.
You’ll receive loving guidance to support you through your pregnancy journey. And discover practical tools and strategies to help you handle the unique challenges that pregnancy after infertility can bring. Helping you not just to survive but thrive during this exciting time.
- Practical tools to give you the strength you need when faced with challenges.
- The confidence to ask the tough questions at specialist medical appointments.
- A birthing plan that caters to both safety and your own desires.
- Reassurance that you’re not alone.
What’s inside
Chapter 01
Why Me? The Infertility Lottery
Chapter 03
Breast Respect
Chapter 05
Sex, Drugs, And Rook n Roll
Chapter 07
Baby Bliss
Chapter 09
Heading Home… A Whole New World
Chapter 02
It Takes a Village to Support a New Mother
Chapter 04
Mama Bliss
Chapter 06
The Miracle of Birth
Chapter 08
Nourishing
Chapter 10
The CoCo Effect
Chapter 1: Why Me? The Infertility Lottery
Infertility causes
Now, please don’t think that having been on the contraceptive pill, which is a synthetic
hormone, not natural to the body is the only reason why some women suffer infertility. I can’t
guarantee that it is or is not! However, as Jeff Butterworth says, ‘the women’s body is sensitive
in so many ways’, and it was not necessarily designed to cope with today’s lifestyle.
Infertility can result from a cocktail of any of the following: genetics, medications, mineral
deficiencies, exposure to high levels of stress, ingestion of simple sugars, processed foods,
alcohol, cigarette smoke, environmental issues, and a sedentary lifestyle. It can be directly or
indirectly linked to issues such as tube blockages, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome
(PCOS), primary ovarian failure and auto-immune diseases, to name just a few.
Your health is determined by the chemical interactions that occur in your body, and what once
was an indirect non-hormonal effect can become a direct hormonal and or physical effect. Over
time, small hormonally based changes to bodily functions can become locked in place, and
sometimes this can result in irreversible physical changes (including changes to DNA). This
is one reason why many women never receive a full diagnosis for the cause of their infertility
– our individual biochemistries are unique, so there are so many possibilities. Genetic gene
variants for infertility are known now, but again are slow to become the normal process of
testing to find diagnosis of infertility – these should be mainstream….. yet again that’s another
story!
The advantages of the pill
In the earlier ‘My Story: The Beginning’ chapter, I shared that I suffer from polycystic ovarian
syndrome. PCOS sufferers naturally have increased male sex hormones (androgens –
specifically testosterone). Androgens wreak havoc on a woman’s body by reducing its ability
to release an egg from the ovaries (thus increasing infertility because there is no guarantee that
an egg will be released each month for fertilisation). Women struggling with PCOS may have
irregular menstruation, total cessation, or extremely heavy periods, so they are often prescribed
the pill to help reduce pain and chemically regulate their menstrual cycle. However, ultimately
this does not aid fertility.
Also, for sufferers of endometriosis, the pill can help to reduce debilitating cramps, heavy blood
flow and extra uterine cell growth. So, the pill can benefit many women, even if it doesn’t help
prevent infertility. As women we need to be open, positive towards each other, and understand
that we all have different needs, in relation to the medical advancement and creation of ‘the
pill’.
Chapters
Pages
Endometriosis is a painful condition in which the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) thickens and appears outside the uterus. The endometrium’s extra cells create lesions that stick to other pelvic area organs. Affected organs can include ovaries, the outside surface of the uterus, fallopian tubes, the bowel, the vulva, the bladder and the ureter. These adhesions can affect natural processes such as going to the toilet, ovulation and sexual intercourse.
About the author.
Natasha Hogan is an Infertility Advocate, Postpartum Doula, Speaker, Qualified Health Care Professional with over 20 years’ experience in the healthcare industry.
I am now combining my ‘medical head’ with valuable personal insights to show previously infertile mums (and mums-to-be) how to create an outrageously joy-filled journey ahead.
Offering Support that’s completely unique:
- Falling pregnant after infertility is not a common situation – and this book is the first, and the one and only, of its kind.
- Forget the general books on standard pregnancy scenarios, “Pregnancy After Infertility” will guide you with your specific journey and needs.
Natasha hogan