Visiting a Fertility Clinic whilst Pregnant?

[TwinkleInMyEye2020]

Just wondering whether people would be OK with seeing an obviously pregnant woman in a fertility clinic waiting room? My old clinic offers additional services such as acupuncture which I may well continue to use. Ive asked them about it and they say this is fine. I don’t want to upset anyone though...

I personally wouldn’t have liked it during my treatment, particularly when I was there for follow ups after miscarriage etc.

My clinic allowed new mums to bring in their newborns and wait with everyone else during clinic hours which was grossly negligent of other’s feelings.

There are plenty of other places that could offer services like acupuncture, personally I think it would be more considerate to go elsewhere.

I appreciate that probably wasn’t the answer you wanted to hear 🙈

This is really tricky. I would really love to say go for it but I've had some awful experiences in the clinic, eg having scans then finding out I've had a miscarriage and if I then would have seen a very pregnant women in the waiting room I would have felt even worse. But it is up to you.

I think it's insensitive for noticeably pregnant women to attend clinics, or for families to bring small children along, and have found it distressing x

Please, please don’t. There will be people who will say they wouldn’t mind or that they’d like it as it would give them hope, but many people (myself included) would find it really upsetting and insensitive.

There may well be people in the waiting room having a particularly difficult time such as a failed cycle, miscarriage or who aren’t responding to IVF stims and seeing an obviously pregnant woman in the waiting room would be like rubbing salt into the wound.

There are plenty of other places offering the same additional services such as acupuncture and it would be much more considerate to go elsewhere.

Sorry this is not the answer you want to hear, but it would really bother me.

I think it’s totally fine, there are often pregnant women and/or children there when I go to see my gynaecologist, which is what you would expect really given that they don’t deal exclusively in infertility. Whilst fertility struggles are tough, one can’t expect to be shielded from the continuation of the human race entirely!

I would not have been ok with it, but I wouldn’t have said anything either to you or the clinic about it. It would have just made me sad.

A few years ago I went to see an osteopath who was based in the same clinic as a private obstetrician who did early scans, harmony tests etc. I happened to be struggling to conceive and I'll be honest it was really sh*t. And that was in an environment where it was entirely my issue. I think in a fertility clinic if I'd been seeing an obviously pregnant woman it would be pretty awful.

I think it’s totally fine, there are often pregnant women and/or children there when I go to see my gynaecologist, which is what you would expect really given that they don’t deal exclusively in infertility

That’s a different scenario to the one the OP has posted though. She’s posted about being a pregnant woman in a fertility clinic not in a general gynae clinic.

I wouldn’t have liked it and am surprised they let you wait in the waiting area with the other patients. When I got my BFP I was often grabbed on my way to the waiting area and seen early. The extra services (and toys for kids) for non-IVF patients were eventually demised too so I presume it may have harmed business too.

I am going to the gynae for ivf though so it’s effectively the same. Last time I was there for a follow up after bfn and the person before me had obviously had good news. I guess I just don’t see it as a zero sum game. If it’s in hospital you wouldn’t have the choice not to see pregnant people, much as in life generally :-/

I'd find if upsetting. Sorry.

I'd find it upsetting in an IVF clinic, yes

Could you have the first or last appointment of the day?

Not a big issue to me, I'd assume it was a fertility baby. But then it was my second child I was struggling to conceive.

My clinic recommends people continue to see them during pregnancy for extra monitoring scans etc, which I now do having been lucky enough that my treatment was successful. When I was TTC and there every other day there were often pregnant ladies, or couples with small children. I did find it tough but then I also found it tough seeing families out in the shopping centre etc too. For me I get a better standard of care from the clinic that knows my medical history (and extra risks) best.

Thanks for your views. The only issue with going elsewhere for things like acupuncture is that it means not being able to continue with practitioners you’ve built-up a relationship with over time. I’ll perhaps talk to them about it again and see if I can avoid the waiting room.

I’m pregnant with an ivf baby and I wouldn’t dream of going back to the clinic at the moment. It’s really bad seeing pregnant women when you’re having treatment. I also thought the people that took their children in where really off too. Xx

I think the clinic I went to time the appointment early so that fertility and pregnancy are separate. So they only do viability scans on a Wednesday afternoon, for example. Might be worth asking yours if they do the same.

Personally I would be fine with it and I think you are more than entitled to continue to use their services however I know a lot would struggle with it so maybe you could ask to sit somewhere quieter, it's likely they have an additional waiting area for situations like this and would be discreet about it. FWIW I work in an IVF clinic and had a baby from IVF too and I was always worrying about upsetting people, I would try to hide my bump wherever possible and would avoid the waiting area when I could.

I did also try to have a colleague tell people before their appointments that I was pregnant incase they preferred to book in with her instead

After 2 failed ivf cycles seeing someone with there baby in the waiting area tipped me over the edge. It literally made me have a panic attack and couldn't stop crying. I think it's quite insensitive tbh.

@TwinkleInMyEye2020

Acupuncture can be safely and professionally administered by someone other than your fertility practitioner, so that isn’t relevant here. From my experience and speaking to others, plenty of people have acupuncture at a different place to their fertility clinic with no issues whatsoever

Why are you so keen to go to this specific clinic for a general service?

@Eggcellent29 See above about continuing to see practitioners you’ve built-up a relationship with over a long period of time.

Actually certainly in my area there isn't that many acupuncturist who treat fertility issues.

Op I would continue to use the service. Might be worth asking if the have a separate waiting area or if you could wait in your car or something.
But really you can't be the first or last.

Re comments about taking a child to fertility clinics, sometimes it just can't be avoided. I certainly did try but issues with babysitters, the time factor to drop off and pick up. Meant a 15min appointment which with travel should have taken no more than 1hr was becoming a 3 hour long escapade.

Twinkle if you feel that's the best place for your treatment and you're comfortable then I think that decides it.
However the clinic just saying oh it's fine is pretty insensitive imo and they should find solutions like a PP said where the clinic kind of separated out pregnancy clinic and other appointments.

I have used 2 different fertility acupuncturists (the first one turned out to be not very nice!) neither through my former clinic but the clinic was so far that was also my preference.

I know everyone's different but it is difficult and I appreciate the sensitivity of staff like Lauren83.
At times when I was in the waiting room waiting to see if my cycle was about to be cancelled or having had bad news seeing a baby bump was the last thing I needed.
I still remember a couple coming out waving their scan picture in the waiting room. It stung a lot.
The fertility clinic is different than a shopping centre, you're going there for a scan with anxiety attached.

Teddybear they had toys. Holy moly!

Maximoo

@TwinkleInMyEye2020 Yes, I did see that comment. Don’t think I was clear - I understand that you have a relationship with these people, but plenty of acupuncturists are more than capable of treating pregnant women. You do not need to have a prior relationship in order to get the most out of the treatment. But, having said that, my opinion is built on visiting an acupuncturists separate from my clinic who was very good.

I think it’s clear we disagree, which is fine! It seems from this post most people who have answered your question would find it distressing in some way, but if you wish to go ahead anyway then that is entirely up to you! :)

I hope you enjoy the treatments and find them useful in supporting your pregnancy