|
An important question to every woman who wants to get pregnant and who is being treated with chemotherapy, is to which extent that therapy will challenge or prevent her from getting pregnant. Chemotherapy can negatively influence conception. Yet, it is true that the effect of chemotherapy is only temporary and that after the treatment, one can usually get pregnant again.
How can chemotherapy influence your chances of getting pregnant and for how long?
This cancer therapy does not always reduce the possibility of getting pregnant. However, it can influence the ovaries’ functioning. That may be only temporary, but a permanent disorder may come about as well. The decisive factor which causes damage to the ovaries is the sort of medication which is being used and the dosage in which it is administered. The higher the dosage, the more likely the damage will be complete and as a result it is almost impossible to get pregnant. It is typical that especially younger women experience a temporary infertility, while older women usually stay sterile after the treatment.
Chemotherapy may lead to temporary infertility. With a low dosage, you will still be able to get pregnant after the therapy, but not during. In that case you may suffer from amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation) or a very irregular menstruation. Should you want to get pregnant, after you have had chemo, it is best to wait at least 6 to 12 months, until your menstrual cycle has gotten back to normal and your chances of getting pregnant have increased again. Such temporary infertility does not occur with every woman, only one out of three treated women has to deal with that problem.
In certain cases, menstruation stops during chemotherapy, but the ovaries still release egg cells. That is why the chance of getting pregnant during the treatment is quite real. However, it is not advisable to get pregnant during that period, since the medication would have a detrimental effect on the fetus’ development.
Generally, doctors advise not to get pregnant during the first two years after the treatment, since during those first two years the chances of a relapse are the highest. If you have a relapse and you are pregnant, it is very difficult to adopt chemotherapy without harming the baby. Should you want to get pregnant, it is therefore better for the future baby to wait two years.
If you want to get pregnant, Bach flowers can provide help. Should you want to know more, click “getting pregnant”.
|
