Anyone who's been through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) will tell you about the huge costs, extensive medical intervention, and if they are lucky enough to be successful, how happy they are, but what if you go through all that and still come out the other side without a baby?

Talking about the toll on your mental health as a result of IVF is much more difficult for many people than discussing the physical or financial impacts, so what do those women who have tried desperately to conceive wish they'd known beforehand?

The Quicky speaks to a woman who went through years of IVF and a medical specialist to find out what prospective parents should know before they embark on this journey, and how to care for their mental wellbeing before, during and after, no matter what the outcome.

If you're looking for a no BS guide to assisted fertility, Mamamia's podcast Get Me Pregnant takes you through everything you need to know about assisted fertility including IVF, IUI, sperm and egg donation, surrogacy and egg freezing. Hosted by Leigh Campbell and Rachel Corbett.

CREDITS 

Host/Producer: Gemma Bath

Executive Producer: Siobhán Moran-McFarlane

Audio Producer: Ian Camilleri

Guests:

Alice Almeida - Founder and Managing Director The Amber Network who spent three years trying to conceive her first child through IVF which took a huge toll on her mental health, marriage and self-esteem, and then suffered from secondary infertility as well. You can read more about Alice's story here

Dr Karin Hammarberg - Senior Research Fellow in Global and Women's Health at Monash University, and a Registered Nurse with 20 years experience as clinical co-ordinator of IVF programs

Subscribe to The Quicky at... https://mamamia.com.au/the-quicky/

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