How to Balance Work and Fertility Treatment

One aspect of fertility treatments that many patients can overlook is the time commitment. It can often be difficult to balance doctor appointments, fertility treatment schedules, personal life, and a full-time job all at once. This article can provide strategies that you can use to help juggle all of your commitments for your particular situation and fertility treatment.

Balancing Work and Timed Intercourse
Timed intercourse is one of the first options couples turn to in order to optimize their chances of pregnancy. This strategy entails carefully planned-out sexual intercourse during the 4-6 days of a woman’s “fertile window.” Having intercourse during the fertile window, which is about 5 days before and 24 hours after a woman ovulates, can greatly increase chances of conception. Trying more frequently during this time can give higher chances of success.

Because the fertile window only lasts 4-6 days, the logistics of timed intercourse could possibly involve adjusting work schedules so both partners can be together during this time. This might entail passing up a business trip or adding intercourse into one’s schedule to ensure that both partners are making time for it. Since it can be difficult for a woman to know exactly when she is ovulating, using an ovulation tracker or predictor kit can provide a better idea of when couples should be having intercourse.

Balancing Work and IUI
The next most rigorous fertility treatment approach is intrauterine insemination (IUI), commonly known as artificial insemination. For IUI treatment paired with oral medications like Clomid or Letrozole, a woman will typically see her doctor on the third day of her menstrual cycle and return back to her clinic a week later for testing. A few days after, she will have the IUI procedure performed.

Timing is critical in IUI. Patients should avoid scheduling travel or significant work commitments that may conflict with clinic appointments or the IUI procedure. The procedure itself is generally painless, allowing most women to return to work the same day.

Success rates are higher when fresh sperm is provided on the day of treatment rather than using frozen sperm. This might require planning treatment and work schedules collaboratively between partners. However, freezing sperm in advance as a backup can be a helpful precaution.

Balancing Work and IVF
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most intensive fertility treatment. It begins with a woman injecting herself with hormones every night for 2 to 3 weeks, requiring frequent morning clinic visits. These appointments make business travel nearly impossible. Patients are advised to keep mornings light at work by scheduling meetings later in the day.

Once a doctor determines that the eggs are ready, the woman is injected with a “trigger shot,” followed by egg retrieval surgery 36 hours later. The timing of this step is crucial, and patients should not schedule any work commitments during this period. Recovery from egg retrieval surgery can take a day or up to a week.

After retrieval, patients will have phone consultations with their doctors about embryo development, which may require flexibility in their work schedules. Embryos are then transferred to the uterus, which can happen days or months after retrieval. Patients often find the days following transfer emotionally challenging as they wait for a positive pregnancy test.

Navigating Fertility Treatments at Work
If you are not comfortable sharing details of your fertility treatment with your employer, you can inform them that you have important, non-life-threatening medical appointments. This can reduce stress and provide a sound explanation for arriving late to work on specific days.

Regardless of workplace challenges, prioritize your physical and emotional health by scheduling self-care, pulling back on extra commitments, and having a support system to help you through the difficulties of fertility treatments.

Kristyn Hodgdon
Co-Founder & Chief Community Officer at Rescripted; former Founder & CEO of The Fertility Tribe. Fierce infertility advocate and mother of IVF twins. Writer, editor, and voracious reader.