Pregnant After IVF: What Happens Next? With Dr Scott Shemer
A positive pregnancy test after IVF can bring enormous joy, but it can also open the door to an entirely new set of questions and anxieties.
Is every IVF pregnancy considered high risk? Will you need additional monitoring? Does conceiving through assisted reproduction affect how or when you give birth? And how can you manage the fear that often follows infertility or pregnancy loss?
In this episode of Knocked Up, fertility specialist Dr Raelia Lew speaks with Melbourne obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Scott Shemer about what happens after the long-awaited positive pregnancy test.
Together, they explore the transition from fertility treatment to obstetric care and explain why pregnancy after IVF should never be approached with a one-size-fits-all label. Dr Shemer discusses the factors that may influence pregnancy risk, including maternal age, existing medical conditions, multiple pregnancy and the reason IVF was required.
They also unpack birth choices after IVF, including induction, planned caesarean section and spontaneous labour, and why there is no single “right” way to give birth.
The conversation also covers twin pregnancies, miscarriage, recurrent pregnancy loss and the heightened anxiety that can accompany pregnancy after infertility. Dr Shemer explains the very real experience of “scanxiety”, when reassurance after an ultrasound gradually gives way to fear before the next appointment, and how personalised monitoring and mental health support can help.
In this episode:
Is an IVF pregnancy automatically considered high risk?
The factors that may increase pregnancy complications after IVF
Moving from a fertility specialist to an obstetrician
Why preconception care with an obstetrician can be valuable
Private and public maternity care options
Private health insurance and pregnancy cover
Induction, caesarean section and vaginal birth after IVF
Twin pregnancies following single or double embryo transfer
How different types of twins affect pregnancy monitoring
Pregnancy loss and recurrent miscarriage investigations
When it may be physically and emotionally appropriate to try again
Managing pregnancy after miscarriage
“Scanxiety” and the need for additional reassurance
Why home Doppler monitoring can provide false reassurance
Perinatal anxiety, depression and mental health support
The importance of personalised, compassionate pregnancy care
Dr Scott Shemer is a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist based at Epworth Freemasons Hospital in Melbourne. His practice provides evidence-based, inclusive and highly personalised care from preconception through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. Dr Shemer also brings a personal understanding of the fertility journey, having experienced IVF with his own family.
Connect with Dr Scott Shemer
Connect with Dr Raelia Lew and Women’s Health Melbourne
Knocked Up Producer: Jess Clark @clark_collective_
Episode sponsor:
This episode is sponsored by Ellechemy, an Australian-made, gynaecologist-designed intimate lubricant and skincare range co-founded by Dr Raelia Lew.
Follow Knocked Up on Instagram and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube for more evidence-based conversations about fertility, IVF, pregnancy and women’s health.
This podcast is intended for general education only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Speak with your healthcare professional about your individual circumstances.
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