Taking the contraceptive pill is safe in 98% of cases while being used. Once they have been stopped they are no longer effective. Thus, in the following cycle after they have been stopped, pregnancy is possible. You should also remember that the Pill hormonally suppresses the mechanism which regulates ovary function. The time ovary function needs to recover varies from woman to woman and may be as long as 60 days. Therefore, I would suggest that you wait a little while for the ovaries to recover for you to have a period. If however the situation continues, please go and visit your doctor.

The incorporation of natural cycle IVF protocols has gained quite a lot of interest in recent years. In this procedure, we monitor the first half of the woman’s cycle without the use of any medication and we proceed end with egg collection when conditions are right to activate oocyte maturation. Fertilisation then takes place in the lab together with embryo transfer so as to gather a specific number of eggs and increase the chances of success. Though natural cycle IVF may sound attractive since no medication is used, we should not forget that it does have certain disadvantages. It is a procedure that needs time to get results, a fact that makes it both time consuming and often exhausting for the couple. Also, when medication is not used there is always the risk of us not having any eggs in the end or that we don’t get natural ovulation in time, often creating in the meantime a lot of stress for the couple. Natural cycle IVF is a useful tool but doesn’t suit everyone. A specialised reproductive gynaecologist can advise you if this will be appropriate for you and help you make the right decision.

Preimplantation screening is one of the tools we use in assisted reproduction to help couples who need it. It should however be carried out when there are specific indications and not on everyone without exception. Indeed, it is employed on couples with a hereditary disorder, so we can ascertain the condition of the embryos. In this case, a PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) is performed and embryos are tested for specific genetic disorders, such as thalassemia and cystic fibrosis. Thus, only the healthy embryos are transferred to the uterus. However, PGS can also be of help. Couples suffering from repeated miscarriages or failed IVF attempts, as well as women of an advanced reproductive age can benefit from checking embryos for chromosomal abnormalities. Our mission once again is to transfer only healthy embryos to increase the chances of success.