When to stop or take a break

Many people start to feel emotionally spent after about two years of infertility treatment. The older the woman, the more urgency the couple may feel because of declining egg quality. Donor eggs remove the time pressure, but people can still feel as though their lives are on hold until they resolve their infertility. This can make it difficult to know when it's time to take a break or change treatment options.

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Some indications for taking a break from treatments may be if the couple's relationship is at risk, or when partners feel they have lost the sense of who they are, or their sense of humor. This may also be the point when other options--for example, adoption--may start to look more attractive than continuing fertility treatment.