When a couple have difficulty conceiving a baby and ­decide to try IVF, the ­natural assumption is that they will be unable to conceive ­naturally in the future.

This is wrong, as research shows around one in five women who need fertility treatment to conceive their first child are likely to get pregnant naturally thereafter.

Research by University College London has analysed data from 11 studies of over 5,000 women around the world between 1980 and 2021 to evaluate how common it is to get pregnant naturally after having a baby conceived by fertility treatment.

Results show that the one in five who do conceive naturally after having had a baby using fertility treatment often do so within three years.

Infertility is defined as the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. This affects one in seven heterosexual couples.

However, not all women undergoing fertility treatment are absolutely or permanently infertile. And half of couples who struggle to conceive naturally in the first year of trying will go on to do so in the second year.

The researchers wanted to show it’s not unusual for a woman to get pregnant naturally after fertility treatment and to warn couples they might become pregnant again quickly or when they aren’t ready – which could be problematic for both the health of the mother and child.

Lead author UCL’s Dr Annette Thwaites said: “Our findings suggest that natural pregnancy after having a baby by IVF is far from rare.

“This is in contrast with widely held views – by women and health ­professionals – and those commonly expressed in the media, that it is a highly unlikely event.”

So, it’s important for those who have had successful IVF to know how likely they are to conceive naturally afterwards.

IVF was first used in 1978 and now more than 10 million babies ­worldwide have been born using the treatment – equating to between 1% and 6% of all babies born each year in the ­developed world by 2020.

The knowledge that it is possible to get pregnant naturally having had an IVF baby will help people considering their options.

Dr Thwaites said: “Knowing what is possible would empower women to plan their families and make informed choices regarding further fertility treatment and/or contraception.”