Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IVF has higher risk of ectopic and higher risk of C section.

I would make the decision based on whether or not I could manage another 2nd trimester termination.

What’s the source for this? Correlation doesn’t imply causation. There are infertility factors (age, weight, infertility causes, other health or anatomical issies) that would make one more susceptible to ectopic pregnancies or c sections to begin with.

DP. There is a slight increased risk of ectopic pregnancy from embryo transfers (I learned this the hard way), but I've never heard of an increased risk of c section tied solely to IVF and excluding other risk factors.
Anecdotal, small sample size, I know...but I was part of an infertility support group, with roughly 20 women who had gotten pregnant from IVF. Most of us had vaginal deliveries. The majority of those who had c sections had other risk factors (multiples, history of surgical removal of fibroids and endometriosis, etc). There was one lady who had a c section due to failure to progress during induction, and one who had a breech baby.

The increased C-section rate comes partially from moms tending to be older, but also partially because they want the baby out on the due date, which means more inductions. Also speaking from experience, conceived naturally, had a vaginal birth, followed by IVF pregnancy, failed induction, C-section with ongoing complications years later (80% due to medical negligence but that story would take 10 pages to explain). There is also an element of "precious baby" syndrome and women opting for elective Cs. There's other risks, abnormal placentation, subchorionic hemorrhage, several others. The risk to the infant is not fully elucidated. There are some differences, like more asthma in IVF pregnancies, but it is hard to say how much of that is due to the actual IVF and how much is due to the older mom/infertility factor. Long story short, IVF pregnancies *are* more medically complicated.

Overall 1 in 3 pregnancies end in a C, 1 in 2 of IVF pregnancies do. I really wish there was better informed consent. I was not aware of any of this before I learned it the hard way.

Most women going thru IVF, especially if multiple cycles and losses, are not hung up on the possibility of a C section. I just wanted to be able to take home a healthy baby. (I had 2 Cs, the 2nd by choice)

Anonymous wrote:Deciding on next steps and looking for advice. I (38F) have a daughter who just turned 3. She was born right before I turned 36 and was conceived naturally after being treated for an ectopic. Husband and I started trying for a second in fall of 2022, no luck until about a year later when we conceived in October 2023 on our second round of IUI. We had decided in advance that if three IUIs didn't work we would move on to IVF. So we were overjoyed when I got pregnant. Unfortunately we got abnormal NIPT results and confirmed via amniocentesis that the baby had full Trisomy 13. I had a D&E two weeks ago at 17 weeks.

In the immediate aftermath it seemed obvious that when I was cleared to try again we should go straight to IVF with PGT to avoid this happening again. Now that the dust has settled and I'm feeling a bit calmer, I wonder if it's worth trying IUI again. The more I think about the cost, time, and impact on my body, the less certain I feel about IVF. I understand that IVF can take a very long time and involve long periods of waiting, which I know will cause enormous stress. Part of me thinks maybe we should "roll the dice" again with IUI since we know I can get pregnant. And plenty of people have healthy babies after having to TFMR. But I turn 39 soon and if we were to have another trisomy pregnancy, I'd be heartbroken - and it'll set us back many months.

I feel like I know what the answer is and I'm just resisting it. What would you do? Alternatively, have you gone through a TFMR and then had a healthy subsequent pregnancy at advanced maternal age? I'd love to hear your story.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IVF has higher risk of ectopic and higher risk of C section.

I would make the decision based on whether or not I could manage another 2nd trimester termination.

What’s the source for this? Correlation doesn’t imply causation. There are infertility factors (age, weight, infertility causes, other health or anatomical issies) that would make one more susceptible to ectopic pregnancies or c sections to begin with.

DP. There is a slight increased risk of ectopic pregnancy from embryo transfers (I learned this the hard way), but I've never heard of an increased risk of c section tied solely to IVF and excluding other risk factors.
Anecdotal, small sample size, I know...but I was part of an infertility support group, with roughly 20 women who had gotten pregnant from IVF. Most of us had vaginal deliveries. The majority of those who had c sections had other risk factors (multiples, history of surgical removal of fibroids and endometriosis, etc). There was one lady who had a c section due to failure to progress during induction, and one who had a breech baby.

The increased C-section rate comes partially from moms tending to be older, but also partially because they want the baby out on the due date, which means more inductions. Also speaking from experience, conceived naturally, had a vaginal birth, followed by IVF pregnancy, failed induction, C-section with ongoing complications years later (80% due to medical negligence but that story would take 10 pages to explain). There is also an element of "precious baby" syndrome and women opting for elective Cs. There's other risks, abnormal placentation, subchorionic hemorrhage, several others. The risk to the infant is not fully elucidated. There are some differences, like more asthma in IVF pregnancies, but it is hard to say how much of that is due to the actual IVF and how much is due to the older mom/infertility factor. Long story short, IVF pregnancies *are* more medically complicated.

Overall 1 in 3 pregnancies end in a C, 1 in 2 of IVF pregnancies do. I really wish there was better informed consent. I was not aware of any of this before I learned it the hard way.

Most women going thru IVF, especially if multiple cycles and losses, are not hung up on the possibility of a C section. I just wanted to be able to take home a healthy baby. (I had 2 Cs, the 2nd by choice)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IVF has higher risk of ectopic and higher risk of C section.

I would make the decision based on whether or not I could manage another 2nd trimester termination.

What’s the source for this? Correlation doesn’t imply causation. There are infertility factors (age, weight, infertility causes, other health or anatomical issies) that would make one more susceptible to ectopic pregnancies or c sections to begin with.

DP. There is a slight increased risk of ectopic pregnancy from embryo transfers (I learned this the hard way), but I've never heard of an increased risk of c section tied solely to IVF and excluding other risk factors.
Anecdotal, small sample size, I know...but I was part of an infertility support group, with roughly 20 women who had gotten pregnant from IVF. Most of us had vaginal deliveries. The majority of those who had c sections had other risk factors (multiples, history of surgical removal of fibroids and endometriosis, etc). There was one lady who had a c section due to failure to progress during induction, and one who had a breech baby.

The increased C-section rate comes partially from moms tending to be older, but also partially because they want the baby out on the due date, which means more inductions. Also speaking from experience, conceived naturally, had a vaginal birth, followed by IVF pregnancy, failed induction, C-section with ongoing complications years later (80% due to medical negligence but that story would take 10 pages to explain). There is also an element of "precious baby" syndrome and women opting for elective Cs. There's other risks, abnormal placentation, subchorionic hemorrhage, several others. The risk to the infant is not fully elucidated. There are some differences, like more asthma in IVF pregnancies, but it is hard to say how much of that is due to the actual IVF and how much is due to the older mom/infertility factor. Long story short, IVF pregnancies *are* more medically complicated.

Overall 1 in 3 pregnancies end in a C, 1 in 2 of IVF pregnancies do. I really wish there was better informed consent. I was not aware of any of this before I learned it the hard way.

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, I know it has been a few months since you posted, but just another mom who experienced a baby with Trisomy (T18 in my case). First, I just want to say how sorry I am for your loss. It still guts me a year later. We worked with an excellent MFM and genetics counselor (Dr. Kelly at VHC) in the course of the testing they were able to say that it was not inheritable and therefor unlikely to occur again in a future pregnancy given the extreme unlikelihood of it having happened in the first place. I was 42yo when it happened with a previous healthy straight forward pregnancy behind me at 38yo and they suggested that IVF would potentially be the way to short cut the line for blighted ovums, or other testable reasons that would make it more likely for a pregnancy to fail. We (more so my DH) did not have the emotional strength against the ticking clock of being older to try again, so I don’t have a happy ending to tell you. I do wish you the best of luck with whatever you choose and no that you are not alone in this lonely experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IVF has higher risk of ectopic and higher risk of C section.

I would make the decision based on whether or not I could manage another 2nd trimester termination.

What’s the source for this? Correlation doesn’t imply causation. There are infertility factors (age, weight, infertility causes, other health or anatomical issies) that would make one more susceptible to ectopic pregnancies or c sections to begin with.

DP. There is a slight increased risk of ectopic pregnancy from embryo transfers (I learned this the hard way), but I've never heard of an increased risk of c section tied solely to IVF and excluding other risk factors.
Anecdotal, small sample size, I know...but I was part of an infertility support group, with roughly 20 women who had gotten pregnant from IVF. Most of us had vaginal deliveries. The majority of those who had c sections had other risk factors (multiples, history of surgical removal of fibroids and endometriosis, etc). There was one lady who had a c section due to failure to progress during induction, and one who had a breech baby.