Thinking about trying IVF again, how did you know it was time?

HopingForMyFirstBaby

Intro...  My husband and I started trying to conceive on my 26th birthday.  We tried for almost a year and then got the news that my husband had MFI.  We were young and broke since we had just bought a home and started our own business (commission only) so we had to save up for the IVF ($25k total for the 3 cycle package our clinic offered).  We worked our buns off, made the money and after two rounds we finally got our positive pregnancy test 4 years after we first started trying!  Best 29th birthday gift ever!

Our son was born in November and he is everything we were hoping for and more!  Before I ever knew we would fight with infertility, I wanted 3-4 children but that obviously changed.  I'm thrilled that we have one child, and I'm so thankful that we were able to conceive and that we have a happy healthy child.  I just keep coming back to the idea of giving him a sibling...  My son just turned 4 months old, I know it's really early to start thinking about this again but I can't shake it.  I'm turning 30 next week, and I know I have some time but I also know it gets harder every year that goes by.  

Did any of you ladies try to go for #2 quickly after #1?  I'm thinking about trying again about the time that my son turns 1, which means I would be done breastfeeding and I think my body would be ready.  I really don't know though, I haven't called the clinic yet to find out what their suggestion would be on minimum amount of time in between.  The cost won't be as hard this time, but I am not looking forward to all the pain of the injections and the hope/possible disappointment.  I was just hoping to hear what your experiences have been like.  Thanks for the support!

Mrs.AmyDylan

Welcome and congrats on your DS!

We cycled back in February and I'm currently 7w. DD is just over two. J will still be two when this baby arrives. How did I know it was time?I'm 36 and the window is closing for me. We are unexplained, so we kept trying and hoping for the best.  We kept waiting to cycle again for a few reasons, first was just hoping it would happen (wishful thinking) and second because J is an avid breastfeeder. Weaning was horrible and it lasted all of 10 days until after the ER.

We decided that if this cycle didn't work out, we would be happy with one. Good luck with your decision!

CarrieB.

We had one frostie left from our original fresh cycle. I cycled when DD1 was 22 months. I BF her for 14 mos and then had a little time off. The kids are 2 1/2 years a part. I would not have wanted to space them any closer and if I hadn't been trying to get pg with the second before I turned 35, I probably would have spaced them further apart. Having a toddler and a newborn is really hard.

Grateful&Thankful

I'm following because I'm in the same boat. I'd love to give ds a sibling but it took us soooo long to even get him. I'm getting up there in age too so I don't have the luxury of waiting a couple of years. Ideally, I'd just like to enjoy ds for a while but I feel like the clock is ticking. 

mnj05

We had to do IVF all over again the second time since we didn't have any embryos freeze the first time. We had to save but are able to so quickly with DH's side work. We wanted our kids 2-3 years apart, assuming we could give H a sibling. We started saving just after H turned one and did our IVF in August, FET in October. I'm due July 3 which means my boys will be 2 years, 4 months apart.

I just turned 29 so age hasn't been a huge factor for me. We are still deciding on a third baby and of course won't make that decision for a couple of years, but we know we will want to transfer one of our frosties when this second one is two or shortly after. For us, the decision was made based on how close in age we wanted our kids. We knew it wasn't a given but we made reasonable time limits so to speak.

1983Lindsey2

Welcome and congrats on your son! I just had a son in September. I am in the same boat about already thinking about a second, and we just made an appointment for an IVF consult for June 10 to get the process started for #2. I am hoping to cycle in August or September when my son would be about a year old. I have always wanted 2 and would like them close together.

KDR1979

You are still young, your eggs are probably good (did you get a decent amount of eggs and fert rates?). I wouldn't feel too rushed. My clinic makes you wait a full 3 months after weaning to cycle again. Just remember, there is a decent chance of twins with IVF...you could end up with 3 kids under 2 years old! I think I would wait until the baby is 12-18 months old. I got my positive test finally around my 32nd birthday and our diagnosis was abnormal sperm morphology as well.

SharonB222

How did I know when I was ready?  When I was getting more sleep!  

I would have wanted my kids 3+ years apart, but also was concerned about the time for TTC#2 (and my age).  Although I was EBF, AF arrived 5mos pp and we was NTNP from then on (BFN as mostly expected).  When DD was 16 mos she stopped BFing and we had our FET consult; FET was when DD was 19 mos old.  I expected we'd have to do a few cycles (since TTC#1 was 7 yrs, 100+ cycles), but are "luck changed" and DS was born (when DD was 2yrs 4mos).

FX for you!!!

jesselayne8

I didn't do IVF but we went back to the RE to do IUI when my first child was 8.5 months old. We had to wait until At least 6 months post partum and 30 days post weaning. I love having my kids 17 months apart.
I really think a lot depends on the temperament of your first child. If I had had DS first then my Kids wouldn't be so close together. He was a high maintenance baby and didn't STTN until He was 11 months.

HopingForMyFirstBaby

Thank you so much for the replies ladies! I am new to all of this and was expecting to get an email or something notifying me that I had a comment but never got anything so I checked back today and saw all of this so I really appreciate it! Your thoughts on timeframe of weaning (DS is 5 moths and still BFing) and how much time it can take to work, plus the thoughts of twins, getting sleep at night, really everything is good to think about.

Thank you, it's amazing talking to you ladies vs all my Mommy friends who didn't have IF problems, you ladies know that we can't just hope for the best. We have to work for it and think things through, consider worst case scenario, etc. Having "friends" to talk to who know what this is all about is so helpful and encouraging.

I really hope we can do this again, and I really hope it works again but regardless I'm SO thankful for my DS! I know you all know what that feels like! We worked our asses off, went through hell and back and we got what we were hoping for, thank goodness!!!

HopingForMyFirstBaby

Meanwhile, I just looked at my siggy, it's a little outdated since I'm 30 now haha! Anyone know how I can update it? I forget!

AnnaLynnKingston

Congrats!

My husband and I knew within weeks of holding our little one that we wanted to try again. We were lucky and had success after one cycle (male factor infertility) and ended up with an additional six embryos to be frozen.

Our daughter was ten weeks old when we headed back to the fertility specialist. I had already had my first period and my breasts had already stopped producing (baby never latched and pumping was not effective to stimulate production) so the doctor felt it was good to move forward. I will begin hormones after a saline ultrasound and my next period. If all goes according to plan, baby will be four months when the new embryo is transferred.

auntjessy

Congrats! My twins are 15 months and I'm scheduled for an FET Aug 7th. Do what feels right for you and your family. Having gone through newborn twins, having one while another one is a year old or more seems like a breeze.

auntjessy

PS - the chance of twins is *mostly* how many embryos you put back. We put in two, got two. Transferring one at a time this time.