Questions from a PAIFer

whoberry · May 2014

Hi ladies! Hope all is well over here and that I will be joining you soon. I am a little less than 3 weeks from my due date and I had a couple of questions. For those who got pregnant through IF treatments and know the exact date they conceived, how accurate was your due date? I feel like I probably won't go that far over my due date since we know exactly when we conceived thanks to IVF, but that may just be wishful thinking.

Also, I am hoping to avoid a c-section for lots of reasons, but just recently realized that having a c-section could impact my future fertility. I guess I was just so focused on this pregnancy I wasn't thinking much about a possible second child. I had an ectopic before and I know that uterine surgery can increase the risk of having another one. We are also unexplained so have no idea what our problem is. For those of your that had a c-section, what did your RE say about it impacting your fertility afterwards?

Thanks in advance!

kmc84 · May 2014

I did not have a c section, so I can't help with that, but I'm confused by your question about the accuracy of due dates. If you did IVF, you know your exact due date with 100% accuracy already. Or are you asking when did we deliver compared to what our due date was?

Congratulations on being almost done!

ColleenS629 · May 2014

I didn't make it to my due date due to IUGR so I can't answer that part but I did have a c/s. My RE didn't say much about it. During my saline sono he did say he could barely see the scar and my OB had done a great job but that's all he said about it.

itsmevkb · May 2014

You should ask your doctor how long he/she will let you go past your due date, keeping in mind that you know the date of conception with 100% certainty. The reason due dates aren't accurate is because a.) they are based on a perfect 28 day cycle in which you get pregnant on day 14 and b.) babies don't know their due date and come out (most of the time) when they are ready.

My babies have all come early, and vaginally, so going past my due date or needing a cs has not been an issue. I, however, would not be comfortable going much past my due date. I know some docs and women are good with going a full two weeks, but for me, knowing exactly when I got pregnant, being older, and having had losses, I just would be too worried to go much past before wanting to be induced even if it increased my odds of having a c-section. For the vasty majority of women though that isn't an issue.

I had never heard about c-sections increasing the risk for tubal pregnancies but do know that repeated c-sections can be hard so if you were planning on having say four or more children that is something to discuss with your doctor. In the end though, the goal is always a healthy baby, so whatever makes that happen I tend to be good with.

nawlinsgrl · May 2014

I had an emergency c-section a few days before my due date (water broke, didn't progress all day, even on pitocin) for DD, who was an IVF baby. I was able to conceive DS about 5 months later on my first attempt at IVF. He was also a CS, due to AMA, time between births, and reason for initial CS. He came even earlier though, at 38w exactly. I went in for my check-up that morning and was 4cm dilated and fully effaced. A few hours later, we did the CS to avoid me going into full-blown labor, which my OB felt was imminent. Anyway, the bottom line is I had no problems with either pregnancy or birth.

ccam · May 2014

DS was conceived through IVF and I was induced at 41 weeks. He probably would have happily stayed put for even longer!

I also ended up with a c-section and there was never any mention from my RE or OB about it affecting my fertility. The only thing my OB did recommend was waiting a year to get pregnant and having no more than 3 c-sections.

mdiblasi10 · May 2014

I had an emergency c-section at 39w5d. The only thing my RE mentioned was the possibility of some scar tissue from the c-section and that was when we went back for treatment for number two and the four IUI's didn't work.

Good luck and best wishes for a smooth delivery

JBDamonM · May 2014

I did IVF and my little girl came 4 days early all on her own! My OB had said we could talk induction if I went 5 days late.

Never had a c section so no insight there.

Good luck!!

Mayzie15 · May 2014

DS is an IVF baby and I went into labor on his due date - which I hear doesn't happen often. I had 26 hours of labor so he missed his actual due date by three hours! We joke that he is going to be very punctual

I can't comment on the CS as I didn't have one. Good luck your almost there

Mrs.AmyDylan · May 2014

We did IVF and J came two weeks early at 38w due to my water breaking.

Do some research on how to avoid a c/s. I credit going the natural birth route and a birthing center since I didn't go into labor right away after my water broke.

A lot of avoiding a c/s is baby positioning, so if you can determine if your baby is head down and facing the right direction, you are more likely to be successful with a vaginal birth.

Consider hiring a doula if you are committed to a vaginal birth. She will help support you during labor and ask the right questions if a c/s is brought up.

Good luck!! See you on the other side of IF shortly!!!

Ruthie04 · May 2014

I had a c/s due to IUGR in both twins and concerns about Baby B's position (wildman flipped to the very end!). I have had issues with pelvic pain since having the boys and the docs suspect I have adhesions from the c/s (I'm assuming that's what you are referring to with concerns about future fertility). I haven't spoken to my RE about it, but my OB said a lap to clean out scar tissue would be an option. There's no real way to know for sure if the adhesions are there now, but she said I could take the risk with surgery if the pain was intense enough. She did warn that additional abdominal surgery can always mean more scar tissue.
We haven't started trying to TTC, so I really don't know how things will go down. I was also unexplained.

With all that being said, most women with c/s deliveries do not experience fertility problems after and I don't think we are any more likely to experience that particular fertility issue than any other woman because of our IF history( although, I don't know that for sure- just guessing). My SIL experienced complications from a vaginal delivery that resulted in secondary IF. With a c/s, it wouldn't have been an issue. I don't say this to freak you out at all (her complication was a total odd event and probably should have been caught by her OB earlier). I just don't want you to be completely freaked out about a c/s if something happens and the baby needs to come out immediately. A c/s can be a joyful and complication free experience for many families!

GL and congrats!

whoberry · May 2014

kmc84 said:

I did not have a c section, so I can't help with that, but I'm confused by your question about the accuracy of due dates. If you did IVF, you know your exact due date with 100% accuracy already. Or are you asking when did we deliver compared to what our due date was? Congratulations on being almost done!

This is exactly what I meant to ask. Sorry for the confusion!

whoberry · May 2014

Thanks for the info ladies! Sounds like even with a very certain due date it's still pretty easy to go past it. As for the c-section question I haven't done any research just assumed ute surgery = bad for fertility. I recall ute surgery being a risk factor for ectopic pregnancies when I looked into it before.

Fortunately I was told that LO is in optimal position for birth. I'm aiming for a med free vaginal delivery with a midwife practice at the local hospital with the lowest c-section rate in the region. The midwife group has an 80% success rate for med free births. I feel pretty confident that if I end up with a c-section at this hospital I will not question its necessity. Like many have said the ultimate goal is a healthy baby and if I end up with surgery that impacts my future fertility at least we were lucky enough to have one child!

VegasGal1978 · May 2014

I was induced at 38w3d. DD measured in track the whole way through so I think my due date was spot in. We conceived via IVF (single embryo).

Amazingly enough, no c-section here. I figured I was at high risk for one due to induction, gestational diabetics and expected large baby. Nope! Way wrong! I went the old fashioned way!

Mnerani · May 2014

ccam said:

DS was conceived through IVF and I was induced at 41 weeks. He probably would have happily stayed put for even longer!
I also ended up with a c-section and there was never any mention from my RE or OB about it affecting my fertility. The only thing my OB did recommend was waiting a year to get pregnant and having no more than 3 c-sections.

This.

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