Community› The Bump Message Boards› Secondary IF
Secondary IF
New Discussion

Intro - Breastfeeding through IVF.......

dp21dp21 member
in Secondary IF
Hello everyone!

I have a beautiful DD conceived through IVF born Jan 2015.  She is 16 months now.  I have DOR and my hubby has low sperm count. We are a double whammy. 
Motherhood has been intense.  I work as a nurse and I'm in full-time graduate school to become a nurse practitioner, it's been a crazy year.  We are thinking about going through IVF again this summer when I have a nice break in school, be pregnant last year of grad school, and hopefully pop out second baby when done...figured it would be acceptable to take year off after graduation for baby before starting new career.  So I have a lot on my mind regarding baby, careers, etc.  I am turning 32 this month and with DOR we don't want to wait longer. 

So here is the dilemma.  I am still breastfeeding my 16 month old.  We had lots of breastfeeding struggles in the beginning and we finally have it going strong and I love and cherish my breastfeeding relationship.  It's one thing my body has done right.  I highly value our bf relationship and don't want to wean.  Have any of you breastfed through IVF?  What have your REs said?  We have our first appointment with RE this upcoming Tuesday. 

Here is a blog post that spells out my feelings exactly:  https://babydustdiaries.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/breastfeeding-through-fertility-treatments-ivf-and-fet/

Need help thinking through this.  Thanks in advance! 



image

Me: 30, DH: 32
My hx:  uterus/hormones normal Dx: low AMH 0.5 = poor ovarian reserve
hubby hx: low sperm count, poor motility, started on clomid, retest in May showed no improvement, will be on clomid another 3 months, another retest scheduled for August

Started IVF #1:  ~BFP Mentioned~
  • ER (Thursday April 17th, 3 precious eggs).
  • April 18th: Received news 2 out of 3 eggs fertilized!
  •  Planned 3dt: Easter day, transferred two 8B embryos and received pictures :)
  • BFP starting 8dp3dt 5/1 Beta #1: 87, 5/3 Beta #2 206 
  • 5/19 Heartbeat 123bpm
  • EDD 1/8/15


Report Reply to Post

Re: Intro - Breastfeeding through IVF.......

  • pdbirdpdbird member
    Welcome and Good luck! Sounds like you have a lot on your plate! I wasn't breastfeeding when I went through IVF, so I don't know the answer. I did try to go donate blood and they denied me due to all the drugs that I was on during IVF. I would def ask your your OB/GYN as you wouldn't want additional hormones passed through the milk to your DD. Just my thinking out loud. I think it's safe to say that if you don't know the answer, call the doctor to make sure. Keep us posted on what you decide! :)
    Me: 37 DH:41
    10/2009 - TTC#1 Stopped BCP! Let's DO this!
    1/2010 - BFP (Natural) --> 10/2010 - DS born! Yay!
    12/2010 - DH diagnosed with stage 3B testicular cancer. #cancersucks
    10/2011 - Complications with DH and lymph nodes in groin area removed. No longer able to ejaculate.
    1/2014 - TTC#2 - IUI#1. No luck. Findings: DH sperm did not survive freeze. RE recommends IVF with ICSI.
    3/2014 - IVF Cycle #1 Started BCP
    4/2014 - Lupron, Gonal-F, and Menopur
    5/7/2014 - ER day (25 eggs retrieved, 15 mature)
    5/10/2014 - 6 fertilized, 3 embryos frozen - one grade A and two Grade B. Plan was to grow out to blastocyst stage but rest of eggs arrested by day 3. Decided to freeze on day 3.
    2/9/2016 - FET #1 with Grade A (8 cell - 3 day embryo); 2/20 - Beta was <5. BFN.  :/ Waiting for period and start next FET.
    7/8/2016 - FET #2 with Grade B (8 cell - 3 day embryo), fingers crossed this one sticks. :)
    7/19 - Beta was 74. BFP!!!!; 7/21 - Beta was 182; 1st U/S on 8/2; 2nd U/S on 8/16 :)

    BabyFetus Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • LrkizzyLrkizzy member
    Lurker here, but a 2IF grad. I'm curious about this as well, as DH and I are considering TTC but I'm still BF. Our DS is 14 months now & I don't want to force him to wean, but we also want to TTC and have to go thru IUI due to MFI. @dp21 - what did your doctor say?
    Report Reply
  • cseley321cseley321 member
    I'd consult with your doctor. Some feel strongly against it.  Good luck to you guys though
    Report Reply
  • dp21dp21 member
    Hello all, I definitely was planning on consulting with doctor but was posting to mentally gear myself up for the news I was about to hear (which is what I expected, but was in denial about, I needed to wean).  We decided to wean over 6 days.  We were breastfeeding twice a day, we dropped a feed over 3 days then went on vacation without her to drop the morning feed ( a weekend away, 3 days).  She did fine without bf all weekend.  But since we got back, it has been really rough.  My child cries every single day to nurse, it's been 8 days since we last breastfed.  I've cried every day all week.  It just sucks.  My body can't get pregnant on its own but breastfeeding was the one thing we could do right and my child wasn't emotionally ready to wean.  I feel like infertility stole this away from us but now is the time for us to have a second child if we are going to do IVF again.  But anyway, lots of emotions right now and fears if we don't get pregnant, did I wean for nothing?  did I traumatize my child?  what if she is my only child and I ended my last bf relationship prematurely?  It's been really rough around here, trying to get through day by day.  Thanks for listening and hopefully this helps someone out there.  It is a 1000x harder than I expected emotionally.  
    image

    Me:     30, DH: 32
    My hx:  uterus/hormones normal Dx: low AMH 0.5 = poor ovarian reserve
    hubby hx: low sperm count, poor motility, started on clomid, retest in May showed no improvement, will be on clomid another 3 months, another retest scheduled for August

    Started IVF #1:  ~BFP Mentioned~
    • ER (Thursday April 17th, 3 precious eggs).
    • April 18th: Received news 2 out of 3 eggs fertilized!
    •  Planned 3dt: Easter day, transferred two 8B embryos and received pictures :)
    • BFP starting 8dp3dt 5/1 Beta #1: 87, 5/3 Beta #2 206 
    • 5/19 Heartbeat 123bpm
    • EDD 1/8/15


    Report Reply
  • FlamingemuFlamingemu member
    Don't be so hard on yourself. I promise, you did not traumatize your kid by weaning. She won't remember anything in a year. My 3 year old doesn't even remember BFing or pretty much anything from a year prior. I look at it this way, even if she is your only child, how will you know if you don't try.

    Kid #1 - 09/03/12
    Kid #2 - maybe???
    Diagnosed with Severe Ashermans 
    Hysteroscopy #10 - scar tissue grew back reblocking my right tube
    #11 or IVF with scarring still inside?
    1 lone embryo from September 2016 retreival, dx with Trisomy 16, starting fresh
    Report Reply
Sign In or Register to comment.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"