8 replies to this topic

[melissa87]

My husband and I are very blessed because our beautiful daughter was born 3 months ago via c-section. Im recovering from it really well and am back to my ore-ivf weight. Im obviously going to be waiting a handful of months more for an fet to make her a sibling but at the same time I dont want to wait too long. I was just wondering if anyone had ivf or an fet after a c-section? If so how long did you wait ?

[Cotton]

I think they want your c section incision to heal for 18 months. Ask your obgyn. I know a woman who had IVF for her 1st, needed a c section because the baby was breech, thought she was infertile but became pregnant naturally very quickly with her 2nd, and she was an instant repeat c section. She also told me she had complications with infections with the 2nd. In addition, having a baby sucks a bunch of nutrients out of you and it takes months or even over a year to top them off to be in a good position for the next baby.

 

I asked my midwife after I'd given birth to my first how long to wait for the second, even in the face of infertility, and she said 12 months, and this was a vaginal birth. I respect her opinion. She has a PhD in immunology and is very evidence based.

 

Another thing: young toddlers are at the stage where they are unconfident walkers, they will fall and smack their head once or twice a day and demand you drop everything to comfort them. And they also try to kill themselves a couple times a day trying to fall down stairs, climb furniture, toddle into the street, mouth mystery objects. They also don't know to be gentle with babies and they will beat on their younger sibling. Developmentally its not good for them to share mom's attention with a newborn. I would take at least a year off unless you desperately need to return to work or something.

[CrisBelieve]

Congrats on the birth of your daughter!  I had a c-section when I had my twin girls back in December 2017.  We were anxious to get back on the train to try for one more baby shortly after.  I spoke with my RE who was also my OB at my 6 week post partum checkup and he said we could start trying again after a year.  We did another fresh cycle 15 months after the girls were born and it was a BFN.  I went back in June for an FET and am now 30 weeks pregnant with a boy.  I will be having another c-section.

 

My girls will be 27 months old when the baby is born.  I am not worried about them accepting the baby but I know it will be tough to get the rest needed to recover from a c-section while also having to care for 2 toddlers and a newborn.  My family will be helping out with caring for the girls for the first couple of weeks while I recover.   If you can get some help during the first 2-3 weeks, you will be ok!  Wishing you the best of luck!

[melissa87]

Thanks and congrats to you too! Ill just ask my ob and re and see what they say I transferred two embryo the first time. Did you do one or two after your twins ?

[girl12340987]

Hi Melissa - Congratulations on your daughter!
 

I too had a c-section with my DD, following a round of IVF. We started meeting with our RE to look into "what next" about 10 months after she was born. Our RE wanted to do a sonohysterograph (the saline ultrasound) to be sure there weren't any issues with scar tissue, before we proceeded. We did our first FET (a single transfer) around 12-13 months  after DD was born (and our second at 14 months.. a round of IVF at 18 months, another FET at 22 months which ended in miscarriage, and finally our most recent FET which I am 9 weeks pregnant from, at about 25 months). I think a lot depends on your body - how the incision healed - and if your hormones have settled well.

 

Much like CrisBelieve, I am a little nervous how our daughter will adjust - she will be about 33 months when this one is born, and is a very - hmmm - eager child? It has taken us a long time to teach her concepts like "gentle" with our cat, so we are relying on a lot of help for me and for her, too. We definitely took time to plan that part out, before beginning - DH will be taking parental leave, and be home for 3-4 months with me and the kids (I became a SAHM when DD was born). We are also having my parents come out and stay with us for a bit, right around the birth, since it will be a scheduled c-section, and might ask them to come again when DH goes back to work, to help with the transition. I think in the end, we're super excited - and I hope you will have a reason to be, too, when you start the process again! (Also, a little heads-up that may or may not apply - I was SHOCKED at how hard it was to go back into fertility treatments, mentally and emotionally. We were very lucky and got our BFP on our first round of IVF, but it was still a little PTSD-inducing going back to the clinic, even more so when conceiving a sibling proved to be so much harder.)

[melissa87]

Hi Melissa - Congratulations on your daughter!
 
I too had a c-section with my DD, following a round of IVF. We started meeting with our RE to look into "what next" about 10 months after she was born. Our RE wanted to do a sonohysterograph (the saline ultrasound) to be sure there weren't any issues with scar tissue, before we proceeded. We did our first FET (a single transfer) around 12-13 months  after DD was born (and our second at 14 months.. a round of IVF at 18 months, another FET at 22 months which ended in miscarriage, and finally our most recent FET which I am 9 weeks pregnant from, at about 25 months). I think a lot depends on your body - how the incision healed - and if your hormones have settled well.
 
Much like CrisBelieve, I am a little nervous how our daughter will adjust - she will be about 33 months when this one is born, and is a very - hmmm - eager child? It has taken us a long time to teach her concepts like "gentle" with our cat, so we are relying on a lot of help for me and for her, too. We definitely took time to plan that part out, before beginning - DH will be taking parental leave, and be home for 3-4 months with me and the kids (I became a SAHM when DD was born). We are also having my parents come out and stay with us for a bit, right around the birth, since it will be a scheduled c-section, and might ask them to come again when DH goes back to work, to help with the transition. I think in the end, we're super excited - and I hope you will have a reason to be, too, when you start the process again! (Also, a little heads-up that may or may not apply - I was SHOCKED at how hard it was to go back into fertility treatments, mentally and emotionally. We were very lucky and got our BFP on our first round of IVF, but it was still a little PTSD-inducing going back to the clinic, even more so when conceiving a sibling proved to be so much harder.)

Hey congrats to you too! Im sorry about it taking longer to conceive a sibling! Im pretty sure going back will be ptsd inducing. I am not sure how it could not be. Did they tell you that you were ready to try ten months after ? I get that it depends on the person but that makes me feel hopeful

[girl12340987]

It all worked out in the end, right?

I got the ok to do the sono at 10 months - as soon as that was done and clear, I got the ok to start the transfer process. Our schedule (we were away on vacation) meant the sono didnt happen till 11 months though, and then I had to wait for my day 1. I think I started transfer meds right around my daughters first birthday?

I had a pretty uncomplicated c section - I mean, it was an emerg c, but only because of DDs positioning, not a physical structural issue. And I healed really well, so that helped too I think.

Also - our clinic required us to go through the referral process again, since it had been more than a year since my last appointment with them. I wasnt prepared for that, and their wait list was about three months long. I was lucky that I had become friends with a staff member who snagged me a cancellation in a couple of weeks, but had I known I would have booked an appointment within the year just to discuss things and keep our file current, to avoid the potential wIt.

[HFLO]

I had a csection with my first and all my doctors were ok with doing a FET when baby was 6 months old. RE wanted me to stop breastfeeding prior to transfer so I pumped like crazy and froze a lot of milk, and did the FET when baby was 7 months old. Unfortunately I had a miscarriage and had to do another full IVF cycle after baby turned a year. Im now in third trimester with my second. Im glad I started right away though because Im older and weve had a lot of setbacks along the way.

[melissa87]

Congrats but sorry it took another cycle! I currently have a whole deep freezer of frozen milk and a crazy over supply. Im already starting to try to wean because I remember my re saying that I had to stop breastfeeding as well. Anyways Im really happy for you that you are pregnant with your babies sibling thats also super encouraging to me that you didnt have to wait long