Does IVF with first baby mean IVF with second baby?

[me4ever]

Hi all,
Just curious, after 4 years of ttc thanks to IVF we have been blessed with a beautiful baby boy, who is 6 months old now. We have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility.
Now I'm wondering if we ever want to try for another baby (we have 5 frozen embies still), do we first try for half a year or year naturally (depending if I'm 35 by then?!) and then ask for a referral? Or do we go for a referral straight away.
Any of you blessed with a natural pregnancy after IVF? Or needed more IVF cycles?

[Saffy]

If you think you can wait 6months I would try naturally, but depends on your age and desperation to get pregnant at the time I suppose. Would be annoying to pay for FET if you were able to get pregnant naturally. I always hear of people getting pregnant by themselves after IVF (or everyone feels the need to tell me about it, and presumes that I will now get pregnant accidentally- fat chance!!)

I know I can get pregnant naturally as I had 2 pregnancies pre IVF, but at my age I doubt I could now and also my frozen embryo is from a 39yo body whereas my eggs now are from a 41 year old body so that is something to to my about too.

You would need a new referral as they run out after a year I think or just ring the Fs office and check.

I probably wouldn't try for a year without help esp if you are in your late 30s, maybe see how you go after a couple of months and if it is stressing you out too much, go the emblems, nice to have 5 waiting for you, well done!

[Bloom]

We had male factor infertility and were told that my DH's sperm count was similar to someone who had a vasectomy, so we had a very small chance of failing pregnant naturally. After DS1 was born we didn't use any contraception and accepted that we might have a small age gap if we did have a miracle. So we'd be having unprotected DTD for about 1 year when we started IVF that led to DS2. Again, we didn't use contraception and we were delighted/excited/freaked out to conceive DD naturally when DS2 was 9 months.

ATM we are roughly avoiding DTD near ovulation, but we are planning on properly "trying" naturally soon for number 4. We know we have a fairly small chance of having another natural pregnancy but we are willing to try for a year or two or three. We probably wouldn't do IVF again though, because of the cost, the toll on my body and also we aren't willing to discard any embryos (every embie gets a go!) but we don't want a zillion children.

[Lenny]

I love the lucky stories!
We were the same as you TTC for 4 years. But ours was endo and and couple of other little things - not unexplained.
I bf Ds1 and didn't get cycles back until I weaned him. We didn't use protection, but I really didn't feel I could cope with the disappointment and waiting and ups and downs. Then we decided to do a frostie trf as they weren't as expensive back then. DS 2 was conceived first time. Which amazed us all.

[myturn]

I am Soooo hoping for a miraculous natural "freebie" sometime next year!

Which probably means I won't be so lucky.... Sigh....

I know.... I should probably "get through" having my first.....first

It's probably worth asking the FS or your GP what they think.....? But I reckon I'd go for six months trying ourselves first too, if I was under 35. But I wouldn't go back on any contraception either so, in a way we will be trying from the day we start DTD postpartum Even if it's not actively trying.

[Lily Dust]

Little different here..... 5 years of IVF for unexplained infertility, still no baby, finally fall pregnant on IVF break, miscarry, fall pregnant again resulting in DD. Attempt TTC bub #2, pregnant first month. Unexplained infertility can really blow your mind in every way

I always hear of people getting pregnant by themselves after IVF (or everyone feels the need to tell me about it, and presumes that I will now get pregnant accidentally- fat chance!!)

I hated these stories going through IVF and tbh I never told anyone for a long time that DD wasn't from IVF. I think by the 8th persons stupidity of 'oh well, you wont have it until X date because you know the exact date it went in' I kinda gave up

[Taurean]

One of my best friends has two DDs - the first was IVF due to unexplained infertility (the specialists were pretty sure it was male factor though) and her DD2 was a totally natural conception, completely unexpected, one-in-a-million bub It still gives me goose bumps thinking about it.

I hope you have the same luck. All the best

[onthefly]

I think we've all heard stories of it happening. It certainly does, sometimes, and if you're 'unexplained' it's probably somewhat more likely, all else being equal.
It's annoying, though, when you're in the thick of it because the truth is, depending on your circumstances a much more likely outcome is no baby at all
Anyway, good luck!

[MummyNaomi]

My two are IVF bubs ( make factor), most of my IVF friends kids are all IVF. However my bridesmaid (female factor) first son was IVF, she's had 5 miscarriages since and endless failed cycles and amazingly now has DS2 - a natural surprise!

[thirdtimelucky77]

I agree with everyone else Even though there are a few different opinions!

My first two babies were naturally conceived, so we didn't expect any problems conceiving number 3. Two years later and no luck we reverted to IVF. Fell pg with the first FET (I couldn't have a fresh transfer due to OHSS). That single transfer resulted in identical twins.

Recently we decided we wanted a final baby to complete our family. We have been DTD unprotected - since the the twins were born (and I guess actively cycle tracking for the last 6 months) - with no luck. We still had 7 embryos in the freezer from our original IVF cycle, so had a transfer in early April and I am now about 8 weeks pg (sorry just realized I am not exactly sure of how many weeks / days)...

Anyway, given that you had been trying for 4 years prior to falling pg via IVF, it's possible / probably you may not conceive og naturally? However, we all hear the amazing success stories, so can never say never to it happening naturally! Given that you have 5 embryos in the freezer - if it was me I would probably want to use them (I wish I could give my 6 remaining embies a go but this will be our fifth and final bubba)... Obviously, there is a cost involved with a FET etc - so no harm in trying naturally for 6 months if you are willing to wait that long... I probably wouldn't let it go much beyond 6 months, before going for IVF, but it depends on what kind of gap you want between your kids?

I'm not sure which clinic your with but I notice your in Perth - re the referral, for this cycle I basically rang my FS rooms and said I wanted todo a FET and they contacted my clinic and then the clinic called me and arranged for me to go in and meet with a coordinator, at that appointment they gave me a new consent form for DH and I to sign saying we both consented to a FET - but we didn't need a new referral for the clinic - and actually, now I'm thinking about it, I didn't need a new referral for my FS? So you may just be able to call your clinic and they will contact your FS or maybe the other way around... The point I'm trying to make (not very well is that because you already have frozen embies - you may not need a new referral? I did have to do the HIV Screening BT's again and once they had the signed consent forms they told me just to call on CD1 - in the month I wanted to do a FET. This ended up being 5 months after we actually completed the consent forms.....

Good luck with whatever you decide and I hope you get your second bubba sooner rather than later.

PS Myturn - I LOvE the fact you are already planning bubba number 2! Your a woman on a mission

Xx

[me4ever]

Thanks so much everyone for your replies! I know there are "lucky" ones that fall pregnant naturally with nr 2, and of course there is a chance it will never happen naturally for us. (I forget to mention, I do/did have endo, but it was removed during a laparoscopy. Since then I've been pregnant for in total about 55 weeks (Including 2 miscarriages), so am hoping it hasn't gone back to what it was before my lap.)

Thirdtimelucky - congrats on your pregnancy! Far out! 5 kidlets will be full on! (good fun for the kids though, always someone there to talk to/play with! I'm one of 5 as well!). With my other FET's I had to get a new referral from the GP, otherwise it wasn't going to be covered by medicare, I'm pretty sure. Still early days, not planning a nr 2 quite yet. Want to enjoy our nr 1 boy and don't want the added stress of trying to conceive!

Myturn - I like your thinking! And am hoping you get a freebie! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! I'm on the pill, just in case, silly right?!

Saffy - I still got some time up my sleeve, I hope, "only" turning 33 this year! Remember you from being in the LTTTC thread Glad your girl is here, happy and healthy and over a year old already!

Lily Dust - that's plain rude from people commenting about you knowing exactly when baby will be due, due to them thinking baby was an IVF baby. None of their business anyhow! I don't tell everyone Mr C is IVF, as I think it's not for them to know how he was conceived, if a baby was conceived naturally we don't ask for when/how etc?!