When did your IVF baby arrive?

Hey guys,

I've been doing some reading after being told that IVF babies are generally born slightly earlier and also weigh less than "normally" conceived babies.

When did your IVF bundle come along? Were there any issues?

Thanks
Sue xxx

36 weeks, weighing 2.48kg. Only a few issues related to blood sugar levels from his early arrival and he took a bit of time to learn how to suck, but all was ok in the end.

As a comparison, a friend of mine also had a 36 weeker (both boys were 36 weeks to the exact day) who weighed 2.1kg, and he wasn't an IVF baby.

I suspect that the lower birth weights and early arrival come more from the reasons people needed IVF rather than from IVF itself.

BW

i wish!
I was induced at 42 weeks and he was very comfortable in there! (4.3kg)

Hi There,

At spot on 40 weeks, weighed 3.4kg, no issue. Had latching problems which was more of my issue than hers, finally refused breast because mummy's milk was not coming out fast enough. Is healthy and well. Everything normal so far.

36.3 weeks - 2.6 kgs for my DS. I had a perfectly healthy pregnancy, my waters broke...... DS was in the SCN for a few days as he was born in about 2 hours so had a bit too much amniotic fluid in his lungs so needed help breathing, also needed help regulating his body temp due to his early arrival.

Interestingly I am a member of an IVF Mothers group and only one of about 12 babies went to 40 weeks, most of the babies were born about 38 weeks, but there were many different reasons (and some inductions)..... but its interesting all the same. All the babies are perfectly healthy so there is nothing to worry about :)

41 weeks & 3 days for my little 9lb 14oz (4.45kg) heffalump :) So nope not early or small!

38 weeks 3 days (scheduled c/s) weighing 3.2kg's. Probably would have gone full term or overdue due to having an underdeveloped lower portion of my uterus and therefore babies head wouldn't engage and she was quite happy where she was.

From delivery DD never left my side, only problem we had was B/Fing and this was due to me also having anemia and my milk taking 5 days before coming in and being very low in volume (all gone by 3 weeks).

DD is now a very happy and healthy thriving 4 months old, weighing in at a good 6.5kg's.

Hi Sue,

It could just be that if what you heard/read is based on stats, this could be taking into account the higher chance of multiple birth with IVF.

Given multiples are generally smaller and often arrive earlier than singletons, the stats could be skewed by that.

Dunno - just a thought.

;)

Thanks for all your experiences ladies!!

Mrs S, what I was reading was actually based on singleton IVF pregnancies. It was an article in the Independent newspaper that came up when I googled it. But there is loads of other articles that I've read too.
Some of the articles suggested that the premmie rate is higher in IVF pregnancies because the women "tend" to be older. But that isn't the case here for a lot of us, so that doesn't really sit well with me.

I guess everyone is different hey? I'll just have to sit tight and wait and see when my little bubby is going to make her appearance!

Thanks again everyone
S X

Ah - Ok.

Rules out my theory then!

;)

I would guess it's a mixture of age and underlying reasons for infertility, and maybe also OB treatment of pregnancies (I've heard some are far more likely to induce early or schedule c/s with IVFers)

Yup, my OB wanted to induce me at 39 weeks but luckily I said to wait a week. He said since it is a precious baby, IVF and all... doesn't make sense now that I come to think of it as there is more problems with induction.

Sue you must be so excited and anxious. Hang in there, pregnancy is such a wonderful magical time (I can say that now that I have gone through it)... so enjoy it as much as you can.

I was due to be induced at 39 weeks due to GD (concern about baby's size, and my placenta), but after a couple of sweeps around 38 weeks my membranes ruptured spontaneously and (eventually) DD was born at 38+6, 3.62kg.

At 40 weeks plus she might have been pretty big by that time lol. And she was most definitely not ready to come when she did as she was not engaged when my membranes ruptured. Who knows when she would have been ready? ;)

Not long to go now, Sue - hope you're feeling well!

Eight days late and weighed in at 3100g or 6lb, 13 oz.

My waters broke the Wednesday and I was induced on the friday - but bubs didn't want to come out, so I ended up with an emergency C-section - but TBH I doubt that had anything to do with being an IVF baby.

Bubs will arrive when bubs wants to.

Booked in for c/s (due to previous c/s) smack bang on 39 weeks. Arrived for c/s, in labour! DS born via c/s. no problems. A little bit yellow, but he was good by the time we went home :)

oops almost forgot, weight was 7lb, 9 oz i think?? might have been a couple of ounces more

I've actually had some really interesting discussions with my Ob. I've gone public (at the Mater Mothers in Brisbane - excellent reputation) and he is treating me like any other pregnant woman...... although - I do see an Ob every single time (and the same one at that - how amazing for a public service!). I asked to be switched to the midwife program and they were reluctant due to the pregnancy being IVF, so I guess in some ways, I'm not really being treated like any other pregnant woman. BUT he has made no mention of induction OR c-section. We wait until the labour process happens!

I had a chat with one of the midwives and she feels that women who have had IVF are stigmatised. They want to have midwifery care but sometimes this is not granted because the pregnancy is so "precious".

In my opinion, ALL pregnancies are precious - I guess having IVF we've just had to work slightly harder to get there.

Not sure where I was going with that - it's kind of off topic!!
Thanks again for all your input ladies.

Sue xx

Sue - I went through a birth centre - no OB except for near the end of labour. Bubs had foetal distress and while I wanted to have a natural birth, I was not going to hold onto the idea because bubs heartrate went down during my contractions and I wasn't dialating - which had nothing to do with IVF.

TBH|I'd rather an experienced midwife over an OB anyday. The midwife will stay with you through the entire labour whereas the OB will go in and out of the room.

i'm just going to but in here.
i've had 3 bubs. all natural and all early.
first baby was 3 weeks early, and almost 8 lb
second baby was 1 week early and 9 pound
third baby was 2 weeks early and 8 1/2 pound

so sometimes babies just come when they want to. i do not see why an IVF baby would be any different ?
i hope i do not get treated any differently this time ( i have decided thats this year, LOL)
after all i've done it before
the only thing that may be different is that i am older, and i think they treat things differently then.

About the only difference with IVF babies is that you know the exact date and almost time of conception!

:Dhey hun,
i have 5 girls but only the last one being ivf-icsi bubba.

bubba # 1= 40 weeks 6pd 70z

bubba # 2 =38 weeks 6pd 13 oz

bubba # 3 =36 weeks 5pd waters broke early then had to be induced baby then spent a week in nursery.

bubba# 4= 38 weeks 6pd 13 oz

bubba # 5= ivf 36+6 waters broke early then didnt go into labour and was also induced 24hrs later and bubs was just fine ,but if i didnt go into labour myself my ob was going to induce at 38 weeks as thats what he like to do.

Sue, I have 2 DD's - 1st was naturally conceived, 2nd was IVF. My ob treated me the same for both of them, no induction or c/s. There is also 5 years difference between the 2 of them, I was 39 when DD2 was born so I must admit I think the age thing is a bit of poppy**** ;)

DD1 was born spontaneously at 37+5 so I was fully expecting DD2 to be the same if not earlier, being my second bub and knowing that there was a higher chance of an IVF bub being early. But DD2 was determined to stick around in there LOL and finally chose to grace us with her presence at 40+5 days ;)

DD1 was 7lb10oz and DD2 was 7lb2oz.

I am diabetic so at higher risk of having a bub with problems needing Special Care, but DD2 only had one low blood sugar immediately after birth and then did fine, a perfectly healthy bub. DD1 however, spent 1 week in the SCN with problems breathing, janudice and low blood sugars for quite a few days. I'm pretty sure that this was because she was underdone, despite coming of her own accord. I'd say the longer that bub stays in there the better :)

Best of luck hun xx

39 weeks and 2 days - natural spontaneous VB - 7lb exactly forget what that is in kilos!

40 weeks + 3 days. Went into labour in the early hours of 40 weeks + 2 days and did not progress well. Went into hospital for check up about 5pm - mainly just to see that bubs was okay and to assess why everything was not progressing. Didn't expect to stay, but they discovered while I was there that I had a severe case of pre-eclampsia (no signs of it 2 days earlier at my OB check up). So it was decided at that time to induce to get things moving along faster. Gels and drip put in (as well as magnisium for PE and catheter to keep an eye on urine output) and I laboured overnight. Ended up having an epi at about 8am in the morning as was exhausted from over 24 hours of labour - most of it flat on my back because of the intervention required for the PE. Lucky as my OB came to check me a couple of hours later and I had only dilated 1cm!!!!!! Could not believe it. By this time also my waters had spontaneously broken and there was some merconium in them. So the decision was made to have an emergency CS as I was v sick and bubs was not doing so great either.

My beautiful girl was born at 11.18am and weighed a healthy 3.24kgs (7 pound 2). She was a little 'stunned' at birth and took some help and 2 minutes to start breathing on her own. But there were no ongoing problems.

Janie

Thought I'd pop in and answer my own question.

After discovering (well, I KNEW this was the case) that bubby was transverse at 39w3d, I had an elective c-section at 40w2d - after having spent the time between my antenatal appointment and the c-section in hospital - and little Evie weighed a very respectable 8lb 10oz (3910g).

Just goes to show that my "feeling" that she'd come early was totally wrong but there was no lack of drama to the whole event!

Sue xx

sooooon i hope!