Multiple births due to fertility treatments

[2bemarried]

First of all, they are not IMPLANTING embryos, they are transferring. If they were implanted, everyone would get pregnant from IVF.

Second, transferred embryos can separate and produce identical twins. So even if you only transfer 2 or 3 embryos, you still have the chance of higher order multiples if the embryos split and all implant. I know a couple that transferred one embryo that split twice and they wound up with identical triplets.

My apologies, I'm still learning all of the correct terminology.

I did not know that the transferred embroyos could separate, so thank you for that information.

 

[mickeyboat]

To be honest, I don't think anyone can predict exactly what they'd do in this situation until it actually happened to them.

It's all well and good to say "no way, I would never," or "I would do it in a heartbeat," but I'll bet perspective and objectivity go out the window when you're desperate for children.

I only hope I never have to make these choices, myself.

Thank you for saying this. You really have no idea to what lengths you might be willing to go to have a child of your own. We were lucky to not have to go very far into the process, but I am not sure where we would have stopped.

Denae

 

[AllyandJack]

My apologies, I'm still learning all of the correct terminology.

I did not know that the transferred embroyos could separate, so thank you for that information.

It's a lot to take in.

If you have any questions, or just want to talk, feel free to PM me. Unfortunately, I'm quite the veteran at it all.

 

[goofygirl]

I know of a couple that already has one child that, I believe, is two years old. This child was a result of one of five embryos that were implanted. They had implanted 5 embryos before this attempt and none took.

Now, they've implanted 5 again and all 5 took. Their doctor recommended that they reduce from 5 to 2 to better the chances for healthy babies and a healthy mom. Otherwise both the babies and mom are at risk of health issues and/or death. They've decided not to reduce at all. I don't know this couple (only know "of" them) so I don't know all of the reasons for which they made this decision.

What is your opinion on this?

So people like this have embryos implanted in them with the knowledge that some, or maybe all might die.

How come the anti-abortion people don't consider this "killing babies"? How come they never picket fertlity medicine clinics and call fertility docs "baby killers"? It ticks me off that they always target Planned Parenthood over and over again.

 

[AllyandJack]

So people like this have embryos implanted in them with the knowledge that some, or maybe all might die.

How come the anti-abortion people don't consider this "killing babies"? How come they never picket fertlity medicine clinics and call fertility docs "baby killers"? It ticks me off that they always target Planned Parenthood over and over again.

I think they probably DO consider it killing babies. A lot of them consider taking birth control pills killing babies, but they don't picket pharmacies that dole them out.

 

[2bemarried]

It's a lot to take in.

If you have any questions, or just want to talk, feel free to PM me. Unfortunately, I'm quite the veteran at it all.

Thanks! This is a double edged sword...I'm sorry that other women have to go through this, but it's helpful to have someone else to talk to about it. We're waiting for DH's biopsy to be scheduled. Hopefully the dr's can go in and extract the little guys, freeze them and then we'll be ready for me to start the treatments.

 

[AllyandJack]

Thanks! This is a double edged sword...I'm sorry that other women have to go through this, but it's helpful to have someone else to talk to about it. We're waiting for DH's biopsy to be scheduled. Hopefully the dr's can go in and extract the little guys, freeze them and then we'll be ready for me to start the treatments.

Good luck! The waiting is the worst part....you'd think the needles and the surgery was the worst part, but no, it's the waiting. Hopefully, we'll be able to join the Mommy To Be thread soon.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I would not do the reduction, but I do see the high medical costs that 5 premies will cause. I too would have been happy with the first and stopped, but that is just me.

 

[Twins4Mickey]

As a mother of twins resulting from infertility drugs, and a friend of many who have experienced multiple birth ranging from twins to quadruplets, I believe that someone who has not experienced the devistation caused by infertility will never know how an individual who has the opportunity to give birth to 5 children actually feels. Locally we have someone who had 6 babies. My own opinion? Twins are a handful but at least my dh and I can each take a child and tend to their needs. If we had 3 or 4 or 5? I'm not sure how we'd be surviving. That is us though. I have coworker going through IVF right now and she had to sign a waiver of sorts stating that if she became pregnant with more than 3 embryos the dr would require her to selectively reduce. Until you have walked in the shoes of someone with infertility issues you really can not comprehend what they are going through. Nor can someone who is pregnant with multiples comprehend how impacted their lives will be until they have the children. Just my thoughts!

 

[mrsltg]

I have coworker going through IVF right now and she had to sign a waiver of sorts stating that if she became pregnant with more than 3 embryos the dr would require her to selectively reduce.

That's not legal. No doctor can force any procedure on you unless you're judged to be incompetent. The doctor may say, "Reduce or find another doctor," but there is no way the doctor can force a woman to abort.

 

[Pigeon]

My opinions reflect only what is right for me, not for anyone else.

This dilemma is the reason I wouldn't do any IF treatment beyond a couple of cycles of Clomid. It was just a choice I didn't want to face, as *for me*, there would be no good choices if I found myself in that situation.

I am 100% pro-choice. However, I've never been faced with the need to terminate a pregnancy, and I wouldn't ever intentionally put myself in the position to do so. On the flip side, I am not in favor of having high order multiples. For me, I don't think it would be an ethical decision to risk the lives and health of all the fetuses and not reduce. I know a family who had quads, and there were all sorts of complications that these kids will have all their lives. I don't think it is fair to inflict that on children.

I am a great believer that we need single payer universal health coverage in this country. I think that would greatly reduce the number of people who feel pressured into transferring larger numbers of embryos. What I don't want to see is the government getting involved in making regulations about all this, as it is too complicated and personal a situation.

We went on to adoption pretty easily and have two beautiful kids. I'm delighted that it worked out the way it did for us. But again, it is intensely personal.

 

[JoyG]

I got pregnant with triplets using Clomid and IUI (insemination).

My doctor strongly encouraged us to do a selective reduction. I refused. My reasoning was I had prayed for 5 years to have a baby, then God gave me 3...what was I going to do, give one back??

In the end I miscarried the third embryo....to this day I wonder if that one would have been my girl!

It's a hard thing to think about, but I think if I had 5 (which I really would have done everything not to be in that situation) I would still choose not to selectively reduce.

 

[huey duey & luey]

I really believe that this is a question that you can not answer with a 100% certainty without personally going through it. Just like many people who say they would never go through fertility treatments. My twin sisters are adopted and I always felt that if I had difficulty getting pregnant that I would choose adoption. When the time came I had a strong desire to experience pregnancy. It was imprtant FOR ME. When the time came for transfer we (myself dh and Re) decided to transfer 3. My dh and I decided that if all 3 took we would be OK with that ( I never thought about splitting). I know that I would not have ever been able to choose reduction, not after how badly I wanted these children, however I would never judge anyone else's decision. If this couple is willing to do what it takes to lovingly raise these children (and I have no problem with comunity help or support), then I say congratulations to them and their wonderful family.

 

[U2_rocks]

Yeah - but if someone was concerned about playing God, I dont know if they should be doing IVF, in the first place.

I'd selectively reduce, as well.

ITA.

 

[TwinTinks]

I couldn't reduce, it would haunt me for the rest of my life. I also can't judge what anyone else would do in this situation because Im not in their shoes.

Ditto.

 

[paigevz]

If I were in the same situation, I would have been grateful for the one child I already had, and not go to those extraordinary and dangerous lengths to have more.

I heard this so many times when trying to have our second. I will say that I don't think anyone thinks they are doing something dangerous when they do IVF. In my experience, most are told that it is unlikely more than one or two will "take". That's generally not any more dangerous than any other pregnancy.

As far as going to extraordinary lengths, there are many reasons why people choose to do this. We never had to do IVF, Clomid worked for us, but we had the same multiple birth risks, which are not high, just higher than the general population, to my understanding. We had to sign a paper saying we would either selectively reduce or choose a new OB if we conceived a higher number than triplets, and triplets were accepted/rejected on a case by case basis.

Our reasons were: We love children and had been unsuccessful at adopting a very young child and we wanted our child to have a sibling as we had had and so he would have close family when we were gone.

Wanting another did not mean we weren't thankful for the one we had. We tell the story to the boys like this: We were so happy and thankful we had YOU (point to DS1), and he was such a funny, fun and loving little boy, that we thought wouldn't it be wonderful to have another little boy and have this much MORE love in the house? And that was YOU!(pointing to DS2).

 

[lillygator]

I really don't think it's anyone's business....!

 

[huey duey & luey]

Interesting! You're effectively playing God by conceiving "artifically" in the first place. Why not continue playing God and reduce? Hmmmmmmmmmm...

I don't feel like you are playing God, more like playing Dr.
In essence then any medical intervention could be seen as playing God.

I thankd God and my Dr's evertday for the miracle of modern medicine

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I really don't think it's anyone's business....!

It is absolutely no one's business. People are going to do what they are going to do. We are just giving opinions on the subject.

 

[Caradana]

Over four embryos, I would selectively reduce to maximize the odds of healthy babies.