Just wondering.....because I've seen several IVF pregnant patients lately, and almost all of them have been "high risk" pregnancies for a wide variety of complications.
Any readers with experience in this area? Personal/professional experience?
My thoughts -- many women/couples who go through IVF, have been through years of infertility. Which means they are more than likely "older" as in 30-35 yrs old and higher. Which does lead to increased risks of other complications. Many women/couples are pregnant for the first time, which in itself, can have some increased risk of complications (preeclampsia is higher in first time mothers). "Older" mothers are at increased risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, among other things.
I wonder if there is some unknown variable at work that creates a "weaker" or subpar placenta or subpar implantation of the placenta, as a result from IVF. Could it be degradation of the ovum/embyro if it was frozen or in storage for a period of time?
Questions, questions.
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I don't have any answers, buy my observation has been the same. I have wondered if it has to do with the "forced" nature of implantation.
It could also be the other way around: these people had trouble getting pregnant because of underlying hormonal, physical, or uterine problems, which manifest themselves as assorted complications. However, some studies do indicate higher rates of placental issues in IVF pregnancies, but nobody knows why.
Most of the IVF deliveries I have been at were mostly normal.
Not only first time moms but moms with a new partner after having children with a former partner can have increased problems with PIH. Since these moms are the advanced age and also trying again after a grown family - that may skew the stats.
I've noticed the same among friends who have gone the IVF route. To me, and it's just a personal thought (which will probably garner me hate mail), it seems logical. The body/nature/God is preventing pregnancy the "normal" way for a reason. Which totally and completely sucks from an emotional stand point, and I get the "I'd do anything to have a child" feeling. So we intervene with the help of medical science, skip the first natural "kill switch," then get to deal with the problems that were underlying that were hidden because pregnancy couldn't be naturally achieved.
As a LDR nurse and a woman that just had a baby last month as a result of IVF, I often wondered that too. I was incredibly lucky and my pregnancy was completely low risk, and I even delivered in a birth center with midwives rather than the hospital I work at. However, I am in my mid-twenties and am very healthy, our issue was male factor. But I get what you're saying re age, etc.
Part of my work is involved with women who are referred from our infertility clinic: I both give to, and teach, women how to give themselves their injections, and I do the pregnancy followup since all our infertility patients are regarded as high risk pregnancies.
You, and Jenny Scientist, are right: [1] the underlying reasons for hormonal-related pregnancy can cause complications in pregnancy; [2] age is a factor, and [3] the pregnancy is of course an exceptionally "precious" one. However, as far as I know from reading, degredation of the embryo from being frozen has been eliminated as a cause of early miscarriage. One also has to remember that in some cases, at least, the sperm is not of the best quality. Roughly 40% of fertility problems are due to the female, 40% are male-associated, and the remaining 20% are either due to problems with both of the couple, or are unexplained.
But there definitely is a higher rate of abortion/stillbirth with assisted reproduction, depending on the mode used, and the reason for the infertility.
Unfortunately, the popular media likes to present the issue as being completely successful once implantation "takes", and many women think everything is OK once that positive pregnancy test is returned.
Antigonos - thanks so much for your info and input re: infertility and subsequent pregnancies. I thought you had experience in that field (I recall you stating it sometime before).
I never had a lot of IVF patients in my practice. My personal experience was that I was high risk because I was 38 when I got pregnant, then I had IVF triplets. I never had any blood pressure problems or blood sugar problems. I did deliver early, but that can be expected with triplets. They were all positioned strangely, again related to the multifetal pregnancy.
Keep on plugging with school.
As a doula I've also seen a connection between IVF patients and higher c-sections rates due to dysfunctional labors or failed inductions. Almost as if their bodies don't want to go into labor/dialate on their own or don't respond well to artificial means of starting labor.
I am not sure, but I do know that Ina May will not take any IVF clients on The Farm. hmmmmmm....
I think I read a study that it was the lighting on the fertilization process that causes a higher rate of problems. The egg and sperm are not used to laboratory lights.
I've wondered about the process of sperm having to travel to get to the egg. In IVF, the sperm are not "vetted" with the long swim. Maybe it causes a problem or maybe the worst ones die?
I don't know about the degradation of the egg/sperm, but it makes sense to me that if the couple was having problems getting pregnant in the first place (due to problems with the mother's fertility OR the father's), that there is a higher chance of there being issues continuing the pregnancy and birthing the child. The whole body works together, so why should the process work as well as a naturally-conceived pregnancy when the initial stages are done artificially?
Healthy traditional cultures fed mom and dad special diets very high in nutrients D, A, and K (along with lots of others) to ensure a healthy baby and birth. Today they just tell the mom to take prenatals and everything will be fine, however these are a poor subsistute for a healthy diet. Also, the state mother's immune system plays a huge role, but is rarely mentioned unless she has a diagnosed illness.
I guess natural always beats IVF. It's a lot more fun too. Just kidding.
I've noticed the same thing, I believe it has a lot to do with most women (I would say of the High risk cases most of them it is the women who struggles conceiving not the man who struggles getting her pregnant) need IVF to conceive often have a good reason not to be able to conceive, and by forcing the issue a lot of issues come up as a result. It makes since.
Totally a personal thought...these are highly medical conceptions, which probably makes it more likely that the women will engage in more medical interaction during pregnancy since they're already in the medical arena. A woman that conceives naturally, and doesn't see a doctor till 12 weeks, might not have the same medical focus. Here, OBs are considered specialists, and you generally don't go to one unless there's an issue. And once you see someone who specializes in "wrongs", then it's very easy to find more "wrongs"....what a GP might be okay with, an OB might see as an issue....
These are complications that in most cases we cant evade. A close medical attention and visiting clinics regularly after conception is advised so as to monitor any changes and complications in your body.
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