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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Told she was IVF

720 replies

Timbuck3 · 11/01/2024 13:40

Name changed for this:
My wife and I had a child and wanted a second. Wife couldn't conceive again so we went down the IVF route and she fell pregnant. Daughter was born. Wife asked me whether we should tell daughter she was conceived using IVF and I said, Yes, definitely, but only when the time was right.
Wife has asked a few times since and I've always said not yet.
In September last year we were having a discussion, can't remember about what exactly, but it came out that my daughter knew about her being IVF. I froze! My daughter said "I've known since March. Mum told me on my 16th birthday!"
I was furious! I should have been part of that conversation! I wouldn't have told her then because she was just coming up to doing her GCSEs, but she would have been told soon enough.
When I finally calmed down enough to properly discuss this with my wife, she just said, "Sorry, I didn't think it was that big a deal". Even though I'd told her often enough that i didn't think it was the right time.

I'm not saying that it had to be when I said so, but i think a decision like this should definitely have been a joint one with almost a power of veto.
I've deleted the poll as I'm not looking for a score, but just wanted opinions because despite it being months ago, I'm still seriously pissed off about it. I know I've got to have a proper discussion with my daughter about it, and I will, but I think it would have been a lovely discussion for the three of us to have had at the right time. I've effectively had that taken away from me.

OP posts:
pineapplecrushed · 16/01/2024 19:07

so you are the biological parent?
Why are you making IVF a big deal? It is only a big deal if there was donor sperm or eggs involved.

Keeper11 · 16/01/2024 19:08

There are a few things to consider here. Firstly no 16 year old wants to think about their parents sex lives. So I would hesitate to initiate a father/daughter heart to heart about this issue.
Nobody is saying it’s OK to “ignore your other half's wishes” Most people are simply saying this is a non event. Unless your wife has given you all the details of the conversation, it could well have come up during a chat and it seemed like an ideal time to tell your daughter the truth. I think you are giving both the IVF and telling your daughter, far more importance than necessary. Let it go.

TeenDivided · 16/01/2024 19:09

ToffeeCrumble · 16/01/2024 19:03

Can I ask why you use a website where you have such a low opinion of the advice given by posters on here?

But the OP didn't want to tell the DD, that much is clear by the time not having been right for 16 years.

Yes maybe the DW shouldn't have told without agreeing with the OP first, but she was caught between doing what the OP wanted, and doing the right thing by her DD. So she eventually chose the DD.

Buffs · 16/01/2024 19:10

Why did you keep it secret for 16 years? You are making it into a big deal. I know loads of IVF kids, it just comes up in normal conversation.

NaughtybutNice77 · 16/01/2024 19:17

I don't think you're unreasonable to be angry and hurt that your wife disregarded your feelings.
I do think youre odd to feel that you need a dedicated sit down talk with your daughter to 'reveal the truth' to her. ...and 16? That's far too old to reveal something significant (not that I think it is)
I can't help thinking that your wife probably went along with this to appease you.
I'm genuinely curious here why you feel the revelation/event itself is significant. So it's your sperm, wife's egg, wife's womb....am I missing something unless there's a back story eg Mum had cancer n nearly died but we've frozen embyos/eggs

ToffeeCrumble · 16/01/2024 19:33

TeenDivided · 16/01/2024 19:09

But the OP didn't want to tell the DD, that much is clear by the time not having been right for 16 years.

Yes maybe the DW shouldn't have told without agreeing with the OP first, but she was caught between doing what the OP wanted, and doing the right thing by her DD. So she eventually chose the DD.

I agree. I assume you are replying to mumsytoon.

LindaMo2 · 16/01/2024 19:39

To be fair, I think most teenagers would prefer being an ivf baby to having to think their parents had sex 😂😉😉

Zerosleep · 16/01/2024 19:40

I'm not being funny but WTAF! It’s just not a big deal, it’s just a different mechanism of conceiving. It’s not like she was adopted. I think you are making far too big a deal of nothing.

cremebrulait · 16/01/2024 19:41

Wait. OP you have been controlling your wife for 16 years. And how could you and your wife naturally conceived. FFS the poor kid has probably been wondering for years why nobody talks about it.

I bet if your wife posted on here - she probably would have been told it was not unreasonable to go ahead and tell her DD as she’s equally a mum and her wife is stringing this along!!!

the worse case is a child asking you snd feeling like you were going to hide forever.

Lamaitresse · 16/01/2024 19:42

Sorry, I can’t see why this is such a big deal. My dd is IVF, and it’s never been a secret. She’s known since she was around 3 or 4 that we wanted her so much that we had special help from the doctors to make her.
Why would you have tried to keep this from your daughter? I really don’t understand. It’s not like she’s been adopted, there’s no stigma attached and if anything it helps to make a child realise how much they were wanted.
Bit of a fuss about nothing tbh. My dh wasn’t there when dd was told. He’s not bothered.

pizzaHeart · 16/01/2024 19:45

My DD a bit older than yours and was born through IVF. It was a really big deal for DH and I and at the very beginning we talked about telling/ not telling her and our decision was the same as yours: to tell when she’s older (right time) together etc. Over the years IVF became much more ‘natural’ (if I may say so) in a society, definitely more widespread and not so unusual. I was helping DD revising for her science exam ( I think she was about 14?) there was a question about IVF and I just said: By the way…
It wasn’t announcement as such , just mentioning a fact. We talked about it a few minutes literally and then moved to a next question. I think calling her dad and explaining together as a big news would be making it into a big deal and something unusual. I said to DH later: you know, there was this question and I mentioned it to DD.
He was : Ok, fine.
So I wonder if it’s just this for your wife - the topic lost a bit its significance in the society and she felt this and just mentioned when it was natural.

If you are going to gift your DD a car for her 18th birthday - that’s the announcement you should do together. It’s a big deal, not IVF 🙂

August1980 · 16/01/2024 19:51

Ours was IVF! Not a secret, family and friends know too. A friend of mine, her and her wife used a donor and they have a lovely little boy. He is 6 and he tells everyone he was IVF :). Very cute and so honest. You haven’t been robbed. Mum and daughter hopefully had the convo about reproductive health whilst they had this discussion which will prepare her to make informed decisions about children etc, did you want to be part of that convo too?

PeachyPeachTrees · 16/01/2024 19:57

You kept saying not yet for 16 years. Your wife probably thought it was fine and you were never going to say OK.

threatmatrix · 16/01/2024 20:04

To be honest with you she should have been brought up knowing, not that it’s a big deal.

crowisland · 16/01/2024 20:05

how would you compare this to telling a child she is adopted?

Jumpers4goalposts · 16/01/2024 20:10

I just do think it should have been such a big issue that it wasn’t always what she was told. Kids are always asking questions about how they were born, should have just always been a known thing.

Bartonzam · 16/01/2024 20:12

What is the big deal? Why would it matter to her that you don’t have many swimmers?

EMREX · 16/01/2024 20:13

If anything she would probably feel happy being given that information. You wanted her that much that you and your wife were prepared to go through a procedure that is mentally, financially and physically very difficult. You fought to have her, that’s how loved and wanted she was by you both

Ladybirder · 16/01/2024 20:20

you and your wife should have told your daughter together. If you had agreed to that and your wife told your daughter without you and then hid it then that’s not on.
BUT- I don’t think you had to wait until daughter was 16+ to tell her. IVF is a medical procedure, and a lot of babies are born that way now. I think you could have told your daughter after she had done sex Ed at school etc. it’s part of her life story and telling her at a younger age would help normalise IVF and it’s not something to hide or that you need to do a big announcement.

Lollipop81 · 16/01/2024 20:51

I can’t understand why it is such a big deal and personally I would have wanted her to know all along without it being a big secret let put. However, your wife must have understood how you felt so I do think she was wrong , especially as she didn’t tell you after. Talk to your wife about it, don’t let it all bubble up inside.

Daisybuttercup12345 · 16/01/2024 21:24

You are being ridiculous.
Non issue.

Blondeshavemorefun · 16/01/2024 21:32

@SerafinasGoose and @Scottym I've done 5 rounds and thank god the 5th made mini blondes

It's not a a big deal to the child as such but it's a big deal for the parents as needed ivf to become parents

But like you it's a fact of life

I wrote earlier about dd being my most precious thing like in the book
And that she's extra special as needed help

Only today she was looking at the pictures and she is fascinated by this one

You will recognise it but those who haven't had ivf might not

The tiny white pinprick in the middle of the grey is the embryo which made her

She can't believe how small she was. I said not even the size of a freckle

Which is bloody Amazing that an egg that size grows into a baby when joined with sperm

Told she was IVF
Vergeofbreakdown23 · 16/01/2024 21:38

I don't think it was important to tell your daughter at all how she was conceived - why is that so important? Now, I haven't read all your updates so maybe I've missed it.
The fact you and your wife did have that discussion though and she then went ahead and did it without you, then yes I would be pissed off too. That is an issue that needs resolving, but I don't know why it was so important to tell her.

Outthedoor24 · 16/01/2024 21:47

@Blondeshavemorefun
While I totally get your road has been harder and tougher than mine, IVF for first baby must be horrible however
DC1 natural conception after about 7mths,
DC2 4 goes at IUI, 1 IVF, 1 FET, and 2 very early losses and about 4 years.

DC2 doesn't mean anything more than DC1 I love them both equally I can't imagine life without either. How they got here just doesn't matter.

Blondeshavemorefun · 16/01/2024 21:49

@Outthedoor24 it's a hard road for anyone who can't conceive whether no 1 or no 2/3/4

Sorry for your loss's 💐

Do your 2 know one of them was ivf ?

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