Single Mom by Choice Shares Hospital Birth Story after International IVF Pregnancy during Wartime

Mumsy Pop March 7, 2024

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Pregnant through IVF at age 40, Angelina traveled from Russia (via Finland) to the United States to give birth in a city with family support. The physical aspects of pregnancy were uneventful, except for a low-lying placenta that resolved well before delivery. Labor began naturally at 38 weeks and 6 days when her morning mucus plug disappeared. Soon, patterned contractions began, but after going into labor and laboring at 4 cm, things stalled. With the introduction of Pitocin and an epidural, labor again progressed quickly, but there was a serious slowdown in the second and third stages. Fetal distress, a third degree tear, a massive hemorrhage from an “oddly adherent” IVF placenta, and newborn meconium aspiration syndrome with a thirteen-day NICU stay, led to a challenging postpartum that Angelina describes as “a messy bundle of trauma, sadness, beauty, and humor.”

Angelina Lucento Bio

Angelina lives in Durham, North Carolina and Eastern Europe with her son Solomon (9 months). Connect with him via Instagram @angelinalucento.

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