TTC#1 - Looking for Others in the Same Boat PART TWO THE SEQUEL WHERE WE ALL GET OUR BABIES???!

Im doing well. Just started back on another TWW so…here we go again. I’m still feeling much calmer won’t the whole thing but it’s definitely hard seeing so much success when I’ve never even seen a hint of a BFP. Maybe this will be my lucky cycle though, who knows!

@MocktailMe honestly I’d 1000% given up hope and had basically decided to disassociate from the whole process because testing before my period is due seemed like a complete waste of time and money.

Considering my odds had been 1/23 cycles it seemed safer not to hope.

So not sure about self restraint but more economic and psychological factors.

Have you started meds yet?

@PearOpal thank you it feels very surreal.

I’ve not really had any symptoms apart from a bit of cramping on Thursday but last time things started to shift around week 5.

How are you getting on?

@lavafield congratulations!!! So happy to hear your little one made it safe and sound. I hope you’re setting into motherhood well!!

@CharLdn AHHHH CONGRATS!!! I’m so so so happy for you!! Absolutely over the moon to read your good news 🤗

@CharLdn definitely no squinting there! And those particular tests I found didn’t go as dark for me so those are strong lines! Really thrilled for you!

@MocktailMe I’d planned not to test until CD 30 because my period was later last month but I wanted to go to the pub for a red wine so I thought I’d test just in case.

It was the day before my periods due.

I’m happy because already the lines are darker than they were last time so hopefully this is a sign it’s different 🤞

Omg @CharLdn ! No second guessing there! Fingers firmly crossed for a sticky one 🤞

This is 14 dpo - no squinting here!

Oh my gosh @CharLdn this is the best news!!!! Huge congratulations I am so happy for you 🙌❤️

After I’d literally given up hope this cycle and decided to disassociate from the whole process - I’ve tested positive today.

🤞 it’s second time lucky 🤞

Good luck @MocktailMe when starting your first IVF protocol. Hope everything goes smoothly and the retrieval and transfer is nice and easy for you. You’ve defo got this, I think the positivity alone of what the outcome of these procedures could be will really help your recovery, as mentally you’ll be in a good place. Look at everything you’ve been through also, without all that positivity surrounding it. I’m sure there will be difficult days but it’s all for a good cause and being upset or struggling doesn’t matter, but you will get through it. Got my fingers crossed for an extra special Xmas this year for you.

glad all is well @Waitingformiracle and @Tater05 your pregnancies will begin to fly by now. Then time will feel like it’s slowed to an almost stop towards the back end 🤣. Make the most of feeling fab as from experience you really do start to feel “pregnant” from about 32/33 weeks.

Good to have something to focus on and a plan @CharLdn.

@MocktailMe four cycles and unlimited FETs is definitely as close to a guarantee as you’ll get I think! I know that the unknown is so hard to come to terms with though and I definitely struggled with that a lot. Amazing though that you now have a way of getting those dominant follicles on the side you lost your tube, science is really amazing when you think about it!

@Tater05 congratulations to you too on finding out it’s a girl! Yes two April girls 🩷! I’m due the end of April. And I totally agree with you, I’d have been so happy either way but it definitely helps solidify things knowing the gender. So nice you are feeling her move which I’m sure is so reassuring! Wishing you the best for your anomaly scan this Friday. I think it’s very natural to be nervous about it, it’s a huge hurdle but I’m sure all will be well and will be great to get such a detailed check on the baby.

@MocktailMe That's exciting you're starting so soon! Like you said, you've already been through so much in just the last year, you've got this ❤

@CharLdn That's a great mindset to have, being self employed I also threw everything I could at my work and it did help to distract my mind from TTC for the last few months (still obsessed over it quite a few days though...). Sending positive vibes for your TWW!

@lavafield Sounds like you're really in the newborn trenches at the moment. I hope it starts to get easier in the coming weeks, the sleep deprivation sounds hard enough!

@Waitingformiracle Best of luck for your scan, it's always hard not to worry a bit. Very annoying that you have to wait until January for your anomaly scan! It will roll around quickly but still it's frustrating. And congrats on finding out you're having a girl!

@KTB34 thanks for checking in! So glad to hear your little one is doing well!

I'm nearly at 20 weeks now, can't believe I'm about half way through! We had a gender scan a few weeks ago and also found out we're having a girl 🤗So 2 April girls in this thread @Waitingformiracle !? For me it feels more real knowing the gender, we'd have been happy either way but we just wanted to find out and now it feels like we can plan more. Also really starting to show now and can sometimes feel some kicks and movement which is really exciting, and again makes it seem real! Up till now I've hardly been able to believe it still! We have the anomaly scan this Friday which I am a bit anxious about, everything's been fine so far but when they're going to be looking so thoroughly it is hard not to worry a bit.

@MocktailMe we actually have a scan this Wednesday so I’m anxiously looking forward to that. I still always expect bad news at them which will probably never go away but trying to stay positive! I hadn’t actually thought about one of those 4D scans but that could be a lot of fun! In terms of buying anything I haven’t yet. I think we might wait until the new years sales in January and hopefully I’ll feel a bit more confident then. Unfortunately with the way Christmas is falling on my dates I won’t get my anomaly scan until close to 24 weeks in January which feels like such a wait!

Yes I had a lot of fun buying all the snacks for my post retrieval recovery! You have every reason to be hopeful for a successful cycle and I hope so much for you that you will be pregnant come January! The success rate is so high about 60-65% so the way I looked at it is that I never had a better chance of getting pregnant any time we tried ourselves. In fact with my husband’s numbers our chances each cycle were probably closer to 5% so it was a huge leap in terms of the possibility! That’s what kept me going and staying positive!!

Thank you @lavafield sorry to hear you’ve been having a rough start with your little guy! Glad to hear his weight is now gaining steadily and I hope it gets easier for you soon!

@MocktailMe thank you ☺️ we are so excited. I was really convinced we were having a boy which I would have been equally thrilled about but given we lost our first daughter it does feel very special that we are having a girl. I was the exact same as you I said I wouldn’t find out the gender but when it came to it I was dying to know early on. I’ve had enough surprises when it comes to pregnancy and getting pregnant 🤣 I don’t need anymore.

6 days to go what a big milestone for you!! The needles are certainly overwhelming and terrifying at the start but once you get going with them you’ll be a pro! There are a lot of helpful videos on YouTube too if you feel you need some extra guidance. As you say you have been through SO much so I think you will fly this. I do always wonder if I found the IVF so manageable because I had already been through so much mentally and physically before starting it.

The egg retrieval was honestly fine for me. Be sure to take a few days off to let yourself recover, but it wasn’t too bad and as you say will be nothing compared to what you’ve already done. Just make sure to stay super hydrated during the stims and then for the few days after the retrieval eat lots of salty foods and protein as this is meant to ward off OHSS. I downloaded an app that reminder me to drink water every hour which I am still using now. You’ve got this!! 💪💪💪

@CharLdn How are you doing?

@Waitingformiracle So sweet, a little girl is on the way! Wishing you a smooth rest of pregnancy ! 🩷
@KTB34 Glad to hear your little man is doing well!
Thanks, I do hope it gets better every week, it does seem so little by little. Our son's weight is back to gaining steadily after quite a bit of loss during the first ten days, which was scary. The first week is the most vulnerable one, they discharge you early and off you go still not knowing if you have enough milk or if you should top up with formula etc. I wish I had had this advice early! Afterwards, when the milk supply comes it all gets easier!

@KTB34 wow I can’t believe he is 10 weeks already ☺️ so glad to hear that he is thriving and hope you are settled into the swing of it all now!

We found out the gender with our NIPT and we are having a girl ☺️🩷

@MocktailMe amazing news! So pleased to hear this for you ❤️

@CharLdn glad to hear you’re doing well. I think it can be quite taxing on mental health so good that you’re focusing on other things too.

@lavafield sounds like you’ve been through it. Hope baby is doing better now with his weight. The sleepless nights are hard…nobody can quite prepare you for the sleep deprivation but it gets easier as the weeks go on.

@Waitingformiracle 16 weeks that’s gone so quick. Will you be finding out the gender?

I am ok thank you, little man is 10 weeks on Tuesday and is thriving. Had him weighed Wednesday and he is now just under a stone 🤣 safe to say the breast milk is doing its job !

Hi @KTB34 I’m good thanks for checking in!! 16 weeks now, the weeks are flying! They are giving us some extra scans because of everything that happened with my first pregnancy, the extra reassurance is great. It’s felt like a bit of a wait for my next one but it’s finally this week!

How are you doing?

@MocktailMe not long to go now at all!!!

Thanks @KTB34 it has been very nice but also very stressful. It has not only been a newborn bliss, far from it! 😂 The baby has quite a bad reflux and spits out lots of milk, we also had weight gain issues that have now been rectified but still a lot of sleepless nights holding him upright for ages after feeds! As soon as he is on his back flat he gets fussy and cries and spits up. I would say ladies prioritise your sleep, your "date" time with your DHs/DPs before the baby comes as a lot of the dynamic changes and you won't really have time to nurture your relationship as any free minute you have you want to use it to sleep or go to shower! 😅 Very very happy to hold this little bundle of joy in my arms for hours of course too!

@MocktailMe very soon your treatment starts! Fingers crossed!
@CharLdn a very sensible idea to focus on work while you can! 👌