IVF Graduates due Late 2021/Early 2022

[BambiOnIce80]

Hi ladies 👋 I'm tentatively setting up a thread for those of us who have made the scary leap from infertility to a BFP and still need a hand hold from others who get it 🤝

I'm only 4+4 and already worrying that the BFP is too good to be true (I've had a previous MMC at 10+5, so that bitter experience doesn't help). Would love the company of other warrior ladies to go through the ups and downs of this emotional roller coaster for as long as it lasts 🎢

@Bella1984 and @PT8998, tagging you ladies on the hope that you'll join me 💗

@BambiOnIce80 I was honestly just thinking this, I feel a wee bit guilty discussing pregnancy symptoms in front of people in the awful tww or have just gotten a BFN. Great minds 👏 also I always read your replies and then lose what thread its in (I am in 2 similar ones you see!) So please accept my apologies for sometimes not replying to you directly. It will be much easier on here!

My name is Amy, lovely to have met you both & delighted we all have our BFPs. Lovely we are going through this together. I am 5 weeks pregnant tomorrow, scan 2 weeks tomorrow. Also v nervous and anxious about the pregnancy scan. After the elation of finally being pregnant I am honestly not sure how I would cope if this doesn't lead to a healthy baby in 9 months. Please god it does for us all, we deserve it!

We are all in the NHS too so we understand our job stresses etc and I think have a better medical understanding of course. I too don't just Google stuff but read in depth medical journals and RCTs haha. I have stopped this since being pregnant but I wasbterrible for it the whole way through both cycles. I feel like I could be a fertility specialist at this point 😂

Amy xx

Definitely great minds Amy! 😄 I want to follow all our ladies journeys to the end, but I know how hard it is when it's a BFN. I don't want to upset anyone with talk of scans/midwives appointments/moaning about symptoms 😔 I think this would be the best place for all that 😊

I'm going to hold back on my name for now (it's surprisingly not Bambi! 🤣), only because I know a lot of my colleagues use MN and some of them are pregnant! 😳 I don't want outting just yet, but I'm sure we'll find a way round it as time goes on 🙂

I'm a bugger for medical journals! 🤓 Trying to lay off them for now though because I know I'll drive myself crazy 🤪

How's work been today? I've had a working from home day, so took advantage of not having any prying ears nearby to call the midwives and make my booking appointments 😬 Half of me thinks I shouldn't tempt fate by booking them and I should have waited until (both of our!) viability scans on the 6th of May, but then the other half knows from last time that booking appointments fill up fast and the longer you leave it, the later the appointment is likely to be (and that drove me nuts last time!). The midwife said I did the right thing - she said my clinic would cancel them for me if I get bad news at the viability scan, so at least there's that if it comes to it.

I'm hope I'm not coming across all Eeyore-ish with the worst case scenarios! 🐴🙈 Just very nervous, but trying not to be 😉

Hey ladies! I, too, wish to be anonymous for the moment(!)... But happy to be here! I never thought it would happen. According to my app, I am considered 3+5 at the moment as I tested so early! 🤭😂 I just can’t help myself! I plan to test every morning now and then see if we get line progression, as I know I’m not out of the woods yet! I feel so far behind you both 🙈

You're only 6 days behind me @PT8998! 😄 On the peeing on sticks front, may I respectfully suggest that you do it every other day? I only say that because hCG (roughly) doubles every 48 hours and I don't want you freaking out if they don't get darker every single day 😉

That's interesting that you said you're swinging between freezing cold and boiling hot (spotted it on the other thread) - I've been absolutely freezing for the last two nights, even though the heating is on full blast, I'm in a onsie and wrapped in a blanket 🥶 I look over at DP and the cat and one's got sweat rolling down his face and the other is practically panting! 🥵😾😹 Then I wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat!! 😰 Must be some crazy hormone thing I guess.

Only thing that's worrying me symptom wise is that my boobs haven't been sore/weird today, which obviously makes me nervous things are heading in the wrong direction 😔 Maybe I need to just keep myself distracted and stop obsessing about boobs! 😏

I just typed the longest reply and it didn't post or save 😩

@BambiOnIce80 what do I have to do RE midwife apps?! I've been so focused on getting pregnant I'm clueless as to what to do now. I've an app with my GP tomorrow, can he sort this or do I need to contact maternity dept?

Urgh, I hate it when that happens @Bella1984! 😤 Happens to me all the time 🙄

On my GP's website there's a 'what to do if you have a positive pregnancy test' section, so I rang the number, which turns out to be for the central midwives booking system. Where I am the GP's have nothing to do with sorting out midwives except providing the booking phone number! 🤷🏻‍♀️ It's undoubtedly different systems all over the UK though 🇬🇧

@PT8998

What is your plan with work? Will you be having a reduced patient facing role now you've got your BFP? Really admire you for keeping in the frobtline throughout your Rx. Have you both had your covid vaccine then? My clinic were adamant not to within 3 months of starting cycle so I couldn't and now I obvs can't which is frustrating. I'm so pro vaccine!
And obvs leaves me at higher risk now which worries me. My husband gets his first one this sat, N.I had been v good at vaccinations thankfully.

What are your birthing plans have you thought that far ahead? I found out at ET I have a 'needle tip cervix so looks like a c-secrion for me (I'm happy with this tbh it would've been my presence from a MH point of view too)

My DD is 23rd December, a Christmas baby hopefully 🥰

Symptoms for me are v hungry, crazy temp changes and cravings already. Plus terrible insomnia 😩

Slept for 2 hours after work today couldn't stay awake after only 4 hours or so last night again. Just had my tea and sat down to watch some telly with my husband and wee pup, my sidekick even more than ever she has not left my side!

Busy day at work for me but WFH until get my sheilding letter 🤞

Yes it's so annoying isn't it!

I had composed a lovely response and now I can to write again haha - baby brain or lack of sleep, both I'd say!

OK i'll ask my GP tomorrow that's really helpful thanks. My sisters very good friends is an obs and gynae consultant so I might give her a wee message she's been great for advice for ivf x

@Bella1984 I managed to get my first Pfizer jab at the end of December and then the second dose mid February - I'm so glad I did now, that's for sure! It completely sucks that your clinic advised you not to 😔 I'm raging on your behalf! It shouldn't be a post code lottery as to what we've been advised regarding IVF and the vaccine 😕 My DP is desperate to get his first jab, but Scotland aren't that far ahead yet 🙄

I've definitely not thought about birth plans! 😄 I would prefer a ELCS if I was given the choice though. I think it's from working in blood transfusion and seeing how horribly wrong PPH's can go that makes me want to take away as many unknowns as possible 😳

The midwife today said that my EDD is 24.12.21, at least until the dating scan potentially changes it. DP says we should call the embie Jesus! 😂 🤣 With his Mediterranean accent it comes out like hay-soos though! 😆

I was practically falling asleep on the sofa at 8.30pm last night, whereas tonight I'm wide awake and buzzing 🤷🏻‍♀️ I hope you manage to get a nice sleep tonight and good luck with your GP appointment tomorrow 🍀🍀🍀x

OK I don't even know all of those abbreviations haha!

So you want a natural delivery? Is your partner Mediterranean? I love Spanish names especially after our beautiful embryologist who serenaded our eggs this cycle I swear it must've helped haha.

Also raging about advice RE vaccine and wish I had now but how could I go against a fertility consultant who knows more than me! Would never have forgiven myself if it had affected my fertility. My husband is same age as me 36 and has his Oxford jab this sat, been fab here. Hope your partner gets his soon. DP? 🤔

Both my parents have had both vaccines now. My brother lives in Edinburgh he's at uni there. 2 of my sisters also studied there one in Ed and one in Glasgow. I spent many NYE parties in Ed with my wee sis and Halloween nights out too. Visited my we bro pre covid he lived near the castle so nice!

My GP is lovely so I'm looking forward forward talking to him. Have anxiety about missing the call that's what I hate about virtual apps was in the garden on Monday and it didn't ring 🙈 am working tomorrow but have blocked out an hour for it 👍

Xx

So exciting we are one day apart!

Sorry @Bella1984, I'm terrible for abbreviations - I'm such a lazy cow! 😄 You nailed DP (we're living in sin, even though he's Italian and his mother is a massive Catholic! 😈😇). ELCS is elective cesarean section (definitely not a natural birth 😬) and PPH is post partum haemorrhage (and let's not even get started on the topic of MOH; major obstetric haemorrhage 😰).

So you know Edinburgh well then! 😃 It's such a small world! 😄 I absolutely love it here, I'm not going to lie. It's definitely home 😊

Right, I'm going to try and force myself to get some sleep now (or regret it in the morning 🥱). Catch up with you tomorrow when you've spoken to your lovely GP.x

Haha I do love an abbreviation too, I do physio ones without thinking so always have to go back and fix them 🙈

Goodness you need to stop thinking all those nasty things! I am a glass half full type of girl (depression episodes aside) so I am going to remain thinking that by Christmas we will have a beautiful healthy baby 🥰 and you guys will too! (Just after Xmas for @PT8998)

Haha living in sin you make me laugh, but I get the religious stuff. My family is protestant and so is my husband's family, but with so many Catholic friends I get the pressure some of them are under RE marriage and kids! We had a lovely low key non religious wedding beside the sea in a Yacht club. Followed by 2 weeks in Mauritius! So glad we got married pre covid had so many friends big day cancelled so many times.

Ooh an Italian stallion 😍 I LOVE Italy have been to Amafli coast, Rome, Naples, Pompie Florence, Pisa and wee Tuscan villages. Also hiked up Mount Vesuvius, incredible.

I am as celtic looking as they get, red hair and green eyes. Hoping to pass my red hair to our wee one 😊

Yes get some sleep, I have no chance of an early night after sleeping from 5pm til 7.30pm tonight but I was just too tired not too and if I need to sleep I just need to get it when I can.

I work for the Trust Mon - Thurs as I used to have my own private practice on a Friday but covid put a stop to that! So I just enjoy my Fridays now as a wee me day ☺

Hope you both get a good rest and good luck for OTD tomorrow @PT8998

Ps I asked for my over personal post in other thread to be removed, sometimes with bipolar I get carried away and over share! I just get excited haha. Am bear in mind I have had to come off my LT mood stabilisers due to ivf and pregancy so please excuse me if I give you TMI, my filter isn't quite what it should be atm! Better to stay a bit more private like you sensible ladies 😘 xx

Hi all! Hope you don’t mind me joining? I am 4+3 today after my first FET transfer. Still in shock but really happy.

I had a miscarriage in feb (unexpectedly got pregnant naturally after my egg transfer as couldn’t do a fresh cycle and my clinic didn’t take surge dates too close to Xmas) so I am over analysing every stomach pain so makes me feel better know I’m not the only one : )

Also have added complication of moving from England to Edinburgh in the next month! (But hoping this will distract me until my 1st scan on 11th May).

Not very good with the acronyms either but starting to pick some of them up ; )

Of course not @Em916! Congratulations on your BFP & welcome.

Really sorry to hear about your MC, I'm sure that was just awful. But amazing that you now are 4 +3. We are all very close in this group regarding dates which is great. I am 5 weeks today!

@BambiOnIce80 is based in Ed I think!

Are you moving for a job or just something you wanted to do? I love Edinburgh 💕

Ps I have been using this site called flo, it's an ivf DD calculator and gives really nice info on each week of pregnancy like how the baby is developing and what symptoms to expect. It also gives you this lovely wee pic of your expected DD! You just put in your transfer date 😊 I thought it would be a lovely thing to share with family and close friends at the 12 week mark 🙏

xx

This thread is exactly the right place for TMI and over sharing @Bella1984, so don't apologise for that! 😁 I'm a terrible over sharer IRL (in real life 😉). I guess that's the beauty of anonymity on here 🙈 I'm not sure if DP would class himself as a stallion, but he's definitely proudly Italian! 🇮🇹😁 He lived in Florence and a little Tuscan village for a few years - it's quite handy to be able to go and visit these little, out of the way places with him as a translator 😉 I did worry after I'd mentioned the Catholic mamma that I might have offended you! 😳 Very, very relieved that that wasn't the case 😪 I'm agnostic and forget myself sometimes 🤦🏻‍♀️ What time are you seeing the GP today? I hope it goes well 🤞

Hello, welcome and congratulations @Em916! 😃 I should probably also say welcome to Edinburgh too! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😄 It was the best move I ever made, so hopefully you'll feel at home here too 🏡 Really, really sorry to hear about your MC 😔 I'm currently swinging between feeling pretty normal (and worrying that's a bad sign 😟) to feeling slightly queasy and having mild tightening/cramps going on (which I also worry is a bad sign! 🤯🤦🏻‍♀️). I think we both need to just try and keep sane until viability scan day and, after that, che sera sera 🔮

Thank you @Bella1984 for your very kind message : )

I’m from the north of Scotland and I’ve been wanting to move back for about 10 years, so excited to be closer to family.

The flo site sounds great, thanks I’ll check that out.

And yay there is another Edinburgh person! @BambiOnIce80

I had a bit of sore stomach on tues, I wouldn’t say it was cramps but more a dull ache but seems to have gone now : )

My clinic ran out of cyclogest 400mg so given me 200mg instead so have to now Chuck 2 up there twice a day : (

Other than that all good, scan booked for 11th May.

I got some clear blue how many weeks tests to hopefully see 2-3 tomorrow and then 3+ next week but not sure if this is a crazy idea that will make me worry if doesn’t change? Anyone else thinking of using them?

Thanks for lovely message @BambiOnIce80 : ) And the welcome to Edinburgh. I’m so excited to live there, I’m planning to use my daily walks to get to know the city as much as possible when I move.

And yeah agree this is the place for sharing and nothing is TMI!

Ooooh, there are some beautiful walks here @Em916 😊 I live pretty centrally and I stopped myself going nuts in my TWW by going for walks through the old town, the new town and the water of Leith - it's just so beautiful! 😍

... OK, I'm going to stop gushing about Edinburgh now! 😄 Do PM me if you want any recommendations for walks, restaurants (when they open 😏), etc if and when you need them 👍

On the clearblue weekly indicator front, I did use them on my cycle that ended in the MMC and I've thought about it again this time. I think I've decided I'm going to leave them alone, only because I'm feeling pretty anxious as things are and they might make that worse rather than better 😞 I also got perfect progression on them last time and still ended up having an MMC, so 🤷🏻‍♀️! It's so, so hard to work out what we can do to keep ourselves calm until the viability scan, but I keep coming to the conclusion that I may as well just wait and see what that tells me and try and keep calm and carry on in the meantime... yeah, like that's going to happen! 🙈

Haha @BambiOnIce80 I am pretty hard to offend 😅 not remotely religious or interested in the whole Protestant / Catholic nonsense!

Absolutely love Tuscany I'm a tad jealous you get to go there with your native OH.

I am obsessed with travel having lived in America coaching football and Czech Republic teaching English. Our last holiday was our honeymoon We! We had booked 2 weeks in Morocco last year as our final child free holiday, we went all out and booked an incredible adult only resort . . . It was of course cancelled due to covid, we still haven't gotten our money back despite having premium travel insurance! They said we can go another time, but Morocco is on the red list so we can't even if we wanted to! Case is with ombudsman one year on 😤

Regards testing @Em916 I am not doing a single one now. That's what lovely nurse at clinic advised and I think it's good advice. No matter what they say you will go for 7wk USS so for me at this point all they will cause is undue stress and worry! And belive me I was a serial tester until my BFP (I did 6 just to make sure because I couldn't believe it!!!) xx

I have a few questions for you knowledgable ladies 😊

1. I've been avoiding baths for whole of ivf cycle and first trimester, is this what you've been told / read too due to not wanting to overheat? I've not had one since late Feb and am dying for a soak! Last night I filled up the bottom and sat on the side with my feet in 🤣 my feet are like ice assuming it's coz of blood being redirected to baby etc?!

2. My hair is naturally red and I have never dyed it, until the last year or so due to a few pesky greys coming through so I like to use like a natural color enhancer. Have read not to dye hair in pregnancy, obvs get it RE peroxide etc but would a natural one from H&B be ok you think? In 2nd trimester? Doesn't matter too much like it looks fine and more blonde than grey haha

3. Read a lot about diet and nutrition for pregancy obvs and trying to be good, so many articles about sugar being the devil! How strict are you all with your diets atm? I've been super healthy but am currently craving pizza and ice cream haha do I give in?! Not together by the way 😉

Are you guys still on progesterone pessaries then? Mine were stopped as soo as BFP, which was delighted with tbh!

@BambiOnIce80 my phone call with my GP is at 2pm here in between patients 🤞 Will update you later!

Ps I sat up late watching Promising Young woman the movie last night, omg it's amazing I was hooked! Anyone watched it? Highly recommended

Chat later xx

I

Oooh, living abroad sounds very exciting @Bella1984! 🤩 I always fancied the US... well, before the previous 4 years happened I did 🙄

You'll wish you hadn't asked me your questions (😜), but here goes:

1. I haven't had a bath since the MMC in March of last year (and I bloody love a bath! 🛀 😭). The reason is on the advice of my consultant, but it's more to do with my possible (unexplained) reason for infertility (that could have played a part in the MMC as well). I've always been prone to recurrent yeast infections (and here we go with the TMI! 😳😉), so she reasoned that I might have an 'abnormal vaginal microbiome'. Even though she can't say for sure, she said it would be wise to avoid baths until I'm done with treatment. I previously read that you're fine to have baths as long as they don't exceed body temperature, so get your thermometer out and go for it! 🛁🌡️

2. Hair 💇‍♀️ Firstly - my roots haven't been done since December and I am definitely not rocking the salt and pepper look 😩 The NHS guidance is that it's better to leave dying your hair until after 12 weeks, unless you use foils (because then the dye/peroxide doesn't touch your scalp). It does say you can use herbal/vegetable based dyes like henna and stuff, but I'm not brave enough to try it. I think I'm just going to have to look a state until the coast is clear 🙄

3. This link from the NHS about food is really, really helpful:

"Foods to avoid in pregnancy - NHS" www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/

I've realised I've probably been overdoing the oily fish from what it says though! 🤦🏻‍♀️ I've been hitting hot smoked salmon bagels pretty hard these last few weeks 🥯😳 I find the whole sugar thing hard to believe 🤔 Loads of people who indulge in sugar to the max (or are diabetic even!) get pregnant and stay pregnant without any issue 🤷🏻‍♀️ And I remember from last time that Ben and Jerry's uses pasteurised eggs and milk, so it's mercifully pregnancy friendly! 🍨😋

I know that both @PT8998 and I are on progesterone pessaries for a while because we're both medicated frozen transfers (which means we haven't been making our own and are totally dependent on the synthetic stuff). I've got to endure 49 days of pessary gunk post BFP 🩲😐 It would literally be the only silver lining to getting bad news at the viability scan - I could stop the damn pessaries!

Thanks for the movie recommendation - which platform is that on? I hope your call with the GP went OK?x

Hey @BambiOnIce80

I cannot belive how long you've not had a bath for your poor lady! I thought 2 months was bad 🤣 I'm not gons risk them in first trimester anyway don't think, just to be on the safe side!

Yeah I'm gona leave my hair I'm just being vain you literally can't see a single grey in my hair unless I have it up, which I rarely do. It's gotten super long with lockdowns nearly at my waist until I took a few inches off it at the weekend. Too long to dry! I will just wait has really not important.

Thanks for the nutrition info I think the same about sugar like FFS there has to be some pleasure in life and surely Ben and Jerry's is one when pregnant!

I had a lovely evening we had my mum and step dad round to the garden for a bbq, can mix 6 people from 2 households outdoors only here still. Was nice to have some normality and beautiful weather here today 😎

Xx

I can't believe it either @Bella1984! 🛀 😭 I thought I would have broken long ago, but I've surprised myself.

Sounds like you've had a lovely evening with your folks 😊 I haven't seen mine in 20 months because they're in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 😏 Do yours know about your exciting news?x

Morning ; )

@Bella1984 @BambiOnIce80 I am struggling with no baths and hair dye too! I had a bath at recommended temperature last time (my OH even got out a therm to check it!) and it was so cold it’s not good! (I do like my baths hot!). I really need to do my roots but avoiding hair dye too so thinking of trying to rock a half up top knot to hide for now!

And good advice both on the how many weeks sticks. I was going to do it yesterday when I got up and forgot so feels like for the best. Just need to be patient!

And thanks @BambiOnIce80 when I move to Edinburgh some recommendations would be great so I’ll get in touch. I’m going to be central as well!

Morning @Em916

Yeah I like really hot baths too & don't really fancy lying in a luke warm one haha. As you say will just have have be patient. Which I generally have none of & is required in abundance for IVF & pregnancy it would appear!

I'm very lucky at 36 I don't have to dye my hair, I never have because it's naturally red and after being bullied as a child / teenager it is now my best asset 😍 I actually do extras work as a hobby I've been in Game of Thrones, The Fall, Line of Duty, Derry Girls and many more. It is the best fun! I've been asked to be in the new Netflix movie School of Good and Evil but had to turn down because of ivf etc 😕 but hey, more important things right now! 🤰

When do you move to Edinburgh? It's honestly my fave city in the UK. I'm hoping to visit my brother at some point when travel restrictions lift, though will be longer now as won't be going anywhere until we have a wee one and it's safe to do so! Maybe we could have a wee meet up in the future how lovely would that be 😊

I am off today for the first time since by BFP, so glad not to be listening to patients moaning all day 😉 I'm a great physio really I'm just ready for a few days off. The sun is shining here again yay, I have my flu jab with the GP at 11 and then it will be outdoor brunch with my bum and a beach walk with my dog 🐕

Are you all working today? Any weekend plans?

Happy Friday ladies!

A xx