Assisted Conceptions (and all the bits in-between) Volume 11

[vallinnapod]

I really hope I haven't missed someone else starting this!

Happy Friday ladies. Scan went well, baby looked fine, measured spot on and was wriggling like crazy. Sonography could not be 100% sure but thinks we are team pink too!!

Hope everyone is doing okay.

Don't stop believing

pocket wooo hoo team pink! So glad your scan went well and mini pocket is all good.So half way now!

ginger I am glad you have gone ahead and blooked the L2 tests. Let us know how you get on.

vallinnapod I hope ET goes well on Wed. Will be thinking of you.

hoops how are things? I hope your consultant can help.

Solars welcome. I am currently at ARGC so please feel free to ask any questions or PM if you'd like.

AFM next scan on Monday - fingers crossed all goes okay, will probably always be nervous. Haven't had too much time to think about it this week as the nausea has definitely kicked in. Definitely not complaining though.

Happy Friday to all oxo

Very exciting guys Pocket!

Sunny enjoy every vim . I had a completely symptom free pregnancy with DS - which as an AC lady is far from reassuring

*vom

Just popping on to say huge, hugest congratulations to Sunny and your little Sunlets! wonderful and well-deserved news.

And fab news about your little pink Pockette too, Pocket, now you can start really arguing over names!

xx

Yeah, Pocket more team pink!

So, it turns out my two brrrrrrr-babies (frozen embryos) are frozen separately. So now I need to make a decision. One or two?

DS was two and only he stuck.

If I didn't have him to consider then I would definitely go for two back. However I question how fair it would be for him for DH and I to be all consumed with twins (plus DS was a dream baby but when has been tough with him it has been TOUGH - to times that by 2 and add a toddler....). If I hadn't had a single baby twins (in my mind) would have been fine as you know no different. Selfishly do I want to put my body through that, try to breast feed two etc...

I think my mind is made up for one...for the next 30 seconds any way. Anyone got any pearls of wisdom? According to the embryologist having 2 put back only increases your chance of pregnancy by 5% and the risk of triplets/quads is high.

May not be an issue as just started pink spotting Now idea what this will mean. Beyond disappointed

Yey Pocket! Lovely to hear all went well and it might be team pink for you too!

Mo lovely to hear from you, I often think about you. Hope you are doing ok and taking good care of yourself.

Sunny good luck for your next scan but all sounding good with the nausea (that sounds weird to say..)

Hi Lissy, hope your DD has a lovely first birthday today.

Hi Solars. All the best of luck with your cycle at ARGC. They sound amazing, so I'm sure you will get on well with their treatment.

Vall do not despair, It may still be fine. I am keeping fingers and toes crossed for you, oh and sending hugs.

Vanilla how are you? How is the spotting? Am really hoping it's stopped now and was just a blip.

Sunny good luck for your next scan tomorrow - I hope your little beauties are coming on nicely.

Pocket glad your scan went well. And team pink - how exciting! You must really be feeling excited now.

Solars when is your cycle due to start?

Ginger hope all ok with you lovely.

AFM, AF finally showed up so I'll start down-regging in three weeks. Have occasional twinges of excitement but mostly I feel sick thinking about - I just can't face it not working again. We've had a couple of close pregnancy announcements this week and because I'm self-obsessed I feel it's really upped the pressure. I'm just know I'm really going to struggle with those pregnancies if this doesn't work.

Happy sunny Sunday lovely ladies x

Thanks highlove. Not had anything since Friday night. Feel quite crampy though, like mild period pains. Rang the clinic on Saturday and they didn't get back to me until gone 9pm and even then I am pretty sure she hadn't spoken to a doctor. Will call on Monday. I really don't want to risk an embryo if things aren't right.

Great news on the down regging. The mixed emotions are so rational. I understand the 'pressure' with pregnancy announcements.

Vanilla hope you?re doing okay and no more cramping or spotting. Hope your clinic can give you some reassurance when you speak to them ? are you due to transfer this week?

Highlove I remember feeling relieved when we delayed our summer 2012 cycle a month or two ? felt like we could hope for longer ? maybe that?s how you feel now. My acupuncturist (who?s very zen and has many words of wisdom) told me to look at these stages as steps to where we wanted to be. I know its not as easy as it sounds, but try and stay focussed on your end goal, and know that all of these scans, transfers, tests etc is a step closer to your BFP ? and your baby.

Ginger how are you getting on?

Badger hope you and the LO are doing okay ? must be like a dream come true to actually be able to pick her up and hold her!

Sunny hope all goes well with your scan tomorrow. Bet you want wait to see your little ones again! The nausea must be reassuring ? I?ve had virtually no symptoms at all apart from a bit of indigestion around 12 weeks and insomnia now. I?m grateful now but longed for nausea and aching boobs early on!

Hoop hope you get the news you want from your GP soon ? a private clinic would be able to prescribe you with that meds you mention, but you may need to go through the rigmarole of tests again. But fx your GP comes through.

Lissy belated happy first birthday to your LO, how amazing!

Dear Mo how are you my love? Hope you?re doing okay?

Solars welcome ? you?ll find this thread so supportive and helpful. I?ve not used ARGC but have only ever heard good things from the lovely ladies here. Best of luck to you with your next appointment.

Hello to Mini, Beginning, Frosticle, Weller, Bugsy and apologies to anyone I?ve missed.

I was out with friends last night and someone told a story of a friend of theirs who had twins followed by triplets ? and they?re all under 3. Can you imagine that???

Hope everyone is having a relaxing Sunday.

DSB

Highlove deep breaths sweetie, and like Pocket says, try to stay focused and positive. I know it's hard but try to flip the worrying that it may not work for you and you will then struggle to cope with the pregnancies of friends, to imagining how great it will be to be pregnant at the same time as them, and swapping notes with them.

Vall I do hope all is ok and your clinic is able to reassure you tomorrow.

Pocket and Highlove thank you for asking after me. I am hanging in there, trying not to worry about the level 2 blood tests on Tues. I'm going to find it difficult to wait another 6 weeks for the results, as I really want to get on with it now, and feel time is passing me by. Will keep my chin up and keep going though. If it finally uncovers the problem, and it is treatable then this could be my year!

Hi and to all!

DSB

Hello and thank you for the lovely welcomes from all of you x

Lissy thanks and it's always lovely to hear a success story, a belated birthday to your little girl.

Gingernuts I'm sorry I don't know your full story but I'm hoping all goes well with your level 2 blood tests. Are these for immunes? I really hate the waiting around for results too, hope you can somehow forget about them for a while at least, easier said than done I know, but I hope you can hang on in there x

Pocket great scan news

Sunny good luck for the scan today

Vannillapod hope you've heard from your clinic and all is still ok for your ET on Wednesday?

Highlove I have absolutely everything crossed for this cycle for you. I think I feel a little like you too so very scared of things not working again. It's so very daunting to think of having to go through the feelings of an unsuccessful cycle and then picking yourself up again. But I love the words of wisdom from Pockets acupuncturist who said that by going through all of this you're another step closer to getting your baby. Not sure when we may be able to start our next cycle yet. We have our initial consultation at ARGC on 7th March and not sure if we will have to have further tests or not before embarking on the next cycle.

Last week I had some bloods taken by my very kind GP for the list of bloods required by ARGC, however on Saturday I received a letter from my GP that she wanted to see me as she has the results now. It did state that it is non-urgent but I have been so worried about what it could be. My GP is away this week and the surgery system means I have to wait until next Monday in order to try and get an appointment for the following wednesday. They have booked me in for a telephone appointment on the 1st March in case I can't get an appointment. So I'm trying to hang on in there and have been repeating to myself that they really can't be that bad as she did say it was non-urgent.

Hi All

Mo so nice of you to pop by. I hope you are doing okay. We often think of you.

Lissy wow DD is almost 1. I hope she has a lovely first birthday!

Vall I hope the clinic has been able to reassure you and all is going to be okay for transfer. Fingers and everything crossed for you.

Highlove I totally understand those mixed feelings of starting a new cycle. My first day at ARGC was really mixed emotions of total trepidation and excitement. I will be willing you on with everyone else.

ginger Good luck for tomorrow's bloods. I know the wait for the results will be tortuous but I'm convinced it's the right move. Have you got some things lined up for the next 6 weeks while you wait? Even dumb things that you've been meaning to do like 'clean out drawers'. I know sounds totally wild but I find having a list of things to work through helps to keep the days going.

My scan today at 6.5 went well I think. Both Heart beats were good but only thing is one is measuring smaller. Unfortunately the ARGC scanners are notoriously rubbish which even the doc acknowledged so that doesn't help. You would think they might be able to invest in some new scanners! I know it's still very early days, and hopefully smaller twin will catch up but I am tossing up the idea of going and having an extra scan this week at the Birth Company or somewhere like that. I've heard they have great scanners. I don't know if I am being ridiculous but I also can't see why not. Any thoughts? If so I would wait till Thurs/Fri when I will be 7 weeks. I'm off work this week so seems like a good opportunity in some ways as I have the time but next week will be harder.

Also any twin or multiple ladies out there, any ideas when I should be going to see my GP and when the NHS usually do their first scan with twins? I expect I'll be under ARGC care for some time, which is of course fine, but just wondering if I should pop down and see my GP this week also?

oxox

Sorry to hear one twin is measuring small sunnyg though a heartbeat at 6.5 weeks sounds good to me. I took the view that there was nothing I could do to make a difference during the early weeks so from my first scan at 7 weeks I had nothing until the NHS 12 week scan. However, if you will worry lots then maybe a scan might be good to set your mind at rest.

Have ARGC said your twins are clearly the result of two embryos or 'DCDA' twins? I only ask because for unknown reasons IVF also increases the chances of a single embryo spliting and you having 'MCDA' twins. If it's the former (which seems most likely) you'll more than likely just be treated like a singleton pregnancy until 20-24 weeks. So, you'll probably want to do your 'booking in' and initial blood tests with the GP/Midwife at around 10 weeks and get them to book you your 12 week scan. You could phone your GP/Midwife now to get that sorted. I didn't need to see the GP to do this I just rang up and said 'I'm pregnant can I book in'.

It's worth making sure that whoever books your 12 week scan tells the hospital it's a twin pregnancy - twin scans take longer and they may want two people to do it. I wasn't booked in as a twin pregnancy by my midwife and the sonographer had a bit of a grump with me as not enough time had been set aside and she needed to find someone to help record all the measurements.

After that you'll probably get a 16 week appointment with your midwife and then your 20 week abnormality scan. It's really after that you'll get extra stuff - scans every four weeks and then probably also consultant appointments at 28/32/36 weeks (I think that's how I remember it).

If you're MCDA you'll get many more scans between 12 weeks and 20 weeks.

Thanks lovely ladies for your support. Pocket that is exactly how I feel - the longer I out it off the longer I can hope. That must have been your succesful cycle though? That's reassuring!

Sunny glad you saw your two lovely heartbeats again. Sorry to hear you've now got something to have to worry about though. If I were you I'd definitely see about another scan in a few days - somewhere with decent machines. Having had a number of scans, both NHS and private, during my short-lived pregnancy I know different machines AND different sonographers can give wildly different readings. Let us know what you decide and I shall continue keeping everything crossed for you.

Good luck tomorrow Ginger.

Any news Vanilla?

Solars try not to worry...though I know that's not really possible! You are at ARGC so best possible hands...whatever your bloods find, they'll have a solution to it!

pocket great news re scan go team pink.
sunnyg great 2 heart beats. Try not to worry too much re size ds was tiny at 7 weeks then 'caught up'. Scans when should we do them depends whether it will reassure you or make you worry more if the former do it.

To all you lovely, brave patient ladies DSB

Solaris my gp was lovely but I quickly realised they don't always fully understand fertility - I even had some bloods repeated needlessly as they were 'normal' for fertility. My advice, would be to get the results into the hands of argc ASAP so the experts can have a look at them. Try not to worry in the meantime.

Sunny sorry that one if your LOs is measuring small but its positive to see two strong heartbeats. Re a second scan, I've heard good things about fetal medicine centre so look them up also, they're in the same area. Btw, I went to my gp at 7 weeks and saw the mw pretty soon after that but didn't have an Nhs scan till 12 weeks....Not sure how it works for multiples and if you're technically still under argc for a bit. But I've just seen that Teds had responded and she's better qualified than me!

Vanilla hope you had some reassurance today from clinic.

Big hello to everyone else

DSB

Hi everyone,
sunny I told my pg I was pregnant 2 days after my positive test but that was because my clinic suggested getting the pessaries from pg so I didn't have to pay! Think he then referred to midwife however I chased this up so not sure if they actually got the referral. Know it is easier said than done not to worry but sure little bubba will catch up! Kind of the opposite thing but my bubba's head measured on the 95th centile, midwife reassured me that different parts grow at different points (I'm still not 100% convinced!) but hopefully your bubba will have a little growth spurt in the next few days.
I've got my next scan on the 1st match, I'll be 21 weeks by then! Time is going a little too quickly!
DSB xxx

Pg is meant to be GP silly predictive text! :-)

Hey all.

We are still on for transfer on Wednesday. I have had nothing since (TMI!) the pink discharge on Friday night. Been feeling quite period painy. It's hard to know what is normal as this time during IVF you are recovering from EC so it all feels quite different.

Sunny try not to worry at the moment. Your two little sunbeams are so teeny tiny they are very hard to get an accurate measure on.

21 Weeks Beginning?! Wow, flying by :)

sunny I'm so pleased the scan showed two beautiful heartbeats. Re: the birth company/fetal medicine, they are both great and have amazing scanners, but really depends on whether you will feel reassured or more stressed. This will sound weird, but I found the weekly scans much easier than the 2-3 day ones ARGC had me on at first, as I just trusted that everything was fine and wouldn't let anyone tell me otherwise until the next scan. See how you feel in a few days, as birth company in particular can usually do same or next day appointments. With the GP I would go sooner rather than later, as I found it took 4-5 weeks to get a MW appointment at my surgery as the booking in one is an hour and they had very few slots. Do think about which hospital you want (I know, sounds insane at this stage) but they ask you that when you first see the GP and I have found changing hospitals later down the line a real faff!

valinna I have FX for your ET tomorrow and hopefully the discharge was just a one off. Have you made any more decisions about 1 vs 2? I can totally understand what you mean about the impact of 2 as you already have a DS (and it is not weird at all to think about the impact on your body as well).

pocket yay on tentative team pink! The name game can truly being now.

beginning wow, 19ish weeks already. I bet you can't wait until your scan.

Lissy a year already! How amazing.

hoops how are you feeling?

xx

Just popping in to say to Solars that I had some fertility related blood tests done by my GP and then got called in in a similar fashion and it ended up being because they'd also tested my cholesterol and it was slightly high so they wanted me to tell me. I was very annoyed that they'd a) made me worry unnecessarily about what I assumed was a fertility issue (like you I couldn't get an appt for a week after the call) and b) that they'd made me go in for something they could have told me over the phone!! So try not to worry, I am sure it's nothing to be concerned about.

You cannot make this up.....DS was diagnosed with Chicken Pox today!!! Seriously !

Waiting to hear from the clinic as to whether they will go ahead. I had it as a kid and when I mentioned it to the GP who diagnosed DS she thought it would be a non-issue. However the clinic nurse wanted to check with a doctor - which may now be tomorrow morning, delaying thawing.

Obviously don't want to waste an embryo but....! We decided to go with one...well, I say we. DH is all for two but he has a rather romanticised view of twins.

Lissy hope DD (and you) had a wonderful birthday!