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

[MocktailMe]

www.mumsnet.com/talk/conception/5093665-ttc-1-no-previous-pregnancies-cycle-6-looking-for-others-in-the-same-boat?page=40&reply=144772936

Hi everyone!

I can't quite believe it but after a while year we only went and filled the last thread.

I'll tag you all below so that you can find me!

If anyone silently reading along wants to keep following - here's the place. If anyone wants to read the fertility journey for the last year have a look through the last thread.

Those are great numbers @MocktailMe ! I've heard egg retrieval can be really painful/sore. If you think some people get ovulation pain from releasing one egg and you've just done 21. IVF takes its toll, look after yourself this week. And fingers firmly crossed for those 16 🤞🤞🤞

@MocktailMe this is amazing news!! Can’t wait to hear an update

Thanks ladies. Will be going in for transfer tomorrow and then begins the longest 2WW of my life!!!

@MocktailMe hope everything goes OK today and everything crossed for the TWW - hopefully Christmas will be a good distraction and a good time to rest ❤️

Thanks so much :) I don't know how I'm supposed to forget now 😆 but the transfer went well. We also have several good quality blasts in the freezer so I am hopeful we will never have to do a full round again.

@MocktailMe yay so proud of you getting through this next stage! You won’t forget but that’s totally normal. Glad you’ve got blasts in the fridge a great start to the ivf journey.

I really like the BFN podcast and there’s lots on ivf TWW etc.

I had a private scan today and saw baby at 9 weeks which is a relief it’s still measuring bang on at 9 weeks which is good. After so long TTC and it feeling like one thing going wrong after another it’s a lovely feeling that things are moving in the right direction. I’ve got 12 days off over Xmas too and I’m knackered so very excited to be horizontal a lot!

ahhhh @MocktailMe sounds like your IVF cycle was so positive with a good result. Now, stick baby stick 🤞 truly hope this is it for you. Have a lovely Xmas, hopefully it will allow you to feel some joy knowing you are pregnant until proven otherwise. 💖

Hi ladies I am so sorry for the radio silence! I’ve had a complete nightmare with my phone. Dropped it down the toilet 🤣 then was using a temporary phone but had no logins etc for all my apps. It’s been nice in a way but I’m only just back up and running as of yesterday evening!! So much to catch up on here!

@MocktailMethis is the best news to come back to!! Sounds like the cycle has been a huge success so far, so amazing to have good quality blasts frozen, so great. I’m sorry I wasn’t around while you’ve been going through it all! Sounds like you reacted really well to the treatment and fingers crossed you won’t need to ever do the egg retrieval part again. Absolutely delighted for you that the transfer went well too! Was it a day 3 or day 5 embryo? The TWW after IVF is genuinely agony but hopefully the distraction of Christmas will help! I am so excited for you ❤️

@CharLdnso glad you have had a positive 9 week scan!! Hope you enjoy the well deserved Christmas break and by the end of it you’ll be so close to that 12 week scan!

@Tater05so glad to read things are still flying along well for you! You are getting close to the third trimester now which I’m sure is surreal!!

@lavafield @KT199 @KTB34 I hope you are all enjoying your first Christmas with your beautiful babies ❤️

All is good with me, I am 22 weeks now and happy to report that our anatomy scan looked perfect and it was so nice to get a really good look at baby. I’m honestly still a bit reserved and holding my breath, I don’t think I’ve accepted it yet that I might actually bring a baby home but I know we all can relate to that feeling. I’m still struggling a bit mentally with it all, even though I’m beyond grateful and happy I suppose the scars still run deep! We are staying put for Christmas, I had hoped to try get away somewhere like the canaries to get some sun but never got around to it so I’m just looking forward to taking time off work and relaxing.

@MocktailMe so glad to hear the transfer went well! I so hope this is the one for you but having more good quality blasts in the freezer must feel reassuring. Hopefully the Christmas period will help keep you distracted, sounds like you've had as good a start to IVF as you can hope for!

@CharLdn enjoy those 12 days off, just what you need at the moment! Around 9 weeks was the most exhausting time for me so far. Lovely to see you're measuring bang on where you should be and you don't have too long to wait for the 12 week scan. I wish we could bottle the feeling of things moving in the right direction, how it should be!

@Waitingformiracle sorry to hear about your phone 😂 really glad to hear you anatomy scan all went well! Honestly I've only recently started to realise that this might actually be it and I'll have a baby in a few months, and this is my first pregnancy so I have no reason to believe otherwise. You'll always have that reservation which is completely normal but must be hard. Are you able to talk about it with your partner as well?
As much as the canaries would have been lovely, I've found that when we've gone away while I've been pregnant it just makes any symptoms harder to deal with. We did a long weekend away at 22 weeks and I struggled with eating what I needed etc and had almost constant indigestion, we enjoyed the weekend but I was so glad to get back to the comfort of home!
And yes it's crazy I'm approaching the third trimester so quickly, I think it's the second week of January I'll be 28 weeks. And it will be time to actually start planning for an imminent arrival because we haven't really done anything yet 🤣

@MocktailMe I am so, so happy to hear this news. This is so positive after everything you have been through. I will be excited to hear an update, sounds like your experience of IVF has been successful so far ❤️

@Waitingformiracle welcome back to the real world 😂

@Tater05 @Waitingformiracle @CharLdn glad your pregnancies are going well 🙂

I still have pinch myself moments everyday, also daily thoughts of our lost baby. It all interlinks but we are enjoying Christmas so far with our little rainbow baby. He’s growing way too fast!

@KT199 @lavafield how are your little ones doing ?

Thanks @Tater05I know I’m certainly not alone in my feelings especially in this group. And I do speak with my husband about it too. It’s funny it’s not something he feels at all, but I think men tend to not carry the weight of it all like we do! And I couldn’t agree more that going away, while lovely and a real privilege to be able to do, would probably not be as nice in reality. I’ll be much happier with cosy nights in by the fire where I can eat what suits me etc. plus the anxiety of travelling far in case something happened would certainly weigh on me.

@KTB34I certainly relate to the thoughts of your lost baby. I think about ours a lot and I do feel a mix of emotions including guilt that I feel like we’re moving on without her. I hope you have a magic Christmas with your little guy, I can imagine the weeks go far too quickly!! I already don’t want this little girl to grow up and she’s not even here yet 😅❤️

Hello ladies,
@MocktailMe so so happy your transfer went well and that you also have a good number of healthy embryos stored too. Hope a relaxed cosy Christmas period helps as you start your super TWW! 🎄

@Waitingformiracle, @CharLdn, @Tater05 glad to hear your pregnancies are progressing well. What a lovely wrap up of the year to see more pregnancies in this beautiful group!

I agree on travels. While we did take two summer trips in my second trimester but the worries were heightened (flight, eating out, sun burns, constant symptom checking)!

We are doing very well here, so sweet to spend our first Christmas at home with a new baby! We usually go away but this time it is safer and nicer to stay put at home. Our son is 8 weeks now and some of the newborn issues are gradually getting resolved and we are getting used to his routine (yes he dictates that for now! 😂). There is nothing better than having your baby fall asleep on your breast after feeding, with that little smile, watching how secure he feels with his mama!! I am totally loving it and enjoying every moment as babies grow so fast!

How are your babies @KTB34 and @KT199 ?

@lavafield I definitely felt after 6 weeks things got a little more settled. However 😂 our little one is 16 weeks on Tuesday and oh my he very much demands everything lol! He talks loads, can smile and giggle, has started to roll on his front and has found his hands and feet. I also think we are starting this 4 month sleep regression I hear so much about so I feel we’ve gone back to newborn days! But I wouldn’t change any of it 💙

@KTB34 @Waitingformiracle I think it's completely normal to think a lot about our lost babies at this time of year - but I don't think you should ever feel guilty for moving on with your lives. We will never forget them, no matter how many more babies you might have one day ❤️

Thanks everyone for all your kind wishes and for all your own updates! I'm not sure how I feel about Pregnant until proven otherwise - I'm framing it more as giving it a really good go 😄trying to minimise the fall if it doesn't work! Although mostly I'm trying to stay in a neutral/positive area.

This is our absolute busiest time at work, and I work as normal over Christmas we don't close, so the good thing is I really am being kept busy and don't have too much time to worry!

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas Day!!

We are doing good thank you @lavafield and @KTB34.. rocking out in the newborn trenches 😂 Christmas has been lovely however I’m glad it’s over. There was too much expectation on us to socialise and everyone wanting to see/hold our little one. We are adjusting to our new life with the milk monster who summons us every few hours and I would have preferred to have locked our doors and let no one in. But, that is settling now thankfully so we can really soak up all the special moments as a 3 (and nap whenever we get the chance!!) How were your first christmases with your little ones?

@MocktailMe Got my fingers crossed for you.

@CharLdn @Waitingformiracle @Tater05 hope you are all doing okay and enjoying pregnancy (where possible)

@KT199 I feel like Christmas can be intense socialising at the best of times let alone with a newborn!

I’ve been enjoying Xmas I live close to my parents who always host so it’s been good to dip in and out of the festivities 🥳 I’ve felt pretty tired but my mum and sister both said they felt better at week 12 so 🤞 and that’s only two weeks away now. My sister also had a miscarriage before she had her kids so is very empathetic about nerves!

Hi guys glad you enjoyed Christmas/hope those who haven't been on yet had a good one.

Sadly 9dp5dt today (14dpo equivalent) and stark negative. I can't even say I'm surprised, anything that can go wrong usually does. I feel mostly numb to it all right now and weary at the thought of having to go again.

So sorry @MocktailMe ❤️ this time might not have worked but it was the first one, you still have all those healthy blasts in the freezer. It must feel heavy thinking about going again, hopefully next time you speak to your consultant they'll help with that

Oh @MocktailMe I am so so sorry 😔 this is so unfair. Take this time to grieve ❤️‍🩹 this is a loss in and of itself so just know that we are here to help you through this. I know it may not be comfort right now, but I hope it helps to know that you have lots of lovely embryos frozen and when you feel ready, the next time it will be a lot more straightforward without having to do the ER. Plus they do say that frozen cycles have a slightly higher success rate so there is so much hope 🙏

So sad, @MocktailMe , as we all know how much you wanted to get pregnant by Christmas / this year. I would feel numb too. But I agree, frozen embryos and a second attempt is often more successful, so don't despair!

I am greatful I won't have to be doing another egg retrieval (at least for the foreseeable if at all) as the down regulation/stims period was much physically harder than the post transfer progesterone has been. I still have to take the progesterone for another 2 days (why?!) but after that I will finally be drug free for the first time in weeks and weeks, which I am looking forward to.

After the egg retrival I was so sore, and really swollen and uncomfortable, I can't help but think it can't have been the easiest time on my body.

But the stats are basically a coin flip each transfer, so it really might just have been not our time. I do want to go again as quickly as possible. As much as i would like to give my body a break I have been TTC for 2 years 3 months. Delaying for any reason is just intolerable to me now.

@Waitingformiracle I have heard the stats are better on FET - I'm wondering whether the clinic will push for natural medicated cycle.

@MocktailMeyour body has been through so much, the drug free break will no doubt be a welcome break. In terms of the FET protocol, my clinic was very open to letting me choose as I was ovulating ok on my own. They said that they see slightly better outcomes with fully medicated cycles so I decided to go with that because I wanted to throw the kitchen sink at it! Of course it means 12 weeks of drugs if the FET is successful which is a lot on your body especially after you had to do the down regulation on top of the rest, but ultimately I felt it was worth it if I meant the transfer would work. Having said that I’ve read of lots of women who choose modified natural and swear by it! I’m sure it’s very nice to not have to take all the drugs and let your body do the work. I hope your clinic will get you in to talk through this recent transfer and what your next steps will be, and no doubt give you their own opinion about what will work best

I think if I have a choice I would also go with medicated. Rough as the drugs have been at the end of the day I went an extremely medicated route for retrieval and it was very successful.

My ovulation shifts a little too, and driving 2 hours to the clinic and back every day for a week to keep checking seems like a pain! That said, I will go with whatever is reccomended. I'm hoping I won't have to wait long to get the FET booked.

@MocktailMethats how I felt too, I also felt like we hadn’t been successful in so long with my body doing its own thing so I didn’t have much trust in it!