IVF warriors - the journey continues 2

[Imisscoffee2021]

@Decaffe
@seekingbabyk
@MinBins
@acaciabluebell
@MammyandAva
@Spin101
@1stcycle
@KLM25
@ralno2
@acaciabluebell@Tinkerbell098

Another thread needed ladies! Please tag if I've forgotten someone! :)

Hi @Honeybunie, just thought would send a quick message to see how you’re getting on ❤️ I think now must be around the time you’re stopping your meds? Not long now until your NHS scan, what an amazing milestone that will be ❤️ If you’re anything like me, you might have had a few private ones already.
Anyway, hope all is ok. All ok here. We had my Dad’s funeral last Fri, it all went as well as these things can do. Not sure I’ve taken it in yet, things are so non stop with the kids. Maybe that’s a good thing, I’m not sure.
We just watched the film Joy on Netflix about the beginnings of IVF. I forced Chris into it tbh ☺️ but I think he enjoyed it. A few tears from me which was inevitable I suppose.
Lots of love to you and keep us posted xxx

Hi @KLM25 nice to hear from you. I really hope you’re okay considering the circumstances and that you’ll get some time soon to grief and come to terms with your loss. It will take time I’m sure but it will get better ❤️‍🩹 how is your mum holding up? ❤️
Yes we have had two private scans now 🤭 we had one at 9+2 which was perfect and just this Sunday when I was 11+6. It’s not long until the nhs scan but I’ve been feeling completely normal since Monday last week so I just wanted some reassurance. And we made a little Sunday afternoon trip out of it. Bit of shopping and dinner with a friend after. Everything was spot on again 😊 it’s amazing to see how much baba has grown and looks more and more like a proper baby. We saw the arms and legs moving 🥰 and the face and nose! 🥰 s/he is a right wriggler 😅 and measured 12+4 😅 must’ve had a growth spur 😊 and the placenta was there which was good to see before stopping the meds. Last day was this Monday 😃 I was so excited to stop them. My belly can heal now 😊 it did feel a bit weird to stop completely from one day to another but I have to trust the process don’t I. In that respect it’s also good to have the scan next Monday to see that everything went well after stopping the meds. We can’t wait. Hopefully everything is okay with baba and then we can make our news public as well.
OH told his middle and youngest daughter yesterday. We were a bit worried how the middle one would take it as she’s mentally not too well at the moment but she was over the moon 🥰 the youngest, on the other hand, which we did not expect, started crying and said OH would not love her anymore and she would not be the youngest anymore 🫣🤭 keep in mind that she’ll be 18 soon 😂 she had the flu and only just woke up though so I guess that didn’t help the course bless her 😅 and she does study drama and loves the attention of being the youngest I guess 😅 she was fine after OH reassured her he’d still love her 😅 and she’ll always be his favourite youngest daughter 😅 let’s hope we have a boy so there is no competition 😅 well that’ll be a good story to take the mick out of her in years to come 😂
Belly has also started to grow a bit 😃 since Sunday there seems to be a little bump all of a sudden 😅 looks like I’m bloated 😂 but definitely something there 😊 exciting to see the changes.
Aw we watched the film Joy last week too 🥹🥹 it was sooo good 🥲 we both sobbed at the end! 😂 I just felt sooo sad for all the women that volunteered as guinea pigs back in the day without standing a chance of being successful, but that made it possible for all of us to become parents 😭 I was in bits.
Sending lots of love ❤️ strength and a big hug 🤗 xxx

Hello ladies. We had our 12 week scan last week Monday when I was 13+1. We did the combined screening test (NT and bloods) and I just had a phone call today saying that we have a higher chance for down syndrome, with 1 in 83. edwards and patau were low. Has anyone else had that? It was obviously a shock to both of us and what I've been dreading. I nearly thought we were in the clear, as no phone call up to today, and now that. I'm just trying to get my head around it and trying to stay positive. 1 in 83 is still a low chance, like 1.2%. and we get an additional test which will tell us 100% whether it is healthy or not. I'm past 14 weeks so cant have the placenta biopsy test anymore, but will have the amniotic fluid test once we are 16 weeks. I'm 14+2 today. Guess I'm just looking for some reassurance 😕xx

Hi @Honeybunie

Sorry you've had a stressful result, mine wasn't 1 in 83 but it wasn't as good as my friends who all seemed to have 1 in 5000 or 50000. Mine was 1 in 450 or something similar, enough to worry me and get a private NIPT test (where I also found the sex of the baby). I think in the NHS check there was something high that happens in alot of ivf pregnancies with my blood that swung the chances a little higher, I can't remember exactly what it was but maybe hcg?

Sorry can't be more specific, but 1 in 83 is still a tiny so in all probability nothing to worry about. How was the measurements of bubs in the scan or was it just bloods that gave that result? If you're super worried and can't rest without knowing you can get a fast track private NIPT, they draw your blood. It's expensive before Christmas but might ease your mind? Big hug to you, you must be so worried xx

Thank you so much for your message @Imisscoffee2021 and the reassurance 💝xx
gosh I did not realise that some people have a 1 in 50,000 chance. That seems crazy compared to my 1 in 83. still a low chance I guess tho. I'm trying to look at the positives of being offered the 100% test now as a consequence. we'll know for sure then.
Ohhh I will look into the private test. thanks for the tip!! we might just do that for earlier reassurance!
I did wonder if the ivf meds may affect any of the markers that they use in their calculation. i did take them until 2 December, scan was on 9 December. I'd love to know the breakdown of the results and which part of it was too high or low. I've rung my midwife to ask, she wasn't in herself. I hope she calls me back on Thursday. but the other midwife said she would not have detailed results anyway? who has then? I thought they get everything.
Baba measured spot on at the scan and was dated a day older. Every scan we have had the body measured spot on. The NT scan measurement didn't go that well. it took us 4 attempts at the scan! first time i had a trainee sonographer, she had a very bad vibe about her, that was not very comforting. she could not get a good picture of baba. then they asked me to empty my bladder to see if the position improved. but it got worse! then they sent me off again to go for a walk and drink some more to fill my bladder up again. next the senior sonographer took over. she was a lot nicer. Baba was not playing ball and starting to hide at this point. The sonographer said this baby will be the end of her 😂baba was just jumping and kicking, it was quite funny. she asked me to empty my bladder again. fourth attempt and it just got worse again. in the end they used on of the very first pictures for their NT measurement. that did not give me great confidence that they got the best possible picture of the fluid I must say! so maybe it's a good thing we're having the amniocentesis after all. I saw that the NT measurement was 1.8, which for 13 weeks is normal i think. so it must've been something else. having said that i doubt they got the best picture. on the other hand they did also say that the fluid did not look unusually big. So fingers crossed.
OH's sister just said she had the same with both pregnancies at 36 and 38 that she had the amniocentesis and everything was fine.
on the other hand i read only 2-4% of women have a test come back with a higher chance. not very comforting xx

@Honeybunie I'm sure I got a breakdown of my results and one of the markers was higher so it tipped the balance for me, and researching it it was common with ivf pregnancies. I was at Kingston Hospital trust so might be a truest by trust thing. Really can't remember what it was and all my notes got kept when I left hospital with the baby, I really miss my notes! Getting the exact readings might make you go down a research spiral like me so probably best to wait for the next tests 😅

@Imisscoffee2021 haha yeah you're right, not knowing things can often be much better for your sanity. I spent all day googling now... Just looked into the private scans. I might see when we get our amniocentesis appointment first. with Christmas coming up, we might not get the results anytime soon anyway, it says within 7 working days.. there isn't many over the next two weeks and the labs might even be closed. maybe I'll try ring them tomorrow to check this first.

Hi @Honeybunie my details following the NT scan and bloods were as follows:

NT-1.4mm.
The PaPP-A was low at 0.25 and the HCG was 0.65
I was given 1:65 risk rating.

I remember my risk rating being 1 in 65. copied above from a post I'd written at the time! As I remember being confused. I think I wrote in this thread too.

I did the NIPT and it all came back low risk. Have you had the NIPT test at all? From what I remember some of the numbers are low due to IVF and also, try not to be worried about it all.

Aw thank you so much @MinBins sorry you had to go through this too. It is reassuring for me right now tho so thank you for sharing xx
i was offered the nipt test and the amniocentesis and OH and I decided to go for the latter. We could’ve had the nipt test sooner but they said there’s a two weeks wait for results so it’s about the same as waiting two weeks for the amniocentesis with 3-5 working days wait I thought and we’d have 100% results.
I just got very upset so I thought I need to do something and booked myself a private nipt test for tomorrow. Hell of a drive and expense but we’ll know sooner. Feel much better now.
your message really reassured me on top of that so thank you so much xx ❤️

Hi @Honeybunie, I’m sorry you’re going through this worry. Just to say, I’m another one who would recommend the NIPT, I had it privately with both pregnancies and both results came back low risk. The NHS (combined?) test has a few factors in it that can skew your result, as I believe. Second time round they didn’t bother doing it, as I’d already had the NIPT and they said that was much more accurate so there was no point.
Glad you’ve got it booked and hope your results come back quickly xxx

Thank you so much for your message @KLM25 and sharing your experience. That is so good to know! xxx I feel so much better now that I've booked the private test for today. I feel like I'm doing the right thing and all your messages are so reassuring. I'll ask them when I can expect the results with Christmas and new years.. It might sounds funny but I'm also trying to reassure myself with the fact that baba has a super prominent nose in the last scan picture. We have been joking about it a lot before. We could see the face and what looks like a relatively big nose so well in the last nhs and private scan. So I'm thinking babies with down syndrome have a flattened facial profile and nose, and baba definitely doesn't have that. crossing all my fingers & toes and praying for a positive outcome 🙏xxx

Happy new year ladies! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones and enjoyed the days off as much as we did.
I thought I'd give you a little update after our worries before Christmas. Doing the nipt privately was the best thing we could have done! We received the results on Christmas eve already and everything came back as low risk ❤️ we were so relieved and absolutely over the moon. We were both in tears 🥰 and the test also told us that we are having a little boy 💙we are so excited. I've had names for both genders for years now, and now we can already call him by his name, it's so cute 🥰 I was thinking it would be a boy, but I didn't wanna say it out loud, but I was not surprised when I saw the test result 😄it's nice because OH already has three girls, at least there is something new for both of us. his mum is also very excited and his girls of course too.
It was also so nice to receive the results on Christmas Eve, as we were home with my parents and siblings and we could share the news with them in person straight away 🥰 it was the perfect Christmas gift. Now we can relax and tell everybody without any worry. We'll be 17 weeks tomorrow. Wow..
When we were in Germany, I also spoke to a few friends, and some have had the nipt. They offer it at an additional cost with the 12 week scan. I thought that's smart as you won't have the bloody scare with the combined test when you're an older mum. And the friends that had the nipt also did not have an amnio. or there is no option if low risk anyway. So after we had out positive results, we both decided not to have the amnio. I thought everyone else who had the nipt didn't have the amnio on top and everything was okay. And the nipt seem like 99.9% accurate. So I thought the chance of miscarrying due to the amnio is basically high than the nipt being wrong.
Before Christmas I also got the results from the combined test from my midwife. she did have them of course. The other midwife I spoke to earlier seems a little daft. my papp-a was 0.39, hcg 1.70, NT 1.01. I found a risk calculator online https://fetalmedicine.org/research/assess/trisomies and put my results in and I got the risk percentage that I received from the NHS (1 to 83)! So I started playing around with the calculator, changing the papp-a and hcg to better values and the risk did not improve for me!! Once I started changing my age it started to improve! So it did look like we only got a high risk result due to my age! and they didn't even seem to have considered that the egg was actually harvested when I was 38, which would have improved it to 1 to 121 already.
Anyway, glad we have all this behind us now. We saw the midwife on Monday (the daft one, as mine was on hols) and everything was fine. all blood tests came back fine and baba's heartbeat was spot on 150 😊
I'm still waiting for my belly to pop. it's definitely there. more so when I'm bloated haha. But I am still hiding it very well. I guess it'll pop soon. at one scan the lady said my uterus is retroverted. maybe that's why..
Hope everyone is well and having a lovely weekend xxx

I was thinking about you over Christmas hoping you had the best news so am so pleased to hear you did @Honeybunie ! And a little boy, that's how I found out the sex of my son, at nipt, was so exciting!

My uterus is also retroverted and took a while to have a bump, I was acting one for so long then ended up such a planet I regretting wishing my life away 😅 so it'll come before you know it :)

Wanting one*

@Honeybunie That is the most wonderful news ❤️😊 It feels like such a milestone to get through that test, so to get that news on Christmas Eve is just magical. I’m so pleased for you both 🥰
I remember the worry with my son, waiting for the result. I had to have it twice with him as I had it too early the first time around. I was checking my emails literally every few minutes 🤦‍♀️😂
And a little boy 💙 That is so lovely, it’s taking me back and making me feel a bit emotional!
I was going to say, it could be your age skewing the NHS result and causing you the unnecessary worry. So glad you had the NIPT, I feel it’s worth every penny. I think some NHS trusts are bringing it in alongside/instead of the amnio, if the combined test calls for it. That was something different I noticed with my second pregnancy, although we just went for it privately as soon as we could anyway. So much less invasive and less risky than the amnio.
So lovely that you can tell everyone and start enjoying it now ❤️ How are you feeling?
Happy New Year to everyone and hope you’ve all had a lovely Christmas x

@Imisscoffee2021 aawww it is sooo exciting isn't it. It feels like Christmas for me every day at the moment. So interesting you have a retroverted uterus too and were waiting for the bump hehe. that confirms my theory 😊I better enjoy my little bump for now! 😅I've been shopping some maternity clothes the past few days, just to be be ready for when it does appear. I know once I'm back in work I won't have much time and nerves for shopping. And time will just fly and it'll be Easter before I know it.
@KLM25 yes it is such a milestone and relieve isn't it. that was always one of my biggest worries. i wish I had know about the nipt earlier and that you can do it from 10 weeks onwards, i would have definitely done it earlier, but never mind, we're through it now. Omg i can imagine the worry and terrible wait you must have had having to do it twice with your son. I was thinking even though the bad news came just before Christmas, it was probably a good time, because I ended up being so distracted with travelling home for Christmas and doing things with friends and family every day, I didn't have much time to think about it then. whereas had I been sat at home, I would have gone mad. it all worked out well in the end 😊and I'm so grateful the lab had my test done by Christmas Day.
our trust offered us both the nipt and the amnio. We only chose the amnio, because they said you wait for the nipt results for two weeks anyway, and we thought we'd have a 100% result with the amnio, and it would have been the same wait. i was actually surprised that they let us choose between the two, because I read before that they'd offer the nipt first, and if that came back high risk, then you'd get offered the amnio, which makes sense. anyway, glad we didn't need it. and the nipt was definitely work every single penny. if only just for the service of turning it around in like 4 working days.
I'm feeling very good thank you. I feel almost completely normal. if I didn't know I was pregnant I wouldn't know hehe. Since week 11 I've been feeling normal again really. i only had like 2-3 weeks were I was exhausted. I still have trouble sleeping some nights. everyone of my friends I spoke to said the same thing which is interesting. And some weird headaches sometimes when I'm tired. and I never normally have any headaches. so yeah just a few symptoms here and there but apart form that all good.
How are you? And how are the little ones? Have you got any trips plans for 2025? I'm wondering how early we can realistically do trips with our little one while on mat leave. but I'm getting worried i might be too optimistic. I guess you have to wait and see how you're settling in first xx

@Honeybunie happy new year! Sorry for the radio silence. So so so pleased for you and I’m sorry I didn’t see your messages sooner. I got the private NIPT test too and it’s really reassuring. I’m glad you opted to do it too. Hope you’re feeling well. Lots of love x

Hello ladies 😊
Thank you so much for your last message @Spin101 it really meant a lot to me ❤️ I hope you are well!
I've been meaning to message for ages for a little update. I hope everyone and their little ones are doing great!
I am 25 week to go 😃only 15 to go. Wow. Still so happy and grateful 🤗we had our 20 scan and everything was okay. I was still holding my breath until then and wondering what other curve ball might be thrown at us. And I had heard stories from other people that they saw something suspicious, which luckily turned out to be nothing, but caused another time of worry, or that people had to go twice as they could not see everything they had to check. I thought with our luck, let's see what's coming our way next, but to my surprise everything was fine this time 💙we had the same funny lady at the scan. she could even remember us, probably because my last name is unusual (German) lol. She nearly couldn't get one shot, but managed in the end luckily. she had me do star jumps and everything haha. We said we already knew it was a boy from the NIPT and she found the proof and said "yep there are his plums" we were howling 😂she even printed a photo of his 'plums'. nice little keepsake for later 😂
I'm feeling great as well. I'm sleeping better again. Only need to pee a lot. The bump is slowly starting to get bigger. Still on the small side, but it's slowly showing under my jumpers. Been commuting the long way to work the past five weeks and staying over some nights, which kept me busy and makes time fly. Got a week at home now yay, then only two weeks commuting left. Then I'll work from home until I start maternity leave on 2 June. It was also my 40. birthday three weeks ago. We couldn't really do much as I had to be in work the Monday morning, but OH came with me and we stayed in a nice hotel and had a nice dinner, so made the most of it under the circumstances 😊I'm also going to see my parents in Germany in two weeks' time. Thought it'd be nice to spend some time with them before baba arrives. And for them to actually see me in the pregnancy stage as well. I'm going on my own too. OH nearly died again from his pet allergy over Christmas, so it's not worth the hassle and his health, and I get to spend some quality time with the parents without having to translate everything haha.
Gosh I've also been busy nesting since the 20 weeks scan. I had been holding off until then, but since then gone crazy buying stuff 😅I got a lot of stuff second hand on Facebook and Vinted, like, changing table, cot, high chair and next to me bed. All still in great condition and good quality and some great bargains so I'm very pleased😊Can probably sell the stuff for the same price again I reckon. So the nursery is kinda ready. All washed and covered with sheets lol. I think I'm a bit early with everything, but I just love to plan and organise stuff, so there we go haha. I also got loads of baby clothes from friends, who also had baby boys, so I didn't have to spend a penny of clothes so far, and probably won't have to either. It's nice to pass on stuff, since they only wear it for a few months anyway, and to held the planet 😊
So yes, all going very well. I hope everyone else is great too! Happy weekend everyone! ❤️

Forgot to report hehe, I've been able to feel him moving since the end of week 18. It is really nice to feel him every day and to know he's there and doing well. He's a super active little chappy. One of my friends could not feel her girl until week 24, because her placenta was in the front. Mine is in the back so I could feel him early on. So that's super nice too 😊God knows what he's up to in there sometimes though 😅

So nice to hear from you @Honeybunie and that everything is going well. It's so reassuring feeling them kick and I remember when I travelled while pregnant with overnight stays I never felt alone.

And how lovely it's a little boy! Not long to go now, the weeks will fly by x x

It feels like I've come round to this circle again. We had some embryos stored from our previous egg collection and I have an appointment at our clinic to do some tests this month, following which we'll make a decision on how we'd like to move forward.

I feel mixture of emotions but will take it a step at a time.

@MinBins so nice to hear from you too 😊awww that's exactly what I was thinking when I'm away from home and OH, I'm not alone, I've got little baba with me 💞it's so lovely. I know he'll be here before we know it. We are trying to also make the most of the time we have left just the two of us, before chaos descends on us and house 😅I think OH is having heart palpitations once in a while, because, having had kids before, he knows what's coming. I'm just blissfully unaware and excited😅
Oh that is so exciting that you might go again, but I bet it's a mix of feelings as well esp. since you already know what'd be ahead of you, the good and the bad. yes one step at a time. How many embryos have you got left? What sort of tests are they doing? Keep us posted if you feel like it xxx

Ah it's the best feeling, I used to have conversations with her too in my head during boring work meetings "are you as bored of this meeting as I am?" 😅 I'd be bored and then suddenly remember I'm not alone in this 🤣

Oh I bet you're so excited! Have you bought anything yet for the little one?

We have 5 embryos. The tests are to just for scans and blood tests - I've not told anyone so talking about it makes it more real and slightly more hopeful/excited. But yes taking it one day at a time with no expectation and just gratitude if anything does happen. We've also moved city so maybe need to move at transferring too.

@MinBins Hahaha that made me laugh 😂😂 I also find that even when I’m just sat waiting for something I have something to do by checking in to see what he’s up to so it doesn’t really get boring 😅 nice to appreciate the time that we have together before he pops out 🥰
yeah I bought quite a lot of stuff already. Like cot, next to be crib, changing table, baby carrier etc 😅 whatever friends recommended. Oh and got a pram travel system too 😃 that’s the only thing I bought new. still all wrapped up and in OH’s mum’s house as apparently it’s bad luck 🤦‍♀️😂
Oh wow you should be in with a very good chance with 5 embryos. Hope all scans and tests will go well. And just take it easy and take your time. I’ll keep everything crossed for you 🤞😊 x x