IVF sibling round support

[itsmschanandlerbong]

Just wondered if there would be any interest in setting up a support thread for those of us thinking about a sibling round. This could very much be a 'me' issue but I feel a bit awkward sometimes posting in other threads, it's a bit like being stuck between being very lucky and fortunate having had a successful round, but also struggling with the challenges of having to go through it all over again. I've found it difficult to know my place in this community now.

So yeah, is anyone else trying or thinking about trying for their sibling round yet? Ill post a comment with our story.

Thanks @MindatWork . Scan booked for next Wed, so we're going ahead! 🤩

Apparently there's a 20% chance of falling pregnant naturally, within 2 years of giving birth after having a successful IVF cycle (I hope I've not messed up any numbers there) so it's not as rare as one would think... but I also find relief in passing it on to science.

@daisypizza I’m hoping the being super fertile / my body knowing what to do this time with an embryo makes things faster this time. How lovely it would be for you to get your natural conception, you just never know x

@beachbum85 Do you have the green light and your first scan date? Honestly, I don’t think any good comes from testing early because a positive 5dp5dt just means you then spend every day after testing again and again and trying to compare lines and honestly I think it’s the easier way not to test early now. Test day is next Thursday morning :)

@MindatWork Doing good today, though my DD has just come down with conjunctivitis 😫so more distraction I guess! Just hoping I avoid getting it

How's everyone doing today? The TWW crazies have set in a bit here already. I had a bit cramping in the night and nausea yesterday morning, and been feeling a bit emotionally on edge (a bit just close to crying easily!) and had a bit more cramping today. My rational brain is trying not to read too much into any of it, but its really hard. Next Thursday is now feeling like an absolutely lifetime away!

Hi @2mumlife - sorry to hear you've got the TWW crazies but totally understandable... I guess it would be more surprising if you didn't, it's so hard! Impossible to say try not to symptom spot, but equally progesterone makes it all mad. Sending you a big hug! Do you have anything to distract yourself? Are you working or off? Thursday seems far but you're less than a week away... you can do it! 💪🏼

@beachbum85 Working today but I work from home. Actually looking forward to tomorrow as I don't work Fridays so I can spend the day with DD so that'll be a good distraction :)

Thought I sent this yesterday but it was still on my screen this morning:
Oh, that's nice... Friday with her and then the weekend, which I'm sure will keep you busy! Enjoy it 😊

@beachbum85 Definitely busy as she’s only just now taking a nap (we’re going through an awful patch with sleep though at the moment, I think because the canines are coming and she’s miserable and going through next developmental leap all at once). Really hoping I can get a bit of a sit down now!

How old is everyone’s LO? I know some of us were trying about the same time but others I don’t know :) My LO is 16.5 months now

Ugh that sounds tough @2mumlife ! Hope it's a decent length nap so you can get a rest... poor babies when they're teething 😫

My son is 20m now, and in a wierd phase where he's sleeping pretty well (compared to his usual which is pretty terrible) BUT he just doesn't want to go to sleep at bedtime (whereas before he'd just drink his milk and sleep as I sung a couple of songs). Yd it took close to 1.5h to get him to sleep, so I don't know if he's just not tired since he's sleeping better, or it's something else... sorry, a bit of a rant there 🤦🏻‍♀️

Hope you managed to get some rest today @2mumlife and your DD’s teeth aren’t too bad!

My DD is 5, so much older than most here. We had sworn we wouldn’t try for a second (I had a difficult pregnancy, traumatic birth + nicu stay and a difficulty first 6 months with DD. Apparently 5 years is how much time we needed to get over all of that and try again 🤣🤣.

16 and 20 months are such cute ages - I’d sometimes swap stroppy temper tantrums for teething 😝♥️♥️♥️

@beachbum85 Thank you she did a good nap so I got some down time

@MindatWork gosh sounds like you had a really tough time with your DD. Hope you get your bfp and have a more enjoyable round this time!

Still feeing on and off low level nausea here - definitely making it very hard not to get the crazies wondering if it’s an actual sign or not 🙏

@2mumlife - my little girl is 2.5 now. So we've got most of those awful teeth out of the way. (Until they all fall out again? Design flaw there!).

How is everyone doing?

@Mindatwork - gosh you had such a tough time with your first! I hope all goes well this time around and makes for a much easier ride.

I remember when I was having treatment the first time round, my period was late despite having a totally and completely regular cycle my entire life. So I figured the excited nerves delayed things and this time around I'd not take their dates too seriously and maybe add a day or two here and there in terms of expected egg collection etc.
By some strange turn of events, I've come on today on day 25. A first time for everything I guess?!

So positives being that I'm not wildly depressed - I was just hormonal. Negatives being that the poor clinic nurse booked all my scan and appointment dates based on March period being on the 3rd. It's now likely to be 23rd Feb. It's like my womb wants to screw with me.

@Olivia199 Good you're nearly there with the teeth! I think its not as bad getting the second set (at least I hope!). That's interesting you got dates put in ahead of time, my clinic always just waits to confirm day 1 of the cycle before booking anything. Did you manage to get all the dates shifted around? How are you feeling?

I'm still feeling iffy here, but I really don't want to get my hopes up. Wish Thursday would hurry up!

@2mumlife - I've always had such regular cycles that I think they thought they'd get away with it. My womb evidently had other ideas! All dates now cancelled and funnily enough they've decided to wait until day one.

Sorry you're still feeling icky but I have everything crossed that it's a good thing!

@Olivia199 Ah see mines never been that predictable (why I've ended up just doing medicated cycles). Hopefully it comes when you're expecting now end of Feb and you can get going with your cycle :)

Thank you. Just trying to stay busy today and tomorrow!

@Olivia199 our bodies are so annoying sometimes! Who knows if your cycle will bounce back to previous pattern for February but hope it all works out in your favour.

@2mumlife keep busy is the only way and hoping for good news for you.

My cycles are not very regular but I’ll be doing unmedicated when we finally get going as I’m breastfeeding and the clinic prefer unmedicated. It feels like more of a rollercoaster, the medicated FET felt more predictable in terms of transfer day.

@MindatWork sorry to hear your first experience was so scary.
I see you are dealing with temper tantrums, sounds like another thing those of us with younger DC have to look forward to - people keep saying to me ‘just wait til you get to the terrible twos’!

@beachbum85 how are things going?

Hello, just dropping in! Hope everyone is doing well. Best of luck @2mumlife and @Olivia199!

Doing well over here, now 21 weeks pregnant and the time is flying by, chasing after a toddler. Had some scary times, had bleeding at 11 weeks and again at 14 weeks but it's all resolved now and hopefully things will be more straight forward from here in! 🤞🤞

@itsmschanandlerbong so glad to hear you're well despite the scares... That must've been hell... Can't believe you're half way there already!

@2mumlife I've been thinking of you - almost there! I've got everything crossed for you 🤞🏼🤞🏼

@daisypizza I'm well, thanks! Have my scan tomorrow to check lining, and monitoring ovulation in the meantime. Hopefully should get to transfer in about 10 days or so 🤞🏼 so unpredictable with a natural cycle, and I'm really worried that it'll fall in the middle of a team meeting that a bunch of people are flying into London for... Not sure how I'm going to explain my absence if so 🤦🏻‍♀️

@Olivia199 I totally get the frustration, as my last period was early too and really threw me! The body is so weird at times... I'm glad your clinic are flexible and waiting till CD1 to plan, like that you don't have to worry about shifting dates, I guess?!

@MindatWork I'm sorry you had such a tough time last time round, and then the miscarriage... I really hope things go smoothly from here for you 😘

@daisypizza I agree that the medicated seems more predictable :)

@itsmschanandlerbong Can't believe that's you 21 weeks already! Bleeding is scary (I have a SCH with DD) but hope its all settling down now and you're all doing well. Must be tiring doing the first trimester with a youngster running about!

@beachbum85 Good luck for the first lining scan! How many scans do you need to have with it being unmedicated? Its sods law these things happen on the worst days - with DD my egg collection day was day of my sisters wedding :/ very awkward that one, so I ended up telling family what we were doing and missed the ceremony in the morning but went to meal afterwards (was a small family affair). I was feeling AWFUL though during dinner. I actually kind of don't want to test tomorrow now, as I've got my hopes up because I've been feeling a bit wretched on and off, that I'm actually feeling quite scared of a massive disappointment tomorrow. DP is going to either go into work late or hopefully work from home tomorrow to be around for testing.

Thanks @2mumlife ! All good here: lining is 9.4mm and lead follicle is there, so no more scans needed and I just have to notify the clinic when I get a positive ovulation test, to schedule transfer 🙏🏼

Oh wow I cannot imagine a wedding the night of EC - well done you for getting through that!

I'm glad your DP will be with you tomorrow, it's so emotional either way! I can totally understand not wanting to test and face possible disappointment, but hopefully they're all good signs and it will be the best news for you 🤞🏼🤞🏼

Keeping everything crossed for you @2mumlife, will be thinking of you tomorrow 🤞🏻 💓. You’ve done so well not to test early. You are also an absolute trouper for going to a wedding after ec, I’ve been on the floor after all of mine!

@beachbum85 glad everything is looking good for you - a natural cycle sounds like such a nicer, more civilised way of doing ivf.

@itsmschanandlerbong ohhh the bleeding must have been scary! So glad everything’s ok though, the 20week scan must have been a nice reassuring milestone.

@Olivia199 It’s like your body knows when you’re trying to plan something and decides to throw a spanner in the works 😱. Glad your clinic managed to rearrange your appointments.

Im currently on Norethisterone to control the date of my next bleed (not 100% sure why I can’t just call them on CD1 🤔). I should be cd1 around middle of next week and then it’s straight into baseline scan,l and all the transfer cycle meds.

@daisypizza she was an utter angel at 2 - the pre-teen attitude started at around 3.5 and is only getting worse 😆. It’s when she tosses her hair and says ‘MUMMY IM SORRY BUT YOURE WRONG’ that I struggle not to laugh 😂

We’ve literally not told a soul about this last cycle (but even immediate family) and I’m actually finding it quite liberating. It feels a lot less of a big deal and just something we’re doing the two of us.

Thank you @MindatWork - it is so much less intense, definitely 😊
I've only told my 2 closest colleagues, who are both pregnant after infertility themselves, where we are this time. A few other friends know we're prepping for an FET but no dates, and haven't told family. I find it really hard not to say (both my partner and I are total big mouths haha) but it it soooo much less pressure this time, I agree.

Your daughter sounds amazing! I would not be able to hold my laughter with something like that 😆

Soon coming up for you then! Sounds like it's a lot more predictable with your cycle controlled, maybe they do it that way for scheduling purposes?! Either way, exciting that you'll soon be starting 😊

Has anyone who has experienced recurrent miscarriages successfully conceived after going down the pgt-a IVF route? I am bring told different thing by different doctors and its making this decision very difficult. Not sure whether to try again naturally or just do IVF and hope for the best. I am 38 and we know 1 loss was chromosomal.

Morning everyone :) So, it turns out my mind/stomach are not playing tricks - I got a positive home pregnancy test result this morning 😍😆. I'm, getting my blood hcg done at the clinic on Monday just to confirm hcg looks good, and hopefully early pregnancy scan on the 26th 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

@beachbum85 Nice thick lining! Sounds like everything is progressing nicely. Keeping everything crossed you get your positive ovulation test soon!

@MindatWork I really don't recommend doing a wedding after EC, I felt totally wiped out. I wouldn't have gone if it wasn't my sisters and close by. I got sent Norethisterone in my drug order, but we didn't use it, just called at CD1 and told to start taking the transfer drugs (I think it was because my cycle hadn't returned when we did the initial consultation). Hopefully your period comes soon so you can get going with the cycle :) Our toddler tantrums are hitting early. Your toddler/pre-teen's attitude sounds hilarious! 😂I think its nicer people not knowing and just doing it privately yourselves, as you don't need everyone asking you all the time how its going. We've not told anyone about this cycle or that we are trying again at all.

@Hklg Hi, firstly sorry to hear about your loses. I've no personal experience doing any testing of embryos or experience of recurrent miscarriage, sorry. You might be best to start your own thread on the forum to get some replies. Know it must be a very hard decision about whether to try again or go IVF. Have you spoken to your GP about recurrent miscarriage? I have a friend who has had 2 miscarriages right before 12 weeks in a row, and I know that the early pregnancy unit are going to be monitoring her very closely if/when she becomes pregnant a third time to try to help understand what the cause might be. Best of luck to you whatever you decide to choose to do.

@2mumlife that’s such wonderful news, congratulations ❤️
Hoping the blood test on Monday brings further reassurance.
I haven’t done a wedding after egg collection but one time I have returned to work straight after, or caught a flight straight after (that was stupid, I was egg banking and egg collection had been moved a bit. I was a bit dazed and lost my lovely scarf in the airport).

@MindatWork your daughter sounds fabulous, I look forward to being bossed around even more in the future!

@itsmschanandlerbong so pleased your half way, it sounds like a worrying time on top of all the worry to get pregnant in the first place.

@beachbum85 nice lining! My meds are arriving next week and I think my period will arrive at the weekend but I don’t need to start meds until it’s time for the trigger shot and start progesterone which feels so weird.

Now February is here it feels a bit real!
I need to get scans booked in which is always a stress as I’m relying on private providers and then sending results to my clinic in Spain. If I were over there the clinic just do them whenever needed but that would be more time off work m. I could theoretically work from home but will have to bring my little one so not possible!