BFP after IVF - the journey continues (part 2)

[HopefulllHolly]

SENSITIVE CONTENT

Continuation of previous thread for anyone with a BFP following IVF to support with anxieties and other worries that come along with pregnancy after infertility.

@AnnieStar12
@DippyDuck19
@DogMummy87
@Edf
@Fluffyted
@Leaf86
@LouP87
@Natty2
@SETTC87
@ThePeachGoose
@jas1996
@lemonyfox
@oliviagrace2307
@summerchild92

Please tag anyone else I’ve missed accidentally!

Ah great news glad it’s all ok! 😊 And amazing you saw the start of an heartbeat too. I only asked about GP as I wasn’t even aware doctors surgeries had ultrasound scanners or training to be sonographers but maybe yours are set up differently! So it was out of curiosity I was asking. 😊

So glad everything is okay @summerchild92 as that has not been as straightforward for you as imagined I am sure! Hopefully the next scan you will get to see even more! 😍 Look after yourself! 💜💕

@summerchild92 oh I'm so pleased to hear this, I've been thinking about you all day! And just fantastic to see the beginning of a flickering. I hope that the next scan is even better! Now onto a much deserved relaxing evening with everything you enjoy most.

Morning - hoping it's ok to join from the FET June group! Congratulations to all beautiful scan pics so far 💖

I'm currently 5w + 3 today and got my BFP at 4dp5dt so have known for a while but just can't accept it's real yet 🫠 Most of my symptoms have disappeared- did that happen to anyone?!

Beta was 1208 at 4w + 5 and wondering how many people got another repeat beta or just waited for the scan? My scan is on the 23rd at 6w + 6 but not sure I can't wait 🤦🏼‍♀️

Morning @Hollielouise of course you can join - the more the merrier! Congratulations! How exciting. ☺️ Can’t help you on Beta but a few girls on here did have it done who I’m sure can help! My symptoms have come and gone the whole time, and changed what symptoms etc too - so I wouldn’t put too much thought in to what they mean (easier said than done!). Every time my symptoms went was just before I had a scan and I was panicking and then the scans were totally fine and baby was great. 😊 Not too much longer to your first scan! I think the wait to the first scan is the longest drag of all, especially when you test early (I found out at 5dp5dt and I know it’s a long slog!).

@Hollielouise Congratulations and welcome! I think that you have a pregnancy twinny in @summerchild92 who’s currently around the same date, maybe a few days ahead.

That scan will come round soon, but definitely not the easiest of waits with symptoms coming and going. It’s still early though and I think you're on the right track with such a strong hcg test result!

I had 1457 at 4w + 3 (counting by consultant who says I was 4w on OTD) or 4w + 4 (counting from first day of last period), and I think that both mine and your values are on the higher side of the range. Mine was the doubled value from 2 days before. Some people want to know if it’s doubling to know what’s happening, potentially to bridge the gap until the scan, but if you’re not keen or want to save yourself the stress, you can skip it as you have such a good value to start with. But it’s really up to you.

In our group I think it was @summerchild92 who only had one hcg test? And she had a good early scan yesterday. So it’s up to you and how much you want to know and what will help you in your wait.

Hope the NIPT test was all ok @AnnieStar12! I heard back quickly so I reckon Thursday or Friday you’ll know! Eeeek! 😊 Excited to see what you’re having

Yes, had the bloods taken so now just the excruciating wait!! They said 3-5 working days which means I should have them back sometime between Wednesday- Friday. I’ve stupidly been googling the risks at my age and now I’m pretty scared! At least I’ll know one way or the other within the week.

@AnnieStar12 Im sure everything is ok - try not to worry. I got an email when concepto received it and then I think it was 2-3 days after that I got the results. Keep yourself busy until then. I’m watching Emma Willis Delivering Babies - it’s so magical - I’ve cried at every episode multiple times 🥹 Made me rethink having a caesarean too!

@HopefulllHolly Thanks. I’m gonna struggle not to be a checking my inbox every few minutes over the next few days! I was told my sample would go to the lab today.
Haha, I binged watched ‘one born every minute’ in my last pregnancy! I’ll check out the show you mentioned as not heard of it before

@AnnieStar12 It’s much better than one born in my opinion. Less of the scary births and more of the just normal ones - I think one born can be quite fear inducing because they pick what’s more dramatic tv. This one’s just lovely and touching ☺️
Yeah you should get an email saying it’s been sent and then another saying received (at least I did), from then it was a few days. I’m sure yours will be the same.

@Hollielouise hi and welcome! I’m pretty much where you are. According the the transfer date I am 5w + 6 today. I haven’t had another beta done after my first which was pretty low I think 15days post 3 day embryo transfer (= 346).

But I decided not to stress myself more with the tests and everything. My gynae practitiones wanted for me to come in at around 5w 4d to confirm the pregnancy in uterus and it’s in the right place, so I’m done testing and stressing hopefully. 🫣🥲

Did everyone else get progesterone after transfer? How long did you take it? At the clinic they said to me to take it until week 12!

Same here @summerchild92 ! I’m taking 3 x Cyclogest and 1 x Lubion a day until 12 weeks. And I’ve had a fresh transfer. Usually on these forums most women take it up to 8 weeks with fresh transfers but here I am as well. Maybe it’s because of my age, or because I had a chemical, but they didn’t even test my progesterone levels. Anyway, whatever helps this baby hold on!

I think that hcg 346 is also very good for week 4. They’re generally looking for anything over 100-120. By comparison, on my chemical my first hcg was 18 and then it dropped to 5 a couple of days later. They told me straight up after the 18 that this wasn’t gonna work and my pregnancy tests were only producing faint lines at the time.

I’m pleased you’re out of the testing hell and hopefully all will go smoothly from here 🤞🏻 you deserve a nice, easy and reassuring scan next time you go in after this week’s experience 😆

Morning :) would love to join if that’s ok. I have been reading through this thread this morning and found it very reassuring (particularly the coming and going symptoms which have been making me very anxious the last few days).

I’m currently 5w + 1. It’s my second transfer after a failed one in January. My scan is booked for 30th July, so not for a while yet.

It all just feels a bit hard to believe at the moment so I’m spending a lot of time flitting between being very happy, and very scared.

Thanks everyone ☺️

@summerchild92 congratulations! I'm 5w 4d today I think - 5dt on the 24th June. When was yours? My scan isn't until the 23rd July so a while yet!

I'm also on cyclogest pressures twice a day and a prontogest injection once every 3 days... all until 12 weeks. Does anyone know the difference between prontogest and Lubion?

@Always28 Can identify with all the emotions and up and down symptoms! I convince myself I feel nothing one day and then feel sick and get excited the next 🙇🏼‍♀️

I have a question for the group, especially those who are already in antenatal care.

I think that I’ve mentioned before that I have a big work event at the end of the month with people coming over from all over the US and Europe and I’ve been considering getting a Covid booster. Everyone I asked (IVF consultant, GP) said that it’s not their remit and they advise talking to the antenatal care team, who are obviously taking their sweet time in getting back to me. So I kinda let it go and thought I’d take precautions as necessary (open windows, masks, whatever). I’m planning to have it after 12 weeks when I’m out of the danger zone, and with the immunity building just in time for the third trimester. But now my mum is on my case, who advised me to wait originally, because she had spoken to a doctor friend in infectious disease in Europe, who are preparing their hospital for a summer wave 🤦🏻‍♀️

So with all that context in mind, ladies in antenatal care, what have your antenatal care teams advised you when it came to the Covid booster?

Thank you!

@ThePeachGoose A covid booster hasn’t ever been mentioned - only flu vaccine toward the end of this year, and whooping cough.

@ThePeachGoose My midwife mentioned a booster if they release it to pregnant women again but not until autumn/winter. I guess if there is a spike in Covid (which I think there already is) they might review guidelines and encourage pregnant women to get it (and make it free). But otherwise I think you’re fine! That’s the approach I’m taking anyway - but I have had it already recently so I think my immunity and babies should be ok. 😊

@Always28 Welcome and congratulations 🥳 I think we’ve all been there worrying about symptoms going and coming back - mine still are now at 12 weeks! Try not to put too much weight on them - I know much easier said than done when you only have that and a pregnancy test to go on in the early stages. How are you feeling anyway? I think my symptoms really set in at 7 weeks and were bad up until early this week - but seem to be a lot better now.

I had covid in my first pregnancy at 28 weeks - before the vaccines were even available. So I was entirely unvaccinated and it was awful but ultimately baby and I were fine. If you've already had covid vaccines and boosters I wouldn't personally take another one as you will be protected to an extent already - particularly if you've also had covid + the vaccines. Very personal choice for you to make. Consider how you felt after the vaccines perhaps?

Thanks @LouP87 @HopefulllHolly

I’ve asked an acquaintance that’s in antenatal care currently at the same hospital that I applied for, and she was advised by her midwife to have it between weeks 18 and 24.

Also the pfizer leaflet says this for all of their versions:

No data are available yet regarding the use of Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 during pregnancy.
However, a large amount of information from pregnant women vaccinated with the initially approved Comirnaty vaccine during the second and third trimester have not shown negative effects on the pregnancy or the newborn baby. While information on effects on pregnancy or the newborn baby after vaccination during the first trimester is limited, no change to the risk for miscarriage has been seen.
Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA. 4-5 can be used during pregnancy.

So I think I’ll just wait until the second trimester as originally planned, and take all precautions I can for the work event.

Thank you @Hollielouise !

Yeah, I had all the NHS ones but the last booster was in Dec 2021, and I had covid in June 2022. So I obviously worry that my immunity may have waned by now. Generally I took the vaccines well, the last one mostly gave me a headache. And Covid itself just gave me brain fog and sniffles but it was so close after the booster. My husband had all the same boosters as me but when he got covid at the same time as me, he was having a huge work event and he was exhausted so the virus hit his body harder and he had long covid for the rest of that summer, but one day it all just disappeared. So tough to say.

I’ll just wait to speak to my midwife or wait to get it in the second trimester, and until then I’ll take whatever precautions I can.

Thanks everyone!

@ThePeachGoose I was pregnant when the first lot of vaccines came out. Oh my, that was such a stressful time to be pregnant with so much contradictory information!

I got all the vaccines back then once they were available to pregnant women. But I’ve not even thought about a booster this time round. I guess covid tends to be so mild that it can’t pose a huge risk nowadays. But I also only had covid a couple months ago (unbelievably got it on day 2 of doing my stim injections, argh!) so hopefully I’ll have some immunity for time being.

Thanks for sharing your advice, I’ll ask at my 16 week appointment.

I, personally, wouldn’t get vaccinated during pregnancy. 🤰🏼

Are most of you back at work after transfer or do you get sort of a sick leave? Where I come from most women who get pregnant after ivf (especially if you work in healthcare, which I do + some other high-risk occupations) get to be home until maternity leave, so I’m officially off work until I give birth if all goes well until the end 🥰

@ThePeachGoose I had the Covid vaccine at 11 weeks in my last pregnancy (and flu vaccine, then whooping cough vax at 20 weeks). It was 2022/2023 so I will also check if they want me to take another Covid booster. I did subsequently catch Covid in my third trimester, but it was exceptionally mild and my partner caught it from me and was really quite unwell. I have also heard that there will be an RSV vaccine from 28 weeks pregnant in September, which I will definitely have (for the baby) when eligible assuming everything still going well.

Incidentally I think I have caught a cold from my SIL. Just starting to feel it starting this evening - hoping I am just tired, but it doesn’t feel promising!

@AnnieStar12 fingers crossed the results are back quickly - I had mine on the Tuesday afternoon and results back on the Monday lunchtime. I was so hopeful it would come back Friday (it was a long weekend waiting!). I’m sure everything will be ok, but it’s horrible having to wait.

@summerchild92 wow ! And you’re paid and not required to do work from home? I will be working up until my c section date, if all ok, but I have an office job that doesn’t require anything manual or public-facing so it’s very doable pregnant.

@Hollielouise @Always28 Welcome and gentle congratulations! 💕 I think the initial part of the first trimester is the worst, but tbh I am still anxious and don’t expect it to change much! IVF pregnancies and/or pregnancies after loss are a different beast. @Always28 if it helps, my symptoms never start in earnest until 6 weeks pregnant and I don’t think it means much as so many women manage to have very few and it’s still all ok.