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!

@Leaf86 yeah, we have a paid sick leave (80% salary) until 28 days before birth, when we get paid maternity leave (100% salary) for another year.

This is literally incredible. Scandinavia?

That’s so good!

@Leaf86 where did you get your nipt done? Good to know it can be 6 days, in my head it was going to be quicker than that! The waiting is horrible!!

@summerchild92 I am very very jealous! I would love to be on paid leave for the duration of my pregnancy just to focus on my wellbeing. I’ll likely work until Xmas and then have about 5/6 weeks leave before baby comes.

Morning everyone! Sorry I've been a bit quiet on here but loved catching up on all the messages and everyone's news from the last few weeks! Welcome to all our new joiners too!

I had my 12 week scan on Friday which was pretty magical and exciting - definitely feels like a huge weight off my shoulders to finally have reached this milestone and to feel like this is is now real enough for me to feel comfortable telling people. We told both sets of parents and families who were both so emotional and pleased for us. Lots of crying - it's been quite the journey to get here!

I'm getting a bit stressed with the transition from my IVF clinic to NHS clinic - feels a bit like now I've reached 12 weeks, they've sort of washed their hands off me a bit - oh well.

What's been everyone's experiences of stopping all the progesterone and estrogen? My clinic has said to just stop it all from week 12, but it's making me really anxious. Were any of you told to taper off over a period of time or anything? Did you stay on it for longer?

Thanks so much for any insights in advance ❤️

@SETTC87 so pleased your 12 week scan went well! It's lovely when you're finally able to tell people and share the excitement!!!

My clinic told me to stop either at the start or end of week 12, whatever I was comfortable with. I halved my dose of progesterone and oestrogen (the clinic didn't tell me to do this but I felt more comfortable with this). I had my scan at 12+5 and was measuring 4 days ahead so 13+2. I continued with the progesterone and oestrogen until what would have been 13 weeks by my IVF dates. Have now stopped and everything been ok.

Welcome to all the newbies - congrats on your bfp!!!

@AnnieStar12 hoping you don't have to wait too long for your results.

@SETTC87 my clinic said stop at 12 weeks, but I was really quite nervous to just stop it dead like that after so long. I had my 12 week scan when I was 12+2, so kept taking it until then - at my scan they dated me 13 weeks, so felt like I had skipped week 12 and didn’t know what to do! I kept taking them until the pack I was on ran out a few days later, so 12+5 or 13+3 depending on whether I choose NHS dates or IVF dates!

it’s been almost a week since I stopped them now, didn’t have any issues thankfully but also don’t feel any different - thought the tiredness and breathlessness would get better after stopping progesterone, but seemingly not yet!

Hi all 😊 hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Welcome to all the newbies 🤗

@summerchild92 that's amazing!! Unfortunately I went back to work - 20 mins after my transfer 😂😂 I'm hoping to start my maternity leave in December! So if all goes well I'll be working until then 🙈
You are sooooo lucky & fortunate - that must take so much stress & anxiety away!

@SETTC87 congratulations!!! Such an exciting time and makes the whole pregnancy seem so magical! I really feel like that 12 week mark definitely changes the way we feel 🥰
So I had my 12 week scan last week on Monday (I was 12+3 but then was updated to 13+1 during the scan) and I ran out of oestrogen on Monday eve so had no choice but to stop then 🤣 I had my last progesterone & Lubion on Tuesday night.
I felt absolutely fine! No side effects at all and to be honest it's massively helped my pregnancy symptoms!! The nausea hasn't been as bad at all - like its just eased off which feels so nice. I still get small bouts of it but it's nowhere near as bad as the last 6 weeks!! And the most exciting part which probably has nothing to do with the medication at all but my baby bump has started to pop at my lower abdomen 🥺 it's such a happy feeling!

It's so interesting that people have been dated a good few days ahead at 12 week scans...! I wonder why these babies are measuring ahead, when we know the exact days of conception?

Surprise scan today at 10 weeks exactly. DW is getting hip/pelvic girdle pain already so into EPU to check all is ok. I'm nervous but glad it's happening. I won't be there as I have our DD this morning so hoping it's all smooth sailing...

@DippyDuck19 @LouP87 @Fluffyted thanks so much for your insights around you stopping your progesterone and estrogen! Has definitely provided me with a bit more comfort around moving into this next uncharted phase of my pregnancy without any additional progesterone/estrogen support 🙂

@RunningOnHope hope your partner's scan goes well 🙏🏾

On the being ahead point, my sonographer told me last week that it's normal for IVF babies to measure bigger and "ahead" of where they should be. My baby was right at the end of the their growth charts lol. Interestingly, she didn't change the estimated due date even though it was measuring ahead as she said the NICE guidelines say to keep as is for IVF pregnancies given there is certainty around the specific date of conception and transfer etc. So it's really interesting that a lot of you have had your dates adjusted (and I haven't!)

@SETTC87 Ahhh congratulations on your 12 week scan! Makes it feel very real being able to tell people! 🥹 How have you been? Hope you’re feeling ok! I stopped taking my progesterone at week 8, though I had a few tablets left so I did start taking one a day until they ran out - so I think it was about week 10 I was totally off them. It was scary stopping them and I was terrified of bleeding or something but all was totally fine, it helped with my bloating and sleeping loads coming off them. So I actually feel more myself being off them and much more comfortable too. Although it’s scary it’ll be totally fine - your body will be making more than enough by now.

@summerchild92 Wow I’m incredibly jealous of you being off work!! Where do you live?! I will be working I think until Christmas and then take off annual leave until maternity leave (I think I’ll go on Mat leave from week 38 around 13th January). I wish I was off like you, though I do want to save as much money as possible before baby arrives and it helps keep me from worrying too much too! How are you going to spend the next 8 months? Hope you have some nice plans!

@RunningOnHope Hope the scan goes ok! Keep us posted! 😊

I feel anxious now everyone’s measuring a week ahead! I’m only a day ahead. The sonographer and midwife both said they’d be going off IVF dates (if needed to be induced or anything) rather than dating - like you @SETTC87. This makes the most sense to me in my limited medical knowledge 🤣🤣 I wouldn’t want baby dragged out of me any earlier than she was meant to be, unless she was a whopper!

Who is next with scans? I know @AnnieStar12 and @Leaf86 have their 12 week next week. Anyone else due a scan this week or next?

I probably would have worked if it was a natural pregnancy. But since we have waited four years for this, I don’t want to take any unnecessary risk as we do get a lot of infectious patients + xrays/tomographies done to our patients where I work. Not that a natural pregnancy is any different to this, but I guess I am a lot more apprehensive now than I would have been if conception was like a walk in the park for us. 🫣

i went to work a few hours after egg retrieval and I regretted it a little, as I was in some pain, so I decided to take a sick leave immediately after transfer. A part of me wanted to work for a few months, but in the end I still decided it was best to just stay at home.

the only downside is that we don’t get 80% of what we usually make, but 80% of net basis, not including all the extras I would usually get every month for working nights etc. So it’s still a lot less I would usually get if working, but I guess it’s still worth it as get to be home, which most people in other countries don’t get to be.

@summerchild92 Definitely! I would love it! Very lucky! I’d get myself on a long holiday and get lots of vitamin d and rest for a month or something 😂

@summerchild92 missed these messages over the weekend, sounds stressful having to go to a&e but glad no ohss! How are you feeling? I've been told to take progesterone up until 10 weeks after my frozen transfer, I did a natural cycle so technically it should be ok but i will be nervous to stop! I think 12 week is fairly normal.

@Hollielouise @Always28 nice to see some June FET people on here! Hope you're both doing ok. I felt like my symptoms were quite on and off but had more nausea as soon as I turned 8 weeks.

@AnnieStar12 good luck with your test results! I still haven't looked into booking mine!

@SETTC87 lovely to hear your 12 week went well! I'm desperate to get to that stage now!

@HopefulllHolly I have a scan this Sunday! Feel like time has been going so slowly. Should hopefully be about 9 + 3 if all is well. Very anxious as always! How's the anxiety after your 12 week scan now?

@AnnieStar12 thanks for sharing your experiences. Yeaaaah I’m struggling with this vaccine decision now, but I think it must have been torture to have to make this decision when no one knew anything. And oh no, sorry to hear that you had covid during the stims, but pleased that they didn’t cancel your cycle! I’ve read that a lot on healthunlocked and it would be so frustrating to prepare for a cycle for 3 months only to be derailed at the last moment by this god damn virus. I’m pleased that you at least got immunity out of it!

@Leaf86 thanks for sharing, that’s all very helpful. The NHS advises to have the Covid vaccine in pregnancy but no longer offer it, or they might during their autumn campaign, but pregnant women weren’t included in the spring campaign. But you can get it at Boots for about £98 now.

@summerchild92 going back to work 2 hours after egg retrieval is pretty hardcore! If you work in a risky environment, I think it makes sense to take the time off in pregnancy if offered, especially if you'll be getting paid for it (though I read it won't be as much unfortunately). We've all worked so hard to get here, that I'm very apprehensive as well with most things that people who got pregnant easier wouldn't be. I'm in a different situation to most women here in that my husband and I have our own company and I probably won't even stop working, I'll just dial it down and only cover the important and urgent stuff, but I think it will be good for my mental health. Having your own company is great cause you have control over your time, flexibility for appointments and nausea, but you also have no safety net and can't just duck out and leave the work to someone else, so I'm stuck with these big work projects and travel over the next few months. Then luckily it should all calm down by the third trimester, so I'm pleased with how things have lined up, and hopefully all continues to go well. With both the business and the pregnancy! lol

Welcome @Always28 and a big congratulations to you!

Big congratulations @SETTC87 that’s fantastic news. Another member of this group has passed the 12 week threshold! 🥳 Also good question on the progesterone as a few of us on here will need to stop it at 10-12 weeks and I can see how unnerving it can be after taking it for so long and things going well while on it. Very interesting to hear your experiences coming off it @Fluffyted and @HopefulllHolly

Hope all went well with the scan @RunningOnHope

@Natty2 Oh how exciting! But I know those nerves all too well. I’m sure everything will be great though. My scan at 9+4 was so cute - my little jelly baby scan picture, you’ll love seeing how much it’s changed ☺️ Keep
yourself busy until Sunday if you can (and not too tired!)

My anxiety is still there of course, but I’ve tried to stay off Google and have tried to lean in to just taking it day by day. I feel pretty normal now, maybe a bit tired still but otherwise I’d question whether I was pregnant or not. I’m now just looking forward to when I can have another scan to be honest, and I know I’ll be scared before it again, but with each scan it’s definitely getting less and less nerve wracking and more excitement is creeping in. I think I’m going to get my next scan at 14+6 if I can manage that long, so two weeks on Thursday. Then I can squeeze another in before the 20 week scan and see how she grows. So the scans will be more to see her rather than to calm me down, which is nice! How have you been feeling? Hope you’re all good! 😊

My mum went to amsterdam to see my sister this last week so she brought me back the cutest little outfit. It’s so small. I spent ages last night just looking at it and picturing our little girl in it. The energy it is taking to not buy anything myself is crazy 🤣🤣 I have loads of stuff added to baskets but not hit the buy button yet.

Well - technically four working days (sample went off at the end of Tuesday, then Weds-Fri (3 days) and back on the fourth (Monday) by about 2pm. But yes it dragged!!!! Fetal Medicine Centre, using the TDL lab.

Just been catching up on all the messages. Had a rough few days of it again with nausea and now vomiting a few times each day. All the fun! 😫 I have had to take today off work and I honestly feel like I haven't been able to do anything useful for weeks! 😜

We have a private scan booked for this Friday morning just to check everything is still okay. And got our 12 week scan booked in for 9th August!

We talked about vaccines at my booking appointment last week and my midwife said we would need to wait to see what new guidance is released as they are not sure yet what is being advised...there does seem to be a surge everywhere at the moment though with COVID 😫

Thanks everyone, all looking perfect at 10 weeks!

Disappointed I didn't get to go or see a picture as it was a "stern" EPU person! Confirmed all was well, and on track - but didn't get the specific measurements or anything. Still, feels like we're on track for 12 weeks all being fine now!! Can't believe it 😊

Awww @DogMummy87 so sorry to hear you’re still not feeling great. Has anything been helping it at all? I really hope it cools off soon! Exciting for your scan later this week!

@RunningOnHope Amazing news! Sorry to hear you didn’t get a picture but the most important thing is that baby is all ok!

Great news @RunningOnHope 🥰

Thanks @HopefulllHolly I think I am going to book to see my GP tomorrow as I am really struggling to function well at all. Not sure this will be doing me or the baby any good currently. So will see what they say. Every day I wake up hoping I feel a bit better but it hasn't happened yet. Let's just hope all this sickness means the baby is developing well 😫🤞🏻🙏🏻💕

I just got my nipt results back, all low risk and another girl!! I’m very very relieved I was refreshing my inbox every 15 mins since yesterday! But it says fetal fraction was only 3% and I’m not sure if that is a concern? So Im now just worrying about that and googling away but can’t find any useful info.

@RunningOnHope excellent news that all is looking good!

@RunningOnHope glad scan went ok and all is well.

@AnnieStar12 yay another girl!!! 🩷🩷 congrats! Pleased everything low risk!

I'm wishing I got the NIPT done now 🤦🏻‍♀️ I had bloods taken last Thursday for the trisomy screening. I think I would have heard by now if anything was concerning. They said if all ok if receive results in the post within 2 weeks!

Just bought a few bits in the Amazon prime sale! Was in 2 minds if it's too early but I figured I can resell if anything happens.

@DogMummy87 Thanks for sharing your midwife advice, though so frustrating to not have any clarity from them. I hope that the GP will be able to help as that sounds quite rough!

Congratulations @RunningOnHope and congratulations @AnnieStar12 ! Pleased to hear all is going well.