IVF babies due Summer 2025

[loulamay]

Hi - I wondered if anyone else had recently found out they were pregnant after IVF or loss? I am 4w6d today, waiting on some beta blood tests and have my first scan in just under 3 weeks.

We are very lucky to have a daughter who is 3 born from IVF and have been trying for a sibling for 2 years.

Had forgotten how utterly terrifying and anxiety-inducing (or as I also like to call it, 'knicker-watch') this first part was so if anyone else is in the same boat and wants to swap stories then that would be lovely.

Hey, congratulations!

I am 4 weeks 1 day, baby number 1, ISCI needed for male factor and so far, I've been lucky to get a positive first round, but I'm just an anxious mess.

I just have this horrible feeling that I'm just waiting around for bad news.

I have little in the way of symptoms so far, slightly painful boobs, and occasional mild cramping. I do have nausea, but I think that might be anxiety.

I just have this awful sinking feeling I'm going to go to my scan in 3 weeks and there is no heartbeat.

Sorry to be so doom and gloom, I'm honestly a chilled and happy person normally 😂, I'm just so uncharacteristically pessimistic about this process for some reason. It feels too good to be true, as our odds for this round were terrible.

I totally get it. I hate not knowing what is going on inside there and the waiting game is the absolute worst! I also don't have many symptoms and the ones I do have come and go which is awful!

Have you done beta bloods? What was the grade of your embryo?

I have a little countdown app on my phone and put in appointments and things so that I can see it tick along - one small way of getting through day by day!

@loulamay
Same here, I feel like I'm pretending to be pregnant, I'm sure my husband is skeptical too. He said it is not a positive until the test line is as solid as the control line, because you can't be "a little bit pregnant" 🤔. Its definitely not been the joyous, tearful celebration that I see in the American IVF YouTube bloggers 😂.

I don't know grading as such, but one was graded poor, and the other had not got a grading as it was a morula. The embryologist was very pessimistic at the time about our chances with these embryos, so I think that's why my husband is so reluctant to accept it's been successful. What about you?

The count down app is a good idea, I may do the same.

I had some quite strong cramps last night, enough to keep me awake. I don't know whether to be concerned or not, they have stopped down, so I would like to think if it was miscarriage, it would last longer?

Are you still taking progesterone?

sorry forgot to add - my clinic don't do bloods unfortunately

So sorry about the cramps, it's so hard not to read into them! Glad they have stopped. With my previous miscarriages I had spotting first and cramps much later on but I think there can be lots of different scenarios.

I'm sorry to say, but your husband is talking crap 😂You're either pregnant or you're not and if your body is producing enough hcg to give you a line on a test then you're pregnant.

Sounds like you are both just scared to trust what might be happening though and I totally understand! My clinic doesn't do beta bloods either but I bought two home tests from Medichecks and sent them off to get results that way. You can also get private bloods done at places like Ultrasound Direct, if it was something that would help?

https://www.ultrasound-direct.com/services/blood-tests/beta-hcg-blood-test

I'm on everything...! Progesterone pessaries three times a day plus Lubion injection in the morning, baby aspirin, Prednisoline, Estrogen tablets + patch and Clexane (blood thinner). I feel like a total pin cushion!

@loulamay I know he's talking crap 😂its worrying as he is a health care professional.

Thank you, I think I will book to get my bloods done, £88 is quite dear though, but probably worth it as it will give increased reassurance. Have you continued to test? My plan was to keep testing until I get that complete solid line (which I expect to be tomorrow) and then test every 4-5 days to make sure that line is sustained.

wow you are on a lot. It must take some work to stay on top of all that. Are you at a private clinic? I was just on progesterone twice a day, once I rang with my positive results they said I could stop or finish the pack, I googled it and it advised to slowly stop taking them as opposed to doing it abruptly as it can cause a bleed to do it abruptly, so I've reduced to once a day for a week, then next week I'll to alternative days and that should be the end of the pack.

Yes, with a private clinic - I have to have a spreadsheet printed out so I can tick everything off once I've taken it 😂Great that you don't have loads to take! I stopped testing once I got my first bta result back because it was a nice strong number. Might do one a week like you.

£88 is a lot - the home tests I did were £55 each - you would need to order two and do them 48 hours apart because what they want to see is your hcg doubling around then. You could use an online calculator to help: https://flo.health/tools/hcg-calculator

https://www.medichecks.com/products/pregnancy-blood-test

Are you with the NHS?

Thats a good idea. to stay on top of my jabs and pessaries etc, I just left all the packs/leaflets on the kitchen island, it was a mess, but I need the constant reminder every time I walked into the room.

I'm with the NHS, it seems like private make much more of an effort to cater the treatment specifically for you, everything we have had so far is very generic, but I guess I'm in no place to complain as so far it has worked.

Thank you, I'll consider the home checks, but OH is on board to do the blood test, we are out and about Christmas shopping over the weekend so we will just book it for then.

Oh god! This is the thread that I never knew I needed. I had my FET on the 30th and tested positive on 5dp5dt. I felt too late for the October FET thread and too early for the November one, but I guess this thread will be perfect for me as I am 3 weeks 6 days today, and due date in 18th July ❤️

I so understand where you are coming from @wateringcanface, as DH and I are both in health care and know ALL about things that can go wrong. Its all very cautious and hush hush in our house, and my DH said the exact same things as yours and wants to wait until the scan to know whether we are "actually pregnant", huh!

Yay, welcome to the house of crazy! I felt sure there would be more of us 😂

Guarded congratulations @teetwenty20 - I am due 10th July! Will you be getting beta bloods and do you have a date for your first scan? x

Should add that although I don't work in healthcare I too am just trying to creep past each tiny milestone and am so aware of potential issues.

So far:

1. Implantation of a great graded embryo happened so I take that as a win (three failed transfers before this one).
2. Line progression has been good and it doesn't seem like it's a chemical pregnancy.
3. The first beta at 13dp5dt was 788 which is a strong number! and waiting for results of the second to check for doubling time. Hoping higher numbers also mean not ectopic.

Hurdle 4) First scan and hopefully heartbeat... 18 days and counting...

I still find it so insane that some people just take one or two home pregnancy tests that are positive and think "I'm having a baby in 9 months". Wild 😆

Hello and congrats @teetwenty20

Yeah, I see why our husbands are doing this, it is probably to protect all feelings involved, I get that. I somewhat agree, the issue is though, in the last couple of days is that I feel pregnant, my boobs are sore, and I feel sickly, so it is hard for me to just simply pretend/assume I'm not pregnant until we see a scan showing I am 😂

I do work in health care, but in an area quite far removed from pregnancy so I cannot claim to have any specialist knowledge (though I feel like I do from all my googling).

It is a good approach to have taking it one hurdle at a time @loulamay have you been tracking your lines? I have, I tried not to, but I just want to see the progression. While the line is clearly getting thicker and thicker, I thought by now I would have one the exact same thickness as the control line, and I am still not there (almost, I suspect by tomorrow?). I am 12dp5dt. It is probably nothing to worry about, though I think this rules out twins

I agree, I find it so wild that people take a pregnancy test and can feel nothing but excitement and assume it will result in a pregnancy at the end of the year. My friend recently had a very early miscarriage, she was shocked when I told her 1 in 4 pregnancies end in a miscarriage, it had not even occurred to her she may have a miscarriage,

Perhaps a July thread is a tad too specific? If it keeps going maybe open it up to IVF summer babies 😊

I feel odd even typing the word babies, I feel like I've disconnected from the fact the end result will hopefully be a baby, I have been so consumed by the process of getting pregnant, now staying pregnant, I have kind of forgot what is is even for 😂

Oh, and according to an online IVF due date calculator, I'm due 15th July.

Tentatively joining, I am 13dp5dt (4 weeks 4 days), I tested at 8dpt and got a positive, have been feeling fine all week, today is OTD and last night I had quite a bit of pink spotting. Tested this morning as OTD and it was positive (quite a strong positive but was just a cheapy test the clinic gave me), I have reported my result to the clinic and they didn’t seem overly concerned about the spotting, or cramping which I have had on and off since transfer (not heavy or painful). I’m booked in for a scan on 28th November and they’ve said to let them know if anything changes in the meantime, just to watch out for any more spotting/bleeding and if there’s a lot to go to EPU. I am so anxious, trying not to google but there is so much conflicting information out there. I also don’t ‘feel’ pregnant, if that makes sense. My only symptoms are sore boobs. They’ve not said to keep testing, so I probably won’t because that makes me more anxious. I am also now terrified every time I go to the loo, though I know rationally this is no way to live!

Sorry if I’ve brought any negativity to the thread, and congratulations to all those with positive tests so far x

Lol I would be 3w5d pregnant but wanted to join anyway because it’s my first ever positive and I’m excited. Tentative congratulations to all of you xxx

welcome @Feliciacat and @Nic28j and congratulations!

No need to apologise @Nic28j - it's a horribly anxious time and I think we all feel the same way. I had pink and brown spotting throughout the whole first trimester with my daughter and they found a SCH in week 13 which they think was the cause. Not sure if you are using any pessaries with an applicator at the moment but my nurse also said that they can irritate the cervix and cause spotting - sure enough I had some around the same time as you and I was terrified. I have switched to inserting them with my finger and it's been better.

Still, every twinge I worry and as I'm doing 3 horrible pessaries a day, they kind of leak and every time they do I dash to the toilet to check for blood.

@wateringcanface great idea about changing the title! Think I have to ask MN to do it but will see :-) I stopped testing on 14dp5dt because the line progression was making me totally crazy. I had a dye stealer on a FRER but not the cheapie ones at that point.

Welcome @Nic28j & @Feliciacat and cautious congratulations to you!
@loulamay I was considering private HCG test (my clinic do not offer them) but the result apparently takes 3-4 days. By that time I will need another one to see doubling numbers. And at £85, they are not cheap to get! So I have just left it as it is and I am happy to just not know if things go wrong.
My scan is booked at 6w5d as thats when they can see both the location and the heart beat.

@teetwenty20 exciting to have a scan date booked. Just got to count down the days until then!

I self-referred to my local midwife and they called yesterday to book me in - they want to see me at 9 weeks for the first appointment. Feels totally unreal and like I was talking to her about someone else!

I have some light pink bleeding since yesterday (still have the same symptoms as before re: nausea, dizziness and tiredness). The clinic said it could be implantation bleeding but to monitor over the weekend. My test today is darker so fingers crossed.

@loulamay @teetwenty20 I hope your scans go well! It must feel so surreal to have got this far.

@Nic28j I also have pink spotting. My clinic are not concerned. It is very worrying for people like us who’ve been through ivf. We are so used to disappointment. I hope things continue well for you.

Are you still taking progesterone @Feliciacat ?

It's reassuring your line is darker, from what I've read light spotting is really common, some women get it all the way through pregnancy.

Good point @teetwenty20 I'm undecided whether to book, I was hovering over the book button yesterday. My clinic said the reason they don't do them is because there is such variance in what's normal that it offers little reassurance. Which is potentially a good point.

I've had a good couple of days, been out in the evenings which has kept be distracted. Though I went to a family do/ birthday party last night and I was absolutely drained when I got home. A baby and toddler were there and a few questions asked if "im next". A couple people there knew (mil and sil) so I could see them smirking.

My dog jumped up at my pelvic area when I came home, hard enough for it to hurt a little for a few hours later, I was googling if this could cause damage but embryo will be so small and cushioned in behind pubic bone it will be fine.

(I don't feel comfortable saying baby yet, trying to keep quite emotionally detached till I know there's a viable life in there with a beating heart)

Anyone else have tummy issues? I normally have mild ibs, but I'm so easily set off atm, I had a mcdonald's 'mcspicy' last night, which isn't even remotely spicy and have had a bad stomach this morning. I'm trying to keep to really plain food (also needed due to nausea) but its no fun as I usually drown my food in spices and hot sauce 😅

Also had 2 episodes of intense cramps, enough to make me stop in my tracks, and drain colour from my cheeks, only lasts a few seconds and not accompanied by any bleeding, so I'm hoping it's just things stretching and rearranging in there.

Sorry was meant to tag @Nic28j aswell r.e the bleeding

@wateringcanface in Singapore, they call the McSpicy the McDiarrhoea. I don’t know what they do to it but although it’s not spicy in the mouth, it’s spicy all the way down and out. So if you’ve had a McSpicy then I’d blame that.

I’ve mostly had constipation rather than diarrhoea. Those cramps sound promising; as you say, probably things stretching about.

Thanks for all the reassurance guys - I have since read that spotting/bleeding is a lot more common in ivf pregnancies. I’m just carrying on with my pessaries and hoping for the best (I am using an applicator which is when I first saw the pink so I am being super cautious now). My scan is booked for 28th November which is 7w3d, I would have preferred sooner but the nurse at the clinic said they will see more by waiting. I do actually feel calmer, but possibly also cos I’m not in work so feel a bit more ‘in control’.

@Feliciacat your tests look really promising - mine looked the same at those dates.

I asked my clinic about self referring to the midwife and they said to wait until my scan, they said they will give me a form - has anyone else self referred already?

@Nic28j I have but only because we're quite rural and I was worried about delays for future scans if I didn't get in. Probably being over cautious! I didn't ask the clinic but I told the midwife that it was an IVF pregnancy and she asked if they were doing an early scan and then she's set me up on the app which is called Badger notes. They want to see me at 9 weeks.

@Feliciacat omg your lines look amazingly strong!

I am also getting intense cramps and low back pain (like AF will come anytime) but I am hoping that it is just the progesterone making me feel this way.

I am trying to keep busy with work but I am just so so tired! This might be just me and not the pregnancy / progesterone though! I am known as the forever tired person among my friends 😂

I also have really bad constipation and massively bloated. Hopefully these are all good signs!

@loulamay Good shout about the midwife booking, things are massively delayed and backed up in my area and a friend had her booking scan at 13 weeks last year. I better crack on and do that, can't hurt for them to know and book me in?