BFPs after IVF - part 3 (babies start arriving)

[HopefulllHolly]

Hi all,

SENSITIVE CONTENT - discusses pregnancy and birth after infertility

Continuation of previous threads for anyone with a BFP following IVF. This thread we should have some of us giving birth!

@anniestar12
@dippyduck19
@fluffyted
@leaf86
@loup87
@natty2
@thepeachgoose
@always28
@edf

Hi everyone - starting another thread! Will post the link in the other thread in case others still want to chat but for now have only added people who have posted more recently. 😊

@ThePeachGoose RE:Kendamil

im day day 11 now and still using Kendamil to top up. It’s actually been a bit of a lifesaver especially overnight to get him sleeping for slightly longer stretches. The ready to drink with teat - the flow is really really fast on the teats they provide so after a couple of days I switched to using it in my regular MAM bottles

@LouP87 thanks for sharing, useful to know how you’re using it. I bought the MAM bottles as well, partly to control quantity, partly to control flow (got both size 1 and size 0 teats just in case), and it’s also helpful that it’s self-sterilising in the microwave.

Soo much to catch up on! I am sure I will miss someone out!

@Fluffyted huge congratulations on the birth of your baby and I’m so sorry you had to go through such an ordeal during the surgery and immediately afterwards. Sounds like you had what I had (accreta) but it was only found during the c section (which is apparently more common than being diagnosed ahead of time). I am so glad you are ok. I hope you are on the mend and enjoying the newborn bubble. 🥰

@WhiskeyInTheJar33 sounds like you are smashing it with baby boy! We are three weeks in and zero routine still 😂 Lots of feeding on demand and broken sleep. 😴

@AnnieStar12 @ThePeachGoose i hope you both get your c section dates soon. I was the same towards the end, knowing I needed one early and not finding out until last minute was very stressful. It’s amazing how quickly they can sort though, so I have every faith that things will fall into place. @ThePeachGoose with my first I didn’t get my date until quite late, but (and I’m not sure if this is helpful), I didn’t do any prep at all for vaginal birth. If it ended up going that way, I was just going to ask for an epidural and wing it. 🙊 I can totally understand that it would be overwhelming trying to mentally and practically prepare for both possibilities.

@HopefulllHolly lots of luck and love for tomorrow. I think you have been a huge part of keeping this thread / community of us going during our pregnancies and I have been so grateful. What a journey! I think it’s soooo normal to be feeling how you have been the last couple of days. I was crying before my surgery feeling baby move inside and knowing she was about to leave my inside and come out to the outside. Pregnancy is truly magical and very special and it is understandable to be emotional as it comes to a close. I tell you what though, it is also marvellous not to be pregnant anymore. 😂 I can lie on my stomach and now I can bend properly and I feel so much lighter and also less burdened with the worry of reduced movements etc. And of course, nothing compares to meeting and holding your baby.

I have done the first night with partner there and with no partner now. I do agree that it’s far easier with partner with you, the first night it is impossible to get up and I found it initially very tricky to twist and lift baby from bedside cot to feed and change. If your partner can be with you, I would 100% choose that if it’s an option. That being said, second time round it wasn’t possible for us and I did manage. Baby tends to be a bit sleepy on night one so I wasn’t needing to grab her every two seconds and I could buzz for the midwives to help me lift her. I also managed to do a sort of bum shuffle around on the bed (with my catheter in, haha) to be able to pick her up from the cot. Make sure everything you need for the night is at your fingertips and it will pass pretty quickly. You can mobilise very quickly on day 2 so then it’s easy to do what you need for baby. My SIL (who is a consultant anaesthetist) said your pain relief should be adequate enough to let you look after your baby without major issues, so that’s a good ballpark for whether you need better pain meds.

@Everlore congratulations!! 🥳

@Natty2 good luck for Friday scan! Hope all goes well.

On our side, baby girl is now three weeks old. We are one week off her due date! She’s luckily continued to gain weight since birth and is now over 3kg. It’s been so cold and grey since she was born, we have just been doing a little stroll here and there to grab a coffee and haven’t ventured much further. We did do some dog walks / park run with her big brother at the weekend with the double buggy (chaos, but successful …). Sleep has been pretty atrocious, but not unexpected for the early weeks. I am hopeful that we turn a bit of a corner on that front at around 8 weeks, but either way, my (hazy) memory is that it doesn’t last too long. The nighttime nappy changes / hour long feeds / rocking to get them back down again is HARD but also so beautiful this time around as I don’t think we will have another and so I’m trying to soak it in. We did a bunch of batch cooking in the run up to Christmas and that has been an absolute godsend when we feel too tired to cook and are trying to juggle both babies in the evening. For those of you with some time left - highly, highly recommend (I didn’t do it first time around) - I only wish I had done more of it! Mental health wise has been a bit choppy, baby blues is so real and the hormone drop gives me night sweats and headaches. It’s been a ride, but I have felt better when looking forward and planning nice things for spring / summer (like a holiday lol). I will also start a couple of baby classes from mid Feb ish, which will help break up the days.

@Leaf86 it's a very loose routine during the day and it probably helps that I'm FF which means he feeds and then sleeps for 4hrs. Nights are a little harder. Some nights he follows his daytime pattern, other nights his nappy keeps leaking so he's up for hours!!!

Can't believe your LO is 3 weeks already!!! And great she's putting on weight. Am definitely with you on booking a holiday! lol.

@HopefulllHolly wishing you the best of luck tomorrow! I hope it goes smoothly. Soo pleased that you'll finally meet your baby girl! Can't wait for your update (when you're ready of course!)

@Leaf86 thanks for the encouragement! I had my call with the birth options midwife yesterday, who was surprisingly great and understanding. In the end she requested a c section for me for 26th Feb at 39+5, just because I thought that getting bumped is quite likely in my case, and I don't know why I had this idea in my mind at the time that they don't really do electives at the weekend, but the midwife didn't disagree with my comment and proceeded to request it. Anyway, I have another chance to discuss the date with the obstetrician after the 36 weeks scan. Then today I got a confirmation that I'm on the waiting list, but that c sections will be booked based on clinical priority (which I am not) and I won't get a date until after 38 weeks, and even then that date can change. So I'm no closer to a real date, I just requested one, but at least now I'm sure that they know I want a c section, I'm in the system, I have no more calls and appointments where I need to explain my reasoning, I've kinda done my birth plan with the birth options midwife over the phone, and now I can plan my hospital bag accordingly and focus on how you keep a baby alive lol

Tbh a lot of the research for all scenarios has mostly been for these conversations with the midwives or the obstetricians, as most ask you why you want a c section and then dismantle every reason you give them. I felt now that I could hold my weight in the conversation better and put my foot down harder, but hopefully I'll just get a different obstetrician next time as I really didn't like the one at the initial consultation.

Thank you for opening our eyes to what life is like after the bump lol I can totally see all that now, from bending and picking things off the floor to being able to eat whatever you like and how much you like without extreme reflux or an achey rib.
Also thanks for weighing in on night one after a c section with a baby. I'll make sure to keep my husband around and send him home during the day instead.

I can't believe you're already three weeks in! The first few weeks sound hard with the lack of sleep and all the hormones, but you're a pro already and it sounds like you already knew how to plan this time round to make some things easier. I love that you're already planning a little holiday and little activities to get you out of the house. You must be quite mobile now, and no doubt getting out of the house will help with your mental health and general recovery.

Otherwise I've had some very strange couple of days. I've been feeling completely out of energy and weak, most likely due to the sudden low blood pressure. I was so tired last night that I just went to bed without taking my Gaviscon and my god, I woke up after an hour with projectile reflux that kinda got stuck in my throat and I couldn't get enough air to cough to clear it. Luckily my husband was awake and passed me my water bottle, which was a true life-saver. After that I took my Gaviscon and slept fine, but what a scary moment. On the plus side, my blood tests came back and it looks like my iron supplementation through diet and the low dose spray is working, so the midwife told me not to worry and to just continue doing that. I've definitely felt it in my energy levels as well, up to this low blood pressure episode at least.

@ThePeachGoose ah well glad you’re down for C-section now. Sorry you had to fight for it! I only got my date through yesterday and it’s for next week so they defo can leave it to the last minute!

@HopefulllHolly been thinking of you today. Hope all went smoothly, can’t wait to hear your update xx

@AnnieStar12 omg I’m so pleased you got your date! Must be a relief to know and fingers crossed it goes ahead on the day as planned!

@HopefulllHolly I’ve been thinking of you today as well, hope all went smoothly!

Hi all,

Little girl is here! Still haven’t picked a name for her yet but she is absolutely amazing. She was born at 3:47pm and weighs 7.1lbs. So the 8.5lb growth scan guess was way off.

Was a funny day - got to hospital for 8am, was kept waiting for ages for the section, which I was kind of prepared for as because we were a late request we were on the list for the operating theatre that is reserved for emergency and crash sections on the actual delivery suite, rather than the main operating theatres. It meant they had to wait until no one was in labour before getting me prepped in case anything went wrong. I was starting to feel really wobbly by the time they came and gave us gowns and scrubs - lots of waiting on nil by mouth which was hard work but after they got us it was very quick. I was scared for the section, lots of people in the room all asking me things at the same time, but the procedure itself was great. I didn’t get to hold her in the room as I had very low blood pressure and was shaky and dizzy, and then my uterus wasn’t contracting but they gave me more drugs and it did eventually. My midwife and the team were all amazing and so lovely and it was very calm.

We both cried hearing little girl crying for the first time, but she went to daddy (he cut her cord which I was not expecting!) and fell asleep straight away. Got back to the room and I got my skin to skin and breast fed straight away, and she’s basically slept and ate constantly since then.

Very glad I ended up with a caesarean. As scary as it was initially it was incredibly peaceful and I have seen a few girls having inductions and screaming the place down, and I genuinely don’t think I would have coped, especially with no sleep. So caesarean was 100% the right choice for us. I was so tired and hadn’t eaten earlier than I started losing memory and imagining conversations I hadn’t had which was terrifying as I thought I had psychosis or something - I just wouldn’t have managed a long labour and then a section.

She is very very calm and chilled so far, content to be passed around for cuddles and equally happy to be in the cot. I’ve been more anxious with the usual checking if she’s breathing stuff! I sent my partner home once I was mobile - there’s a poor baby that’s not stopped crying on the ward since I was put back here 4 hours ago and a man next to me that is snoring his head off - so I’ve had no sleep whatsoever but I’m just staring at my beautiful little miracle and feeling all the feels. I know I’ll never get this day back again so it’s all worth it.

I knew I’d love her but my god it’s something else. She is so beautiful and peaceful and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world for being able to call her mine. Daddy is equally obsessed. She’s very petite, a little rosebud mouth, light brown/blonde hair, big eyes, chubby cheeks and the perfect little nose. Looks like a little doll/a very beautiful girl version of my partner which is lovely,

We are going home tomorrow evening, and I’m so excited for that as it’s hard in the hospital! Can’t wait to be in my own bed and snuggled up.

Will send another upset when we have settled in at home. My only advice to people next up for baby (@AnnieStar12 great you have a date and so soon! And @ThePeachGoose great they have tbc booked you for now!) - take some earplugs or noise cancelling headphones/loops for the ward - it’s awful! Take a handheld fan - it’s roasting! And don’t forget your water bottle like me 🤣🤣

I can’t believe this little angel is mine. She is just divine and worth every single part of IVF. I don’t miss my bump because she’s x100000000 times better. She’s just perfect in every way. I am so incredibly lucky 🥹🥹🥹

@HopefulllHolly wow, wow, wow! Felt quite emotional reading your update. I think we were both on all the same ivf threads starting like a year ago when you were worrying about delays to starting treatment. And then we were both down to one embryo! Can’t believe I’ve followed your journey from then and now here you are with your little girl with you ♥️♥️ and I’m hopefully just a week behind 🤞
So pleased you had a positive birth experience and, despite the noisy ward, all is well with you both.

Haha, can’t believe their predictions were so wrong on the size - I’m hoping mine are too! And sorry you had to wait so long while not eating - I think that’s one of my biggest worries about the day - having to wait while starving and then feeling dizzy and sick from not eating.

With the headphones advice, I was thinking about taking some but then I wonder whether I wouldn’t want to use them as I’d want to be alert for your baby? What do you reckon? Do you think you’d use them if you had them?

Are you all in track to go home today?

@HopefulllHolly sooo pleased to read your update!! Congratulations to you and DP on your little lady 🩷🩷🩷

Im glad you feel c-section was the right choice for you and your worries about missing your bump and not an issue, because you have your little girl. Enjoy your baby bubble!!!

@AnnieStar12 glad you have your date for next week!!!

@HopefulllHolly huge congratulations!! So pleased you had a positive birthing story and finally have your little girl in your arms 💕 what a journey!
Can't wait to be in the same position soon!
One of my antenatal friends mentioned about headphones too. I'm also pleased the C-section was the right decision for you. I've had a lot of my friends recently say the same and I'm glad that's on our cards with the extra risks!
Hope you get to go home today and enjoy these precious moments 🥰

@AnnieStar12 great that you're booked in for next week! Wishing you the best of luck and a restful wait. Look forward to hearing your update

@ThePeachGoose sorry to hear about your low blood pressure, hope you're feeling ok today? Heartburn at night is awful! I end up practically sleeping up right some nights! Glad you're down for your C-section. I'm hoping we get some confirmation on ours tomorrow 🤞🤞

@Leaf86 can't believe it's been 3 weeks already! Glad to hear you're adjusting well with newborn and toddler! I hope things continue to get better mental health wise. It's a lot and it's normal to have these moments. You've got this and as you say, lots to look forward to!

Congratulations @HopefulllHolly , so happy baby girl has arrived safe and sound x

@HopefulllHolly congratulations 💕💕💕

@HopefulllHolly CONGRATULATIONS to you and your partner on such happy news! I’m so pleased all went well, everyone’s healthy and you’re happy with the decision you made (all the way back from starting IVF). The baby girl sounds like a dream! The recovery ward does not lol
Noise cancelling headphones, handheld fan, water bottle - got it, thanks!
I hope you’re home now, settling into your lovely new life as a four (had to include the doggy lol)

@Natty2 I don’t know, I’ve felt weird all week, but not as bad as Monday. Unsure if it’s from the BP, the heartburn or not sleeping at this point, could be any. But I really struggled with brain fog as well today trying to do my work. Baby is kicking away just fine so I can only assume that this is how the last leg feels like. A lady in my HPHB class said she’s dealing with the similar stuff at 35 weeks.
Fingers crossed you get your c section date confirmed tomorrow!

We should get two more babies next week and then there’s a long wait until the end of Feb for @Always28 and myself I think. But we’ll learn lots from you all sharing your learnings and struggles

Congratulations @HopefulllHolly ! Magical! Hope the next few days are kind to you and you’re out of hospital soon.

Thank you everyone! We’re home and all settled back in (besides the dog who has been way too interested and hyped up by the baby - so we actually have accepted my mums offer to stay and I TAKE IT ALL BACK. She’s been an absolute god send and we wouldnt have had half the amazing time together if she hadn’t. She’s cooked everything including a nice meal when we got home from the hospital last night, sorted the dog and slept with him upstairs so he can’t stress us out, cleaned the house, held the baby while I eat and sleep and supported my other half so much.
Baby is very much on with cluster feeding so I’ve had 2 hours sleep since having her. It’s wild. But I haven’t noticed it and seem to be running off love and adrenaline. I had a series on last night and couldn’t tell you what happened 🤣 I just stared at her all night. My nipples have taken an absolute battering. Got all the gear on them but she’s almost solidly feeding/seeking comfort from my nips at night.
She is just the most divine little baby - still very much in shock and I didn’t think my love for her could be bigger than I imagined. My partner is the same - he’s been soooo emotional since she arrived. I’ve caught him just looking at her with tears in his eyes because he loves her so much. I think fatherhood has totally caught him off guard. It’s so lovely seeing it happen. ❤️🥰

My only tip for any C-section mums coming up is get some IBS wind tablets - mine has just started today and it’s mental how much noise and sound comes out of you! It’s quite painful tbh! I think it may be more painful than the actual wound for me! On the plus side my bump has gone down really quickly now it’s all coming out! I’ve drank loads of peppermint tea and got some gel tablets from boots and they have helped. I’ve done gentle massage on it too which shifts it loads!

@AnnieStar12 I know - it’s so crazy we’ve been through the almost exact same journey. I’m going to be blubbering next week when your baby arrives! I still remember the feeling of feeling hopeless of low egg numbers, getting my BFP and then you having the same emotions a week later. IVF is a bloody miracle when it works, and it goes to show you don’t need loads of eggs so we can all ignore those threads on here about high egg numbers! I find it amazing looking at my little baby and thinking she came from that one little egg - that it was her all along. 🥹😭 She feels like fate to me. What day next week are you booked in (sorry I missed the exact date and my tired brain can’t see it!)? Want to make sure I wish you luck!
I brought my Apple AirPods to watch tv shows while I waited for the section, but they came in use when back on the ward. I didn’t have the full noise cancelling on so heard her making small noises and the midwives knew I was on my own at night so they popped in really regularly and would have poked me if I didn’t hear her crying or anything. Not that it ever happened. I found that babies on the ward all set each other off and one poor couple had a baby that must have had something wrong as it didn’t stop screaming, and not even like a small hungry cry, it was like a really in pain crying. It was awful. So they took the edge off that for me.
In terms of the wait, I think we just got unlucky with the number of unplanned c sections (there were 10 in 2 days we were there) - so we just got moved. Take some playing cards! They also offered me an IV for fluids but by that point it was 7 hours in and i didn’t see the point as I was either going to be imminently sent home or brought in quickly (my midwife was so lovely and kept me updated on what the whispering were of me having it that day which helped manage my expectations a little!).
I do think the lack of food and water contributed to my low blood pressure and feeling sick in surgery. I don’t regret not having her do immediate skin to skin though - we did it after and it meant my partner got to be really involved and I got to watch him fall in love.

Baby is whining for her next burst of food so will pop back later to reply to others but if I don’t make it back this evening hope everyone else is ok and cruising towards their due dates next month! 😍😍

@HopefulllHolly how are you getting on? So good to hear it's worked out well with your mum staying. I've already asked mine to stay after the baby arrives as I know she can take care of other things so I can focus on baby. Hope the feeding is going okay and she's giving you some rest bite between feeds!

As for me, I'm booked in for Thursday, so not long to go - feels very strange just waiting now. I do feel very ready though, everything is prepared at home, sheets are on the cot, bags are packed and I'm physically very uncomfortable!! Although we still don't have a name, haha! Guess we will worry about that after.
You're the second person to mention the IV drip if I have to wait for longer than expected so hopefully I can ask for that if I do end up being delayed on the day while nil-by-mouth. I won't find out the time until the night before so not sure if I'll be on the morning or afternoon list.

Hope everyone else is getting on okay

Hey @AnnieStar12 have been thinking of you! So exciting you’ll meet your little girl in a couple of days. I wish I could do it all over again - this week has flown by! Get as much rest as you can before Thursday and eat as much healthy goodness as you can. We still haven’t confirmed a name either with anyone while we test out the one we have decided on privately. The amount of people who have asked and kept asking is insane. Definitely make use of the IV drip - I should have said yes immediately as I do think how dehydrated and hungry I was had a bit of an impact with my blood pressure, though my mum also had low blood pressure in birth so maybe just a coincidence!

We had a couple of tricky days - baby was cluster feeding constantly (I managed 4 hours sleep in 4 days), she dropped 11% of her birth weight and I cried a lot as I felt like a total failure. But the last day we’ve turned a corner and she’s sleeping in 3 hour bursts in the night and has put weight back on. I think my milk has only just come in as I was trying to hand express to top up feeds when her weight went down and have only just managed to get enough now to add a bottle to her evening time which daddy gives her. I was worried about nipple confusion but she’s been fine so far. Have been using a hakaa pump but have just bought two pumps off vinted as they can all be sterilised anyway. So hopefully she’ll be back above birth weight soon.

Other than that she’s been absolute heaven. I cried this morning while feeding her as she’s just so perfect I don’t know how we got so lucky. 🥹❤️

Recovery wise I feel great - I had bad trapped wind but resolved in a couple of days, peppermint tea helped loads! I went on a walk on day 3, have had minimal bleeding, and now feel about 80% back to myself which is bonkers. I wouldn’t do a long walk yet but it’s not painful to walk now and my scar is neat and healing well already so no complaints from me! If I knew this all along I would have picked C-section from the start!

Really excited for @AnnieStar12 it’s such a magical time. I wish I could start again as it’s going too fast already and I just want to bottle the feelings and moments with her, there’s nothing like it! ❤️ Sending love for Thursday!

@HopefulllHolly you and the baby have had quite the journey so far, but despite some wobbles, it sounds like you're in a good place now and in control, and that you've had amazing support in place. I'm sure that you already know this but you're definitely not a failure! 11 vs 10% is basically margin of error, you're now reverting it, and I think you're doing brilliantly considering none of us have ever done this before and no one out there, whether they've done it before or they're professionals, can agree on anything. You're figuring it all out, what works best for you and your baby and your family, and you're exactly where you're supposed to be.

I've actually found it quite funny how both my maternity and HPHB have banged on about the cradle position being THE ONE position to breastfeed in, and then went to NCT and they were like no no, the laidback position is THE ONE, as backed up by science - no one fucking knows lol it comes down to what works for you and the baby I guess. Has the cluster feeding been happening 24/7? You read everywhere and you're told that it mostly happens in the evenings, but I've definitely heard a few mums say that it happens all day, very confusing.

I'm pleased that the recovery is going so well! And very interesting that your bump is going down pretty quickly too. Is the rib cage going down as well? I was surprised that I had to change through 3 bras during pregnancy mostly due to the rib cage expanding as opposed to the cup size, and now i've just given up on them altogether lol Have the pregnancy aches, pains, reflux and breathlessness all magically gone away as well?

Thanks for sharing the tips on peppermint tea, IBS trapped wind tablets and the IV drip! I've made a note of all.

@AnnieStar12 2 more sleeps until you and @Natty2 get to meet your baby, how exciting! it sounds like you're all prepared with the practical things, as well as armed with all the information needed for a c section. I hope it all goes smoothly and according to plan, and I can't wait to hear your stories about the birth and the first days with the baby. Apologies for not remembering exactly, but this is your second baby, right?

As for me, I'm definitely in the discomfort phase of the pregnancy now. It's like a switch flipped and suddenly I feel very tired and weak all the time (look forward to my next hospital appt to see if I still have low BP), I have intense reflux, the pregnancy rhinitis kicks in as soon as I lie down, my nose gets blocked, so I breathe through my mouth and then I drink more water through the night, and then I wake up to the go to the loo every 2 hours. On top of that, I'm just bigger and everything tires me out now lol so I'm moving fast from "I'll miss this bump" to "can't wait to get rid of the bump" 😆

My next appointment is the 36 weeks scan on Friday, which I look forward to but I'm also a bit nervous about since we haven't seen the baby since 20 weeks, but hopefully both the baby and the placenta are fine. Nothing in all the checks they've done throughout has indicated that there might be anything wrong, so there's hopefully nothing to worry about.

@ThePeachGoose Haha it sounds like it but doesn’t feel it if that makes sense. I’m loving every second of it, I think it’s normal mum guilt and worry and a steep learning curve as a new mum. But the majority of my tears have been happy ones 🥹 Hope I don’t scare you!

Yeah I think the feeding position stuff are very personal and you have to experiment. I find the cradle position hard, I’ve found the cross cradle better for me to get her latched well but initially I struggled with holding her back/shoulders properly - it felt wrong as she’s so tiny. The reclined position I like for skin to skin. This morning we had a lay down side feed and it was magical - exactly as breastfeeding should be. I was half asleep, she was very relaxed and snuggled up to me and I cried with happiness at us in our little bubble 🥹❤️ It was amazing. That’s only the second time it’s felt perfect when feeding so I’m hoping we’re finding our stride now!

Cluster feeding was all night from 11pm and then parts of the day when she was awake - but she’d have long stints of being asleep in the day, whereas at night she’d scream if I put her down. It’s stopped now so I think it was her signalling to my body what milk she needed. That’s what it’s felt like.

Yeah my rib cage seems to have shrunk but I’ve not tried older bras yet. In comfy Amazon nursing bras. I have a little belly bump but not crazy sized. Think it’ll take a while to lose it.
All other aches and pains are gone yeah! Didn’t even notice I can breathe again lol!!

Oh bless you - the last few weeks are rough. But it all will be like a memory when baby is here. Rest and eat well and enjoy the baby kicks and stuff. I’d go do stuff you enjoy the next few weeks - pamper yourself! And be happy in the knowledge the horrible symptoms go straight away! 😊
Keep us posted on your scan - I’m sure baby is fine - most don’t get one so it must be rare to pick up something so late! Will be thinking of you anyway!

@ThePeachGoose ah I'm actually booked in for next week! I'll be 38 weeks and hopefully in for an early slot as GD patients tend to be on the list first. Can't believe we'll be meeting our baby next week! Unless he arrives before then, because the braxton hicks over the last couple of days have been insane and fairly regular! We had to go in and get checked on Sunday as it was every 10 mins from 3.30am.
It's the first baby for me 🥰 feeling excited but nervous too!
Glad that I started leave on Monday to get the last bit of baby bits done and also to try and rest abit now!

Best of luck for your scan on Friday! Sorry you're feeling so uncomfortable now. I love my bump but I definitely feel the weight and pressure now! I'm really petite and baby is taking after my much bigger DH! Keep us posted on how you get on!

@AnnieStar12 hope you are feeling ok ahead of your C-section date!

@HopefulllHolly so lovely to hear your update. Sounds like you are doing an amazing job 💕 also glad to hear your recovery from the C-section is going well. How has your little dachshund been around baby?

@Natty2 He was really beside himself when we got home and we couldn’t work out if it was anxiety or if he was a bit too excited near the baby. So we have kept them separate and it’s been awful to be honest. I’ve been so upset as he looks so confused and is trying really hard to do what we want. The last two days he’s turned a corner after I decided to give him a bit more freedom and come and sit in the room with us, and he’s been soooo good. He just wants to protect her I’ve realised. He’s currently asleep on the blanket next to us. I think maybe it was us who worried too much but he’s still a dog at the end of the day so you can’t trust them completely but I’m relieved he’s calmer and happier. Hopefully in a couple of weeks we can go back to how it was, which makes me really happy! 😊

Congratulations to all the new arrivals. It’s a lovely thing to read on this forum. I remember a few of you from last year posting about ivf experiences.

I still have a little while to go. Elective C-section beginning of April. I have had an emergency C section with my first so was already set at my booking appointment this is the route I would be taking having done all my research. Both consultant and midwife were really supportive.

Trying to get through 3rd trimester. 30 weeks, 8 more to go!

@Faith2024 Awww congratulations! Hope the last few weeks go quickly and are as symptomless as possible! Let us know when little one arrives if you want to - I think it’s always nice to see the happy endings. IVF can feel hopeless and I know they helped me when we were starting out.

@AnnieStar12 Good luck tomorrow lovely! I hope you’re first on the list and it goes smoothly. Can’t wait to hear all about your little girlie! ❤️ Sending lots of love, hope today has been a memorable one filled with everyone you love xx