First IVF probably "Early pregnancy loss"

[lildottie]

After 2yrs ttc with no success my dh and I found out last Monday that our first IVF attempt had been successful. Beautiful lines on FRERs and darkening lines on ICs. Then yesterday nothing. I fell to pieces and phoned clinic. Today they did a HCG blood test and the result was 6. As that is still technically a pregnancy level I have been told to carry on the progesterone and oestrogen I'm taking and wait to have another test on Monday next week.
Although there is a miniscule chance one of our 2 embryos is still in there, in my heart I feel its over. The change in those sticks was dark to gone in 2 days. I am absolutely devastated but feel totally in limbo having to continue the drugs. Does anyone have any advice about if I might start bleeding before they tell me to stop the drugs, or what I can expect when I do stop them? I'd be 4+6 today.
And does anyone have any advice on how to survive the emotional trauma of this. At the moment I just don't want to carry on with anything. I feel numb, then angry, then just devastated before flipping back to numb or angry again.

dottie I'm so sorry. I haven't had IVF but have been on progesterone for recurrent miscarriage and when I miscarried taking it did delay a bleed. Can't you ask for the second blood test to be brought forward to shorten the limbo? They normally check HCG 48 hrs apart to see if it's doubling. I think if you've had strong positive tests and they are now negative you have your answer. 8 wouldn't show up on even a sensitive HPT.
A 4-5 week MC is physically like a bad period, you might pass clots but sacs etc would be too small to recognise, and there might be cramping, so have some painkillers to hand. You need to use pads rather than tampons for the duration of the bleed. Emotionally of course it's a whole different ball game. Everything you are experiencing now is part of grieving and all you can do is work through it. I'm sure the whole IVF process has already played havoc with your emotions. Be very kind to yourself and your OH

Yes I had this with my first cycle. Ivf is a long road of hope and disappointment and it's incredibly difficult. When you start off you can't know what it's going to be like.
You don't yet know that this cycle is over but I think you are right to brace yourself for all outcomes. Sorry you are going through this and wish there was some words of wisdom I could give you. Join the online forum for your clinic and have a good old rant with others in the same boat helps. I found counselling didn't really help but was a useful space to 'let it all out".
Good luck x

I'm sorry you are going through this. Ivf is so hard, physically and emotionally.

I got a bfp on my first ivf cycle and then miscarried at 8 weeks (although we knew from our six week scan that things were not developing as they should). The bleeding didn't start until a few days after I stopped the progesterone.

The only things that helped me get over it were to get back in the horse as soon as I had recovered physically. And time. Passing the due date made me stop thinking I should be x months with a big bump now and so on.

Be kind to yourself. X

Thanks everyone. I'm struggling so much with the unfairness of it atm. I didn't even fet to really feel pg. all my symptoms have gone so I'm just frustrated to have to wait until Monday for more bloods. I know they don't want to risk me stopping them on the remote possibility but it seems futile. I just want to move on and start trying again.

euro my due date was my dn's third birthday so that is going to be mega hard.

I looked at it as a biochemical pregnancy as in a failed cycle rather than a miscarriage. I think most ivf people do the same. I never worked out due dates. Every cycle I did I had a different outcome it is hard.
The fact you want to get cracking again is a real positive.
Good luck