Early Pregnancy After IVF: Worry-warts and wimps gather to whimper and wobble.

[PramQueen1971]

Yes! Happy Birthday to me indeed! Fanks for all the I would say 'nom-nom' and 'it was awesome!' but I would have to stab myself for being an irritating twat. I digress..

Come here, ladies who have survived IVF and are now battling the first trimester nerves and scans. We did it...we did it!!

[NoMaybeAboutIt]

You will cope Bettle, I just know you will thank goodness you've got 8 months to get used to the idea

I love it Prammy!!

[NoMaybeAboutIt]

I've stepped away from the worriers thread Beetle. I think it worries me too much. Once a heartbeat is seen, an IVF pregnancy is no different to a conventional one, so Im just running with that.

I know what you mean about the 'safe zone' but I think a lot of it is superstition. Don't get me wrong, I'm terrible but DH keeps reminding me that I can't be like this for the whole pregnancy. My MC risk now is as low as it will go, so I think I'm going to have to learn to go with the flow. Though that's much easier said than done. I'm hoping once next Friday is out of the way, that all worries will be put aside. We shall see

[MotorcycleMama]

beetle congratulations! That is lovely news. Of course you will be worried about risks (whether you have one or two babies inside) but they will monitor you extra carefully. Yes, there are sad stories, but there are loads of successes too, and you must believe that you will be a success, and so will your lovely babies! X

[MotorcycleMama]

I'm just back from work and about to head up to the Lake District for a weeks holiday with DH. I hope to keep up on here but it might be tricky, so don't be surprised by silence.

Still worried about nook

Love to you all. X

[NoMaybeAboutIt]

Have a lovely break Motor!!! You deserve it x

Also worried about Nook. If you're lurking lovely, hope all is ok x

[PramQueen1971]

Motor, this is for you, an article about epigenetics I nicked from Fertility Friends:

"...Remembering that 99.9% of a baby?s genes are identical to all other humans, 0.1% results in the variations we see in humans.

A baby conceived using a donor egg (roughly the size of a full stop) gets his/her genes from the donor; she gets the 'instructions' on the expression of those genes from the woman who carries him/her to term.
This means that a baby conceived using donor egg has 3 biological parents: a father, the egg donor and the woman that carries the pregnancy. The child who is born would have been physically & no doubt emotionally different had another woman carried that child. In other words the birth mother influences what the child is like at a genetic level ? it IS her child. She has had a 'say' in her offspring as does the donated egg and the sperm used to fertilized.

In horse breeding for example, it?s not uncommon to implant a pony embryo into the womb of a horse. The foals that result are different from normal ponies. They?re bigger. These animals? genotype ? their genes ? are the same as a pony?s, but their phenotype ? what their genes actually look like in the living animal ? is different. Taken from a booklet published by Freedom Pharmacy ?Perhaps the greatest myth surrounds pregnancy. Many believe the uterus is simply an incubator. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The most important aspect of all pregnancies ? including egg donation pregnancies - is that as the fetus grows, every cell in the developing body is built out of the pregnant mother?s body. Tissue from her uterine lining will contribute to the formation of the placenta, which will link her child. The fetus will use her body?s protein, then she will replace it. The fetus uses her sugar's calcium, nitrates, and fluids, and she will replace them. So, if you think of your dream as you dream house, the genes provide merely a basic blueprint, the biological mother takes care of all the materials and construction, from the foundation right on up to the light fixtures. So, although her husband?s aunt Sara or the donor?s grandfather may have genetically programmed the shape of the new baby?s earlobe, the earlobe itself is the pregnant woman?s 'flesh and blood'. That means the earlobe, along with the baby herself, grew from the recipient?s body. That is why the child is her biological child...?

[NoMaybeAboutIt]

Nice article Prammy. Essentially the age old debate of nature vs nurture. On a biological level. DNA really is just a blueprint. And a blueprint does not a child make. It will be the values and personality traits that you pass on that will shape a child's life, irrespective of what hair and eye colour they have. I just think the whole thing is fascinating. The scientist in me just cannot get over the sheer wonder that is IVF.

I feel very lucky to have been able to take advantage of it x

[Wimwom]

beetle AMAZING news! I am incredibly excited for you! I know we don't allow ourselves to feel too excited - but I am on your behalf grinning ear to ear. I can see why being far from home is scary - though it sounds like you have a support network in place.

There is also the nurture debate to add to the nature debate above - really interesting piece. It is fascinating.

Have a lovely hols motor

Am TFI Friday today - christening Sunday but otherwise intend to do little this weekend. What you all up to?

[birdandbee]

Can I join?

I've found out this week I am pregnant following IVF

Can I ask 2 questions?

Did anyone get an early scan at 7wks on the NHS or did you have to go back to the clinic?

Also was anyone showing really early? When I mean early I mean at 5wks?? I'm guessing my stomach is swollen due to fluid in my tummy from IVF but I've had to go buy some comfy clothes as my trousers won't do up... I've not put on weight anywhere else... Just have a bump....

[PramQueen1971]

Bird, welcome and congratulations. I was 'showing' at six weeks. It was all bloating thanks to progesterone pessaries but I was wearing maternity jeans for comfort at seven weeks. I had lots of early scans free on the NHS but that was because they're a particularly fantastic EPU and I am a particularly bossy and demanding woman.

Maybs, there is summat niggling me about the above article and that is I have no idea from whence it came, who wrote it or why it appears to be written in a not-very-academic prose. Would you agree? It is almost as if the author is trying to convince himself..

[birdandbee]

I'm on progesterone pesseries and vaginal gel... So that will be the reason for the bloating then!!

I actually donated some my eggs..... and conceived using donor sperm so that article is definitely a "thinker"!!

[NoMaybeAboutIt]

Welcome Bird! I was in maternity jeans from week 8, purely for comfort! The bloating is horrendous at first, but it does settle down. Eventually . Congratulations on your pregnancy x

I know what you mean Prambo. It's definitely not a piece of science writing. But it makes a very fair point.

[NoMaybeAboutIt]

Oh Beetle lovely, it's a massive shock!! You have not come across as ungrateful at all, far from it. We had one embie put back, and we would have been in a daze had we found it it was twins!!! But you're going to be great, you really are xxx

Morning everyone!! Today, I shall mainly be making wedding cakes. Which normally i would love, but im not sure how my tummy will handle it.....

[birdandbee]

Just read down the thread- congrats Beetle!! I bet that was a shock, but what a blessing to have twins.

Thank you to you all for your welcome/ congrats!

It's good to know the bloating is normal but also not to panic when in starts to go down.... Slimmer today... Did a cheap test to check still pregnant, as I'm so used to the clearblue tests which usually come up pregnant quickly I panicked when the cheap one stayed blank.... Eventually it did come up positive but my heart was in my mouth!!

I guess this is going to be the nervous / worry rollercoaster for awhile!!

I'm just relaxing today, dinner at the the in laws later...

[PramQueen1971]

Cutie, I am over-the-fecking-moon for you, I really am. I hope you have a fantastically safe pregnancy. I think you're so fortunate and I'm a little !

[BrookerC]

Beetle WOW WOW WOW! I am amazed & over the moon for you in equal measure! I do understand your concerns over a multiple pregnancy but you will be monitored much more closely now you know there are two in there. I am rather jealous I have to say. 2 healthily babies in one go would be my dream result. Always around for support if you need it xx

[birdandbee]

Hi all

Beetle- had a nice time at the in-laws, in fact there again as the exhaustion has really hit me today!! Mother in law stepped in and did dinner... Bless her she really is a god send.

My GP has referred me to the wrong hospital for my 7week scan!! I'm probably being unreasonable as I have a GP in the place I work not where I live so he has referred me effectively to the right hospital for the area but we had a long discussion on how I wanted to go to the hospital local to where I live.... Mainly because I work in healthcare and I wanted some privacy and the hospital near the GP was listed as one of the worst hospitals in the uk recently.

Spoke to the midwives local to home (that I want to go with) and the GP and they say just go to the hospital I don't want to be under for the first scan then go local to home for the rest if my care.... Sounds ok and to tired to argue but I can see this getting complicated as now I'm effectively booked with 2 lots of Maternity services in 2 different towns... Anyway that's my moan of the day. Local midwife seems lovely though at least that is something.

How is everyone else?

[birdandbee]

Beetle I've been told to have Crinone until 12weeks...

I do know that I had abit of a job getting my GP to prescribed it and the pharmacist said he was restricted in only ordering 1 box at a time... Wonder if that's any indication as to why he wants to stop it?

Although of you think about it our bodies should be producing progesterone itself.... So if your pregnancy is going strong then may be there is no reason to continue???

[NoMaybeAboutIt]

Afternoon everyone, sorry for lack of posting, have been feeling so rough.

What a nightmare Bird! But I'm sure it'll all get sorted in time for your 12 week scan.

Beetle I finish mine tonight at 12 weeks, though I know all clinics differ. A friend of mine also stopped at 8 weeks. I don't think the extra progesterone is needed, especially if there's nothing to show you don't produce enough by yourself. I wouldn't worry about it, your body will know what to do

Are you back yet Motor? How were the lakes?