I am 7 weeks 2 days and have my early scan tomorrow (got pregnant through first time ICSI) I am so worried!

[anroga]

I am 7 weeks 2 days pregnant and have my first early scan tomorrow for a heartbeat (or beats they put two back!).

I have generally been feeling pregnant, cramps, very tired, boobs have got bigger and hurt plus a little bit of nausea when I wake and constant trips to the toilet but even with all these symptoms I am still worried about the scan tomorrow that there won't be anything there or no heartbeat.

Can anyone give me some guidance on what to expect at the scan tomorrow please (plus some sucess stories!) thanks x

I'm very lucky - he's brilliant

Sorry to disappoint you with your lunch though. Although is have been happy with a jacket spud and tuna - I've had lunch and I'm still hungry!!

You guys make me chuckle, I know what you mean about being ravenous I was as well and actually scared me a bit I could eat and eat and me starving like I hadn't eaten for days an hour later. The worst was waking up in the night and having to have snacks. Good news is this seemed to calm down for me about 14 weeks still could eat for England but more controllable, although still feel sick if over hungry. I'm 19+5 fab I totally went off sweet stuff two but it's starting to come back now, although I caved a few weeks ago and had a dirty big Mac my first McDonald's in about 10 years as was totally craving it. Was amazing tho

Ah you guys make me giggle, just been catching up for a few days, now I'm starving and fancying a McDonald's!

Whittle can't believe you are 19+5 already, such an exciting time for you now! Glad to hear you were like me and Fab with the ravenous thing! Its got to pass at around 14 weeks or otherwise I will be the size of a house!

Now you have mentioned a big mac it is ALL I can think about! I have just finished my boring jacket and tuna all washed down with a carton of orange juice!

I had hot cross buns with peanut butter and cheese. Normally I love this but today just disappointing and I'm still hungry. There's Plenty here but I don't want any of it. I don't know what I want but I do know I NEED something unhealthy!!

Hot cross buns with peanut butter and cheese sounds amazing. I've usually got a sweet tooth but right now it's all salty stuff and fruit. I'm not feeling sick or anything but always seem to be hungry so trying to keep a bit of control. Today I feel quite full above my pubic bone like there's stretching, hope all is ok.

Can I ask when you all had scans? I had my first yesterday at seven weeks and now signed off from fertility clinic who've said next one will be nhs one at 12 weeks. That just seems so long away and I'm wondering if I should do another one in between. Some people seem to get them weekly. I'm not sure what to do.

I had one at 7 weeks as part of my ivf Wishy, but my clinic recommended having a 9 week one as well, at extra cost of course! I've decided to go with a 10 week and 12 week scan (Nuchal) alongside the Harmony test as I'm 42 so the risk of chromosomal abnormalities is higher. You can definitely get a private scan whenever you want (as you pay for it) but sometimes the nhs will give you an extra one before the 12 scan if you are experiencing problems, ie think you might be losing it or can convince your GP that you're emotionally struggling and that another scan will help. I would suggest this is highly unlikely though.

I have to wait till 12 weeks as well Wishy - had one at 6 weeks through the IVF clinic (partly so they could check if it was twins!) and now I have to wait another 3 weeks till the next one. I'd really like another scan and did look into the Harmony test - thanks everyone for the advice! - but it's £450 for twins and to be honest, we can't spare the money at the moment, as OH is stretching himself with a big work purchase (he runs his own business). After years of frittering away his cash on rubbish, the time he actually needs to have some comes and he's skint!!

Fab, I'm with you, if I don't eat more or less constantly then I feel sick as a dog it does mean that I sit at work grazing on crisps, biscuits, etc as I just want starchy rubbish. Going to try grapes tomorrow, we'll see if they hit the spot!

I was in the jacket potato and tuna brigade for lunch as well and then went and ate a couple of Kitkats…..

wishy I was same as you first scan and 7 weeks then got signed off by the clinic and entered the normal system. They messed up our dates so we ended up having two 12 Week ones as the first time I was just under 12 weeks and the baby measured too small to do the combined test so had to go back the about 10 days later. Was nice to see it twice though although the second time they brought my dur date forward by 4 days not sure how as now the exact date we conceived but guess we will see haha

Wow girls!! I'm not starving that much , however when I eat I quite enjoy. I ate avocado with warm French bread and a cup of coffee and I was delighted!!
However I feel tired more at the end of the day, don't you?

Regarding the scan before week 12, I hope this helps, after the clinic signed me off, I called to the Early pregnancy unit at st George 's hospital for a week 9 scan, they have free drop in Appointments. I knew about this after the miscarriage last year when I went there complaining that I was already in my week 12 and no news from NHS regarding the midwife or scans.
Maybe there are other hospitals close to you mrswish and ruby with similar service? .

whittle I imagine your pain after the first yoga session, I am the same due to the lack of time I haven't been doing any exercise so I wonder my body after any exercise.

MrsWishywashy I had a 7 week scan with my clinic and then the nurse suggested us having a 10 week scan again with them, not that anything was wrong but she said its nice to have that inbetween otherwise its a long wait plus it will have grown much more and be moving etc so we booked a 10 week scan with them there and then and had to pay for it but it was worth every penny for the peace of mind it gave us - ask you clinic.

I am now waiting patiently for the NHS to get back to me with regard to my nuchal scan, I will be 13 weeks on Monday so I have got to have it done soon.

I had my 7 weeks scan and am now 10 weeks and awaiting my date for the 12 week, haven't had any suggestions of others but that's NHS for you I guess!

I hope you receive news from NHS soon anroga and verkey!! A friend of mine who is in our same situation just received her letter after 2 weeks and in my case it took little bit less than that. Fingers crossed!

I just don't know how it all works, every ones story seems different!

Verkey I had a 7 week scan at the private clinic and then a 10 week scan with the private clinic (both I had to pay for even though we had shelled out over £6K for treatment but hey ho!)

The first appointment I could get with my GP at my surgery was on Monday just gone and now as I have said no mention of a 12 week scan just this nuchal scan before I am 14 weeks which is very important as it is the scan and blood tests for down syndrome. (also a chance to get to see your baby again!).

I am hoping when I get home from work tonight a letter will be waiting with the appointment date - if not I am going to get onto them again as I do not want it to be too late to have the scan as I think we are all higher risk of downs with IVF and ICSI?

Interesting that there seems to be no standard in extra scans. My clinic says not more until the nhs 12 week one. So I think I'll discuss with midwife next week and see what she says. I kind of want to relax and enjoy being pregnant but as I'm not really feeling pregnant then it's hard to relax.

Hope everyone has a relaxing weekend planned. I've spent the past week with the two week old pretty much sole charge and am quite exhausted my the sleepless nights. So my weekend will be spent sleeping except it's my birthday on Sunday so I'm hoping I'll be ok to eat cake as am totally of sweet things.

So ladies, I'm a bit upset today and could do with a rant. I've just got back form registering with my doctors where they did a urine sample. She found I have high blood glucose and did a quick pin prick blood test an it can up 7.3 (should be 4-6), so, basically she thinks I have gestational diabetes GD already - I'm sooo gutted :( I am a bit overweight which I asked her about but she said its just pregnancy's that does it - I've read up on it when I've got back and it does say overweight is one of the causes.

However I have also just researched IVF and GD, and I'm finding studies which says Assisted Reproduction, ivf etc, has a higher risk of GD. One one study IVF ladies had 30% higher chance of GD!!!

I'm also reading that progesterone and other hormones send the insulin to the baby first which can cause you to have less insulin and thus, cause GD. Now, I am still on progesterone gels each day, but when I went to the clinic at 7 week scan, she said I should take them until week 12 but that in the future people will stop at week 7 as the research suggests I would be making it myself by week 7 and therefore we don't need it until week 12 - but the clinic just haven't changed their policy yet.

Reading all this, I know I can probably help myself by upping my exercise and getting a handle on my weight, but does anyone else think maybe I don't need the progesterone now and that it could be one of the reasons why IVF is linked to GD? If I am making progesterone now, plus I am taking additional, then I am doubling it theoretically? Thus, this high level of progesterone might be preventing me form getting the insulin I need and sending too much to the baby?? I just want to do whatever I can to stop this now, I don't want any unnecessary health problems for my baby, or for me in this pregnancy. So my plan is to take the dog out even more, maybe start swimming and eat better, plus look into stopping the progesterone??? I might ring the clinic? Any thoughts?

I feel like such a failure today :( This is crap.

Just found this conclusion on a study... This study indicated that the risk of GDM is two-fold higher in women with singleton pregnancies conceived following ART compared with women who conceived spontaneously. In addition, progesterone use during pregnancy was found to be an important risk factor for GDM. Asrafi et al, 2014

Also says 43% higher in ivf/ICSI groups! I'm not putting this to scare anyone else by the way - sorry, but I guess its something we should all be aware of and know to watch out for! Really, I'm just saying that maybe this backs up what I'm saying about the progesterone?? Maybe it might be making it worse?? I'm so worried now :(

Sorry didn't say 43% higher, it says 43% got it in that group, compared to 10% in the spontaneous pregnancy group - jumping ahead of myself!

Verkey I can totally understand your worry but I would go continue on with the progesterone as direct unless your gp or midwife is concerned and told you not to. I know friends that have had GD and their babies have all been born absolutely fine and it has not effected their pregnancies. I knows it's reall difficult because if I was told that the first thing I would do is Google it and loom at studies. But I am starting to learn that googling things just makes you worry more as you end up focussing on the bad and not the good. I would call your clinic about the progesterone if you are worried that that is an issue and follow their direction. Also did the doctor sound concerned about the GD? If not I would try and trust their judgement but I know it's hard I never do and they are the professionals so what hope do I have haha. I have to have w GD test around 28 weeks as my dad has diabetes so I'm higher risk anyway so completely understand the worry

Verkey, I'm sorry that this has happened but I guess if you can get treatment earlier in pregnancy then the risk is small. I was having a minor panic atrack about my first midwife appt next week as my Bmi was 34 at treatment and I've already put on 2kg, I very worried about gd and from reading your research might go with some copies of it as it looks like over weight is not solely to blame if an ivf pregnancy. I'm meant to take progesterone until 12 weeks as well, three x 400mg a day and I'm not tempted to stop early. This week althiugh tired I've felt less nauseous so am going to try harder to eat healthy and cut out some more carbs, already my sweets are limited as they taste funny.

Oh and by the way, YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE, pregnancy isn't easy for anyone but combined with treatment and the added stresses it involves you are a super star.

Sorry to hear that you are stressed and worried over GD, Verkey. It's never been mentioned as a risk at any point during my IVF treatment and I don't even know if I've been tested for it - they took pints of blood at my midwife appointment, but I have no idea what they were checking it for, and I never heard anything back about that or the urine test!

I do think you're right and that in future you probably wouldn't be on progesterone this long - I'm 9 weeks at the moment and have another 2 or 3 weeks' worth to take - but I guess the clinics keep us on it for longer as it's better the devil you know. Cheaper to give you progesterone that you probably don't need than to run the risk of having to fund another round of IVF…..

Did the doctors say what would happen next - is it just a case of keeping a close eye on you to make sure it doesn't get worse?

I am very confused today; after my midwife appointment last Thursday, she said I'd see a consultant ASAP to monitor the twins, but to book a GP appointment for a couple of weeks' time anyway just in case I hadn't seen the consultant by then. Nothing from the hospital yet, so I chased up the midwife today; she now says I won't see the consultant till 16 weeks?! She told me to phone the antenatal clinic anyway just to check, which I did, and they told me I'd be seen at 13 weeks!! So now I have no idea what's happening

Anroga, any news on your test date? I can't believe your clinic made you pay for the scans, you'd hope it would be included in their (very large!) costs!!

I don't think IVF/ ICSI increases the risk of Down's by the way, the studies I read found no additional health problems with babies born via IVF, it's more that they couldn't tell if babies would have additional long term health problems - because of course you are using eggs/ sperm that left to nature, wouldn't make the grade. The Down's risk increases because women having IVF tend to be older, either because they've left it till late in life to have babies, have other health problems or have languished on waiting lists for so long!! The risk is still very small but I'm with you on the worrying, it would be nice to know for sure before 14 weeks, which is the earliest I'll know…..

I've got to go back on Monday and sit and wait for an emergency appt to see the actual doctor and take another urine sample with me as today I saw the practice nurse. She was quite worried, I could tell by the look on her face something was wrong before she said anything! She also stopped and went silent when she did my blood pressure but then said it was quite low. Maybe she's just ultra dramatic in her responses!

Oh I hate it when they are like that, don't they realise that you are nervous enough already you think she could control her reactions especially is she doesn't know for sure. Fingers crossed it will all be ok and can be treated if needed x