Pregnancy after infertility

[bananafish81]

Thought I’d start this thread as I find myself feeling quite out of place on the ‘normal’ antenatal club threads - find it difficult to relate to being upduffed after 'just' having some sex, and thinking ahead to buying maternity clothes, how much maternity leave to take, where I’d like to give birth etc

I realise it’s entirely my own issues and that infertility world has clouded my views, but I want to scream ‘DON’T YOU KNOW EVERYTHING THAT COULD GO WRONG!!’.

There’s a thread for pregnancy after previous loss, but thought there might be some kindred spirits who are navigating the world of pregnancy after infertility

HP have they actually looked at your cervix? I have an ectropion, but that was picked up pre IVF (was drugs that caused it, lining expanding outside womb), when they swabbed my cervix they could see it. I have bled on and off, but at about 9 weeks I had one massive, huge, huge, bleed of bright red blood and I thought it was over. Knickers soaked through, all down legs. I'd written it off, but was fine when scanned (actually told it was twins) and it was just the ectropion popping after becoming engorged (sorry if TMI).

Anyway, just so you know it is not always the worst news, although it is very frightening, no matter what it is.

Good luck with your scan tomorrow, hope it puts your mind at rest. All being well, make sure someone has a good look at your cervix and swabs it properly so they can see.

Hi Guys. I have a long old gynae history prior to getting pregnant. I had an ectropian cauterised about 8 or 9 years ago so that is why they think it's a recurrence of that. No one has looked at my cervix and I don't really understand why as they might give us an answer. I also have endometriosis and had a chocolate cyst endoscopically removed last May. You may already know that as I mentioned it at the beginning of this thread, but thought I'd recap incase you weren't all here when it was started. I will call the clinic as soon as they open at 9am to try and bring the scan forward. Should I contact GP and ask them to check my cervix? None of the midwives have volunteered.
Blue rose I had a bra fit and although I haven't gone up a band size I'm not in E cup when previously I was wearing D-DD.

I wasn't expecting a smooth pregnancy as I knew with my luck conceiving I'd probably have all the problems going! Why do other people get all the luck?!

• I'm now

HP, I would actually ask the midwives to have a look and if they're no good then maybe ask your GP for a referral to your local early pregnancy unit? GPs aren't gynae experts and may not know what they're looking for. Mind you, neither might ordinary midwives. I was lucky because having had IVF this time the start of my pregnancy was monitored by the assisted conception unit and they are very experienced with non-standard pregnancy issues like endo, ectropions, cysts etc.

Standard midwives tend not to have as much experience and be a bit more at sea with stuff like that and in my experience sometimes need a bit more of a prod to cover all bases.

Any news from your scan birchy? More bleeding for me today

Hi Lucie, Scan today was ok - I think ... the sonographer found the sac which was 8mm by 3mm and it is located in a good location at the top of the womb. She said she is very confident that it is a viable pregnancy but that she cant tell me that until she can see the yolk and spindle cord. There was no bleeding in or around where the sac was. She also had a look outside of the womb and that was all fine. I didn't have any bleeding yesterday nor so far today. Although I am resisting bowel movements :-/ - I had to give in yesterday and all was fine. Im still anxious about it though.

They took bloods today and they have just tried to call me with the results but I couldn't hear them as had bad signal and there is now no-one on reception, so I hope that they call me back!!

What has your bleeding been like today lucie? Dark/red anything prompting it? I did ask the sonographer about bleeding today and she said sometimes it just happens and does not always mean its a bad thing.

HP - did you manage to get your scan brought forward?

Bluerose - congratulations!

They just called me back - my bloods have gone up :-) so getting rescanned next Monday morning. Hopefully see a little birchygoo in there this time!

Oh birchy that's amazing news I'm so relieved for you! Do you mind telling me how long you've had the bleeding for and what it's been like? Today on getting up I had quite a bit of red on wiping enough to fill a tissue and the same at lunch time. I think it was darkish red but I've had bright red at times as well. In between these episodes there will be lighter spotting which is quite often pink and comes and goes a bit. This is day 4 now though and it's there more often than not. It's kind of getting to me psychologically now and I've just cried to DH when he got home from work. I want to know one way or another but then I feel too scared to have bloods as I can't face them telling me it's all over. We discussed booking an early private scan next weekend when I would be 6 weeks but we don't know if it will tell us a lot and I'm scared about that as well. I'm just scared about everything at the moment. I can't see a stop to this bleeding.

Anyone have lower back pain? I'm spotting again today, only very very slightly and it's brown, not red, but this back pain is worrying. Whenever I miscarry I feel it more in my back and thighs than my tummy. I'm 9w4d today. I've a scheduled scan tomorrow so I haven't rang the EPU cos I'd say they already think I'm a neurotic mess :/

Hi Guys, great news birchy. I hope you see more at your next scan. I cried with relief and excitement at my first scan. Mine was 6w 5d and saw a heart beat. It was amazing.

I had my scan today. It was great. Baby is growing normally and everything looks fine. The sonographer said that she could see a tiny bit of blood just sitting above my cervix which has still come out but no more than a teaspoon. She thinks that either my cervix is getting irritated and bleeding or it could also be because I have a low lying placenta which is almost touching my cervix. I found this out today and am so glad I had the scan as it has eased my worries no end. She said the placenta should move away from my cervix as the uterus stretches and they will check this at 20 week scan. If it is still low they will do another scan at 32 weeks and if still too low then I would be scheduled for a c-section. She said the take hoe message was that everything is fine and the baby is growing well and she is happy/I shouldn't worry. So very happy. I felt the private scan was worth every penny. She went over everything me in detail and it was so relaxed and friendly. I will post a pic of the baby for you too.

Lucie I hope things start to resolve. I think you should def push for an early scan, it really did help me in those first days of the pregnancy. There has been a lot of crying at my end too. I really feel for you.

Take it easy ladies. X

Today's Scan

Hp that's brilliant news! I'm so pleased for you and your scan pic is amazing. Must be such a relief to hear all that! When did you have your first scan and what did you see on it?

Awww look!!! Ahhh that's a gorgeous scan pic :)

Congrats HP. Beautiful scan pic!

Wow HP what an amazing scan!! I am so glad you have got some reassurance.

Lucie - I was terrified of todays scan and even more so waiting on bloods. Im starting to get anxious already about next weeks scan - going to be a long week! I have tried to arrange things for evenings to keep me busy! Theater and cinema so far. I do feel though that scan either way would have been helpful today. I either needed to know so I could move on or given some knowledge that I can keep a bit of hope that it will work out.

My blood was first a bright red smear on tr after a bm. it was about 5mm long. after that I had a dark brown/red smear on tr in the morning. This was a little bigger. That night I had bright red smear on toilet roll after a bm. this was a smear and took about 3 wipes to wipe totally clean. I had a very dodgy stomach that day and had 5 bm in the one day. I had lots of red smears that day. However I cant tell you how much or how often, as I made a decision to stop looking as it was only upsetting me and it wasn't going to change anything. Yesterday and fingers crossed today so far I havent had any bleeding. Im not convinced its over yet though. But who knows..!

Please try your local EPU and tell them you are bleeding and they may arrange a scan instead of going private - that is if you dont have a preference for going private. I just didnt want you paying for something you can get as part of NHS.

I have had lots of tears as well! On sunday I came down stairs to dh sobbing and he was really concerned and asking me over and over what was wrong. I couldnt even speak - I was watching a show and two fire engines crashed, and it was all that I needed to send me over the edge as I was just so worried. I am also afraid of upsetting dh, its just as hard on him im sure (although he doesnt have to panic everytime he goes to the loo) and he has asked me to not get my hopes up to much in case it goes wrong.

Belle - I have never had any back pain. I have lots of pains over my hips/pelvic bones and cramping above pubic line. I also feel like I am bleeding - which makes me so worried but luckily so far everytime i have checked it has been fine - I think its just CM.

Thanks birchy, mine has been pretty bad today. I seem to have a big bit of red blood sometimes after a bm which will take a good few wipes to clear and then it will ease off for a couple of hours and mainly pink and then be back to red again. I've just wiped another 4 times to clear the latest lot. I don't think it looks good for me. Sounds like I've had quite a bit more than what you had. I've given up now though if it's there it's there and I will just wipe it up and try not to let it bother me. I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact this isn't going to work with this much bleeding over 4 days. I've not had any cramping or pain but I don't think you necessarily always have that with a mc. I rang my NHS clinic today and they told me it was too early for a scan to show much and they weren't keen to do bloods as said it would just confirm I am pregnant and wouldn't give any idea of the cause of the bleed. She told me if it gets worse to ring back and they may reconsider and do bloods but she didn't really see the point and it was just a matter of wait and see. She said the fact it started Friday and hasn't got too much worse and is mainly on wiping and not on a liner could be fairly positive but I think it has got heavier since Friday. I don't think I had so much red on Friday it was probably more pink. I have no appetite and feel quite sick but it's probably just the stress of all this. I just want to know now so I can move on if need be. She said I could ring out of hours gp and be referred to epu if it gets worse on a weekend and I have pain but if it was in the week and in normal hours I was to ring them for advice not go to epu. I would need a referral for epu from gp as unfortunately we can't self refer and if I went to gp during normal office hours I have a feeling she would tell me to contact the nhs IVF clinic.

My first scan was at 6w 5d - I saw a little blob with a heart beat.

Second scan 10w 5d - saw a definite little baby but with short arms.

13 w - nuchal fold scan. Results are low risk so very encouraging.

Today was the first private scan I've had at 15w 6d. I wanted this due to the spotting.

I did have a bright red bleed in first trimester. It was before my first scan and I was convinced that was it. I woke up having a coughing fit as I had a horrible cold and I wonder if I burst a blood vessel in my cervix from the strain of coughing. Brown spotting occurred every day from ovulation until 10w 5d at which point I was put on the prism trial. I had no bleeding up until 14w and then red bleeding from then about every 2 day up until last night which was the biggest one of all. It's gone to brown today. Hope that answers any questions.

Lucie I had 2 HCG levels checked by the gp to make sure it was increasing as expected. Try and ask them for referral to EPU for about 7w.

Thanks hp, sounds like you have had a tough time of it! I will be having my first scan at 7 +2 which is 2 weeks tomorrow.

Thanks hp, sounds like you have had a tough time of it! I will be having my first scan at 7 +2 which is 2 weeks tomorrow.

Lucie I did find it helpful the day I lived in ignorance :-/ e. If I didnt see it it wasnt happening and I didnt have to panic every-time I needed the toilet.

Bleeding could be any number of causes. From reading I have done its seems to suggest you will know if its a miscarriage or just bleeding. This is my first pregnancy so I am afraid I dont know anymore than I have read - which Im sure you have read as well.

Hp you really have had the times of it this pregnancy - I have every faith it will all be fine and you will look back on this time and not believe how stressed you were.

If only we all had a crystal ball - I think we could just relax a little!

Wonderful news, HP, so glad the scan went well - and a lovely picture too :)

Thanks birchy, it's my first too so I have absolutely no experience of this but I just can't see how bleeding for 4 days can result in anything good.

Lucie and Hp how are things today?

I'm very dizzy today, very bad IBS symptoms :-( (i did think you were supposed to be constipated - dont think my body got that memo), and no appetite but just ate some veggie sushi (shop bought) as I felt very faint. Very tried as was up throughout the night to use to bathroom.

Hi Birchy, sorry to hear you aren't feeling very good. I've also had no appetite the past few days and very thirsty but feeling a bit better today. The bleeding is still there I had red after bm this morning but since then it's been lighter and more pink in colour. I would say better than yesterday so far.

I hope it keeps improving for you! I really think it is something linked to your BM and hopefully will clear up pretty soon for you. try not to worry to much.

To be honest I am embracing every moment of illness (other than IBS as BM scare me now) as I never thought I was ever going to get to experience this. I don't care if I feel sick and miserable every day as long as little bean sticks and stays well.