Pregnancy after infertility III

[stealthbanana]

Spotting, cramping, "is my clearblue digi accurate?",* viability scans, measuring behind, measuring ahead, high hcg, low hcg, morning sickness, lack of morning sickness, anomaly scans....

That's right, folks, it's the place where scanxiety really means something, where the feeling like you're always going to be on the wrong side of statistics nevers go away, and where moments of sheer terror are par for the course ...it's pregnancy after infertility.

Join if you want to hang out with a supportive group of women across all different stages of pregnancy who can't believe they got here and are hoping like hell its all going to be ok.

Previous thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/2679146-Pregnancy-after-infertility-II

*hint for newbies: it's not

What time is your scan?

Lucie good luck for your 20 week scan. X

I think there are too few surprises left and it's kind of part of the excitement of giving birth finding out what you're having. I can understand why people want to find out before though and if DH had been really keen to find out then I probably would have gone all with that too. I don't mind either way if we find out or if we don't.

Scan is at 3pm so I'm in work this morning and finishing half day.

Thanks boris, hope all is ok with you and little one.

Will be thinking of you at 3.
I can confirm the drink for the glucose tolerance test is rank! Just waiting for 2nd blood test now, and scan is at 11am. I still get nervous, every scan. Lucie you are not alone. Xx

Aww thanks Sammy, I'm thinking of you too. Hope it all goes ok. It's all so nerve wracking isn't it. Does everyone have the glucose test?

Good luck with scans everyone

No, only if you have a risk factor for it. My dad is diabetic so I have to be tested. I'm not to sure of what the other risk factors are except for weight. Xx

Thanks Blue X

Hello everyone, feels a bit strange joining in the middle of such a long thread but hopefully you won't mind! I am just nervously stepping over from the Ivf Nov/Dec thread and really valued the support there so hoping to find a new gang. I'm just 7 weeks pregnant from our second IVF after trying for 3 years. I have a scan on Thursday to see if there is a heartbeat and am absolutely bricking it as I've had so few symptoms and no m/s. But I can see I'm not the only one who gets nervous for scans, and that it's not likely to get any less nerve wracking! Anyway, just wanted to say hello

Welcome MrsCrabtree, yes the nerves are not unusual. Good luck for Thursday.

Sammy good luck with the tests and scans. I'll be having a GTT as well because of family history of diabetes.

Lucy good luck with the 20wk scan.

I'm considering doing the Harmony test in the next couple of weeks (I'm currently 9+1) but I already have my 12wk scan booked in for 24th Jan where they will do all the nuchal tests etc. Did anyone do the Harmony (or similar) and wish they hadn't bothered or did it actually provide peace of mind re health of baby? Also I'm keen to find out sex - while I'll be happy either way, I am getting girl vibes but I think it's going to take me longer to get used to the idea of another boy after losing my boy. I didn't get much further than 20wks last time and it wasn't certain at that scan anyway. Husband thinks it's a waste of money but I'm undecided.

Happy New Year everyone!

Hope your scan went ok Sammy, I had the glucose tolerance test last year, agree re the drink...

Good luck for this afternoon Lucie.

Welcome MrsCrabree, I am just ahead of you at 8 weeks, I was also terrified before my scan and had had no symptoms really but all was ok. Good luck for Thursday.

Have started feeling ravenously hungry over the last week and have had some fairly mild nausea, and I feel pretty groggy - work is not fun...I have brought enough food to feed a family of 4 to work with me, I'll be the size of a house at this rate. Waiting for a date for my booking in appointment at the mo and then 12 week scan.

I'm also thinking about the Harmony test Blueroses, my DH also thinks it is a waste of money. Will be interesting to hear from those who have had it.

Thanks Trixie and Blue. That's reassuring Trixie. Hope you're enjoying your snacks! I'd also like to hear peoples thoughts on the harmony test x

Aww trixie, the hunger is awful! Mine has got slightly better now but I still need to make sure I'm eating at regular intervals or I start to feel sick.

I had the harmony done. I knew from the outset that I wanted it. The wait for the results was so long and nerve wracking but I was so glad I had it done and it gave me so much peace of mind to know I was low risk. It is more accurate than the NHS tests as it actually tests the babies blood instead of your blood. I only had the nuchal on the NHS and didn't bother with the bloods. My friend only had the NHS tests and then at 20 weeks found out the baby had Edwards syndrome which should have been picked up but wasn't. She had to have a termination which was awful. I decided I wanted to know asap if anything was wrong so harmony was a must for me.

I also had the harmony test (we had paid privately for ivf so the extra £400 seemed nothing on top of what we had already paid)

It was worth it at the time because I didn't want to get to 20 weeks and need to terminate at such a late stage. However it didn't make me much less anxious at the 20 week scan as I just worried that something else would be wrong instead. I found out the sex at 10 weeks through harmony but I could have waited for that. So in summary, I think the decision rests on whether you would terminate if something was wrong and if so, if you would rather do that sooner than later. If not, it probably doesn't offer much

Ps. I had no real symptoms until around 8 or 9 weeks

The problem is my friend didn't really have a lot of choice on whether to terminate at 24 weeks as was told that the baby wouldn't live long after birth so it was basically strongly recommended. I think it's good to know as soon as possible.

Thanks for sharing your views Blue and Lucie. That's an interesting perspective, I hadn't thought about what I would do with the results. I don't think I could terminate under any circumstances, I think I'd have to let nature run its course, if that's even possible. And I certainly couldn't do it at 20 weeks, having seen Jovan perfect and fully formed at that stage.

Blue can you tell me where you went if it was in London? Everywhere I've looked is £500, and while I agree it's not much more after paying for IVF, DH's view is that we've bought a new house and need to be a bit more careful.

So I'm not really sure how to feel after my scan. They were a little concerned about the fluid levels as they're not completely even (although I'm sure they were similarly different at the last scan too, but figures not recorded).
They also said baby twos head is small, and when I compared to last week it's barely grown.... apparently she was in an awkward position so the sonographer wasn't concerned.

We have to go back in a week to check the blood flow to them both. Just waiting on an appointment. Xx

sammy sorry they worried you at your scan,hope everything is ok after all you have been through

harmony, as someone said (sorry on phone so cant name check easily) think it depends if you would do anything with the results, if outcome regardless you are anti abortion, then i wouldnt have it done

i am slightly higher risk of downs as 43, but 12w test came back that i am low risk for my age, and even if did have downs we wouldnt care so decided not to do harmony

welcome to newbies, sorry again,im rubbish on names , welcome and we all understand the fear of early scan and no heartbeat showing, sure all will be fine

Sammy, they were probably being overly cautious but I know what a worry everything is and how hard it is to wait another week again. You are doing well though with twins and ticking off the weeks now.

Had my scan (20+2) and it went well. Everything looking as it should! Such a relief! It kept opening its mouth to put its hands in and she got a brilliant pic...

lucie that's a fantastic pic and v glad it all went well. Big relief!

blondes how did you get on?

sammy understand completely why you might be worried but agree they must be super cautious and you've come so far at this stage! Keeping everything crossed

blueroses just to add my twopence worth on harmony - I disagree slightly that it's all about what you'd do with the results as we weren't sure what we'd do but it would mean we could at least prepare mentally and discuss properly. I think sometimes your decision can be v different between a hypothetical and reality. I would say don't go too early for harmony - I know it's rare but I had to have a redraw which added to the stress! Why don't you have your 12 week scan and see if there is any question marks? I had mine done at fetal medical centre and it was a package - 12 week scan plus harmony for 400. Their 12 week scan was v thorough and am going to do my 20 weeks with them too because I really appreciated the extra time

Lucie that pic is AMAZING!! Glad to hear all is looking good. Bit jel actually- I had a v blurry 20wk scan and then at 32wk wellbeing scan before Christmas the little sod had its hands AND feet in front of its face so it mainly looked like a lump with fingers. FFS.

Sammy echoing what lucie says in that you are doing so well in getting the weeks under your belt at this point. Hopefully it's just awkward positioning but feel for you in having another uncertain week.

Hope any first days back at work weren't too painful.

Lucie what a brilliant pic! That's amazing :). Glad everything looked good. What other scans do you get now?

Thanks all, trying to be positive. They're very active and HRs are fine.

We have our second heart scan at st Thomas tomorrow so that will tell us if the hearts are healthy... they won't look at anything else though. Xx

lucie, lovely scan pic

sammy, hope all ok with heart measurements