Have I had a missed miscarriage?

[K2012]

Good morning everyone

My story: 37 years old, first pregnancy after IVF ICSI. I have been on rectal progesterone since 3/9 and embryo transfer done on 6/9, tested positive 16/9. Since I started progesterone I’ve had 3-5 bowel movements/diarrhoea a day, abdominal cramps and felt really bloated, stomach felt very tender and hard and hungry all the time. My stomach was so bloated and hard when I was at work that I felt I couldn’t wear my trousers.
My IVF clinic said these are normal side effects from progesterone. I’ve had no no vaginal bleeding or discharge/spotting anything. I did another pregnancy test yesterday which came back positive straight away.

Suddenly this Wednesday my stomach felt so soft, it’s not hard or tender or anything. I don’t feel hungry all the time as I did a few days ago. Still have a little bit cramps and still have quite regular bowel movements. No bleeding or pain or anything.

I’m worried because it’s my first pregnancy and suddenly my stomach feels soft, I don’t feel hungry all the time and I don’t have any typical pregnancy symptoms yet.

I’m very worried/anxious. Have I had a missed miscarriage?

It's impossible to know for sure.
How many weeks are you know 5? I would try not to worry as symptoms come and go. Having a hard stomach at 5weeks isn't common so going soft doesn't sound like an issue to me. Can you book an early scan for reassurance?

Yes I’m 5 weeks today. I’ve been booked in for a scan in just over 2 weeks when I will be 7 weeks and 3 days by then. Do you think I should call them on Monday and explain my symptoms and ask if I can get a scan earlier?

I would stick with your scan being 2 weeks away. You see more then. Having a scan too early might cause you more anxiety as you won't really see anything! So definitely wait until the 7 weeks!

As for the firmness. It's most likely bloat has just reduced today, bloat comes and goes. Some does you will feel firmness and some days you will feel normal. I wouldnt worry ❤️

I don't think you have any symptoms that indicate anything is wrong so doubt they would scan early. Also you won't see much before 6weeks so wouldn't be helpful I don't think.

How many follicles did you have? Could you have had some really mild OHSS? I did and I bloated like crazy with sometimes a rock hard stomach and sometimes a really soft stomach. At 5 weeks I looked and felt 5 months but sometimes I woke up and looked pretty normal. It may be that your ovaries are recovering and making you feel a bit better. It's too early for any real pregnancy symptoms and your embryo is now the size of a poppy seed so wouldn't effect your stomach at all. At this stage your pregnancy test would start to fade pretty much straight away if you have a miscarriage so if it's still strong it's a really good sign.

That said you should try to stop testing as it will cause you more anxiety. If you are anxious like me than an early scan will provide you a couple of hours to a few days of relief (or if it's too early and nothing can be seen it will drive you completely mad) and then you will feel terrible again. At the moment there is nothing anyone can do to make sure your pregnancy sticks. All you can do is wait. It's a horrible period and I only made it through one day at a time. I'm now in my second trimester and I'm still terrified every day. I take comfort in that it is completely understandable and normal in an Ivf pregnancy to feel like that.

Good luck and take care x

Agree with pp about waiting til your 7 week scan. Any earlier and you won't see anything and you'll panic more

I'm also an IVF pregnancy and similar symptoms with progesterone. At around the same time any symptoms I had completely went and I haven't had much since - now 25 weeks

I know it's hard but try not stress it. The 7 week scan will be here before you know it

Thank you so much ladies for your help and reassurance 👍🏻🙏🏻 I think I’m just extremely anxious and worried but will try not to think too much about it xx

Totally understandable! I haven't had to have ivf but I have had alot of pregnancy losses. I know how nerve wrecking the first trimester can be. It's literal torture! I do still say try stick out until 7 weeks scan but your mental health is important and if you feel you cannot wait, do what's best for you ❤️ keep us updated! Xx

Symptoms vary week from week... I'm starving OR not eating every other week at the moment... hope all is alright ❤

Hi Matilda

Thank you for your reply. I think I had about 15-18 follicles but most of them were too small, and the scan I had done 2 days before egg collection showed only 1 mature egg the doctor said if I’m lucky I’ll have 2 mature eggs the rest were too small. On the day of egg collection I had 5 eggs collected.

I did another pregnancy test today which came back positive within seconds (I have attached a picture) I guess I’m just really anxious because I’m 5 weeks now and still no pregnancy symptoms at all.

I know the first trimester is so hard, I was as anxious as this too because of 2 previous mcs. Please try to not worry, have faith and wait for your scan.

Symptoms really do come and go, Mike certainly did. If you’re not bleeding it’s very unlikely you are miscarrying/have miscarried, the odds are in your favour that the baby is ok in there. Just try to trust your body although I know it’s easier said than done.

Positive pregnancy tests don’t always really mean anything (speaking as someone who also tested a lot!) after my first mc I was still getting positive tests weeks later.

I know it’s very hard but you just have to sit tight and have faith that it’ll be ok x

Mine not Mike!

Thank you @Cafeaulait27 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Xx

Your test looks great! I have seen so many women who had no pregnancy symptoms at all. I can completely understand this makes you even more worried but you really shouldn't. I always think about the trigger shot you receive before egg collection. I have had 4 and I never got specifically get sick or any other symptoms with that. Yet the amount of Hcg is around 10000. In pregnancy you'll only hit those levels around week 6. In this way it's not a suprise that you don't feel anything yet- perhaps only at week 8 or 9. Perhaps you will later on or you might be lucky and feel absolutely fine all through the first trimester.

I get early symptoms such as breast pain but this is of the progesterone. You clearly respond to the progesterone strongly but if you don't have breast pain then you simply respond to progesterone in a different manner. You probably won't get breast pain or only later on.

Even if follicles are small you may get very mild OHSS. I once had 'only' 5 eggs collected (normally between 9-12) and I had to go to hospital because I felt so awful. I think you are simply recovering from the procedure and your ovaries are settling down.

Hang in there! Just take one day as it comes. You are definitely pregnant now! Every day you gain is a day in the right direction. Hang in there!

Hi @Matilda128 Thank you for your reply 🙏🏻

Up untill last Wednesday I had stomach cramps, my stomach was so hard and tender and I felt bloated, had bowel movements 4-5 times a day, felt hungry all the time and breasts were a bit sore. Suddenly on Wednesday all those symptoms were gone my stomach is soft now and not really any symptoms apart from the occasional cramps (not often) and I had a little bit of yellow discharge yesterday and today. So I am worried because I don’t have any typical pregnancy symptoms yet.

Maybe I had mild OHSS and body has recovered from that now. I hope it was just that 🙏🏻👍🏻

Your body also can adjust to new medication. So maybe it responded quite strongly to the progesterone supplements but now it's more used to it. That or recovery from mild Ohss. I don't think having a hard stomach or very regular bowels are typical pregnancy symptoms anyways. I do have yellow stained discharge all throughout my pregnancy. Did you see this tread about lack of symptoms: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/4344002-6-weeks-no-symptoms-reassurance-please?pg=2