IVF Pregnancies (thread 2)

[Holskey]

@LemonyT
@strawberrysummer19
@Etonmess20
@IamnotwhouthinkIam
@strawberrysummer19
@paintfairy
@2mumlife
@Starbeach
@TheSnufflet
@Novavee
@Donimo
@Monday55
@Cakecakecheese
@Porridgeislife
@JAR1981
@Hufflepuff1
@2022babyhope
@becarefuloutthere
@notsofertilemyrtle
@RiverRiot

I've definitely missed people, but hoping I've got everyone who's been active recently. Apologies if not!

@Jazz234 Congratulations on getting discharged! We also just had to self refer to midwife, not seen my GP at all other than a chat on phone about UTI and that’s only because I knew GP would be more convenient for me than trying to get hold of midwives. If your booking appointment or 12 week scan is a bit late I wouldn’t worry as they catch you back up. It can be a shock leaving clinic and realising that (in the nicest way possible) actually no one really cares about this thing that is monumental to you personally. Takes a minute to get used to.

@Krakinou Congratulations on getting to 8 weeks! Fingers crossed for your sister x

Agree with @2mumlife i self referred around 10 weeks and they still managed to fit my appointments in. Fear of things going wrong stopped me doing so sooner after a previous bad experience

@2mumlife my copy of The Positive Birth Book has arrived this morning (found an unused Waterstones gift card from Christmas in a drawer!). I'll report back properly this week but from a quick look through the contents it looks really informative in a non-scaremongering way. There are sections on everything from decisions of where to give birth, c sections, what if you need an instrumental birth, breastfeeding etc.

30 weeks today! Ten weeks to go. It feels like it's going to zoom by, especially with so much still to do and so many appointments in next few weeks.

@ToCaden I love reading posts from those of you further on than me 🙂 Do you feel like more appointments makes the time go by? I'm 21 weeks now which just seems unbelievable.

I'm 30 weeks too. Not had many appointments yet though so that's not really sped things up. But from next week I do have more going on. Got a growth scan soon, can't wait to see him again, it's been ages.

Yes. Definitely. I'm in the middle of what seems like a ton of appointments right now which may affect it. Had my 28 week midwife one, then didn't seem long until today the 30 week consultant appointment. Which added another appointment on wednesday for a diabetes test (also have covid booster that day).

Then next week there's a midwife appointment and a scan on different days (admittedly the scan was my choice as booked a private 4d one). At that point i'll be 31 weeks.

Then might potentially have a little lull of appointments until 34 week placenta scan to see if it's moved. Then appointment with midwife not long after that to discuss results and make a birth plan if placenta has moved and don't need a c section. Potentially another scan at 36 weeks if placenta is borderline. A consultant appointment not long after to discuss whether can be midwife led birth or consultant depending on results.

And after that I'm told appointments will only get more frequent until birth or c section.

I'm sure the pressure of getting things in the house done before baby comes is also adding to feeling time is going very fast.

I honestly couldn't tell you how many appointments I've had. There was a few weeks when I had 5 a week and it's been a min of 2 per week since 27 weeks. Probably has made it go quicker. I do think time between my appointments seem to go quickly, but it still manages to drag overall 🤷‍♀️😂

Being induced next week. Could still be brought forward. STILL not packed my hospital bag!

Hi all :) @Holskey I hear you. I’ve been having appointments 3x a week since baba dropped in growth. First consultant wanted to induce me 37 weeks which would have been this Monday! I pushed a little and they are going to scan again tomorrow - might still need induction but I’m hoping to push it back as much as poss to let little one come in their own time. Next week is so exciting though!!! Can’t believe our pregnancy journeys are almost done! I only just finished packing my hosp bag this week 🤣

are you going to ask for pain relief for induction? I’m considering epidural if they start putting me on the drip as I hear it can go from 0 to 100 v quickly, which might make contractions more painful 😣

Hi @LemonyT How are you getting on with the GD?

I will definitely be asking for an epidural if the hormone drip is required. I have been induced before and I tried to do it on gas and air. I still regret it. There was no need for me to be in that much pain. I didn't think I'd survive it! That's not to say you or anyone else reading would have the same experience of the drip, but many people do so I think it's better to be open-minded about pain relief.

I may be lucky this time and the pessary might work to induce labour, in which case, I'd try again without an epidural.

I hope your scan goes well. You've done a fab job getting to 37 weeks though so if baby needs to come, I'm sure everything will be fine 🙂

I have also lost count of the appointments, since 16 weeks. I have found them a bit of a drag but I think partly its because I don't go to my local hospital and have to go to a regional hospital an hour away each time and each appointment tends to last 3 hours or so (a lot of that time sat in various waiting rooms).

I agree with the drip. I did the same tried it on gas and air and tens. It got to about the 4th/5th time of then increasing the dosage for me to cry and say I couldn't stand it anymore. At which point I had an epidural! But everyone responds differently to the pain.

It's all coming so soon now isn't it. Hope your last week or so goes ok @Holskey and @LemonyT. I have 3 weeks till my section is booked. And these twins are getting so heavy now. I am counting the days but on the other hand wanting them to stay in as long as possible

@Holskey @Donimo i think if I’m induced via drip I’ll def ask for epidural then! But I’m pushing for no induction until 40 weeks earliest. Babies growth has stabilised and blood flow is good, so the only reason they are giving me is ‘you have GD’, which from my own reading isn’t really good enough reason for me personally. I’m not on medication either - I’ve been diet controlled throughout, which over the jubilee weekend was bloody miserable! @Holskey how are you finding that side of it? I was a little self-pitying at times, but pulled myself together that it could be so much worse! Fewer carbs does not seem such a big sacrifice when compared to all the other stuff. Though I’ve had another UTI and just finished another course of antibiotics but it doesn’t seem to have worked :( I hope it clears up before baby comes! Not v pleasant.

@Donimo 3 weeks must feel both scarily close yet far away! I’m the same!

@Donimo I have a similar set-up with my hospital - it's an hour away and appointments are so long because I have to see multiple people and wait in between. Wipes out half a day every time. Not many more though. I'm so uncomfortable and heavy now - I can't imagine having twins in there!

@LemonyT It's great that your baby's growth is no longer an issue! I completely understand you not wanting to be induced early then - I would have refused induction for gestational diabetes, especially diet-controlled. Mine is okay, also diet-controlled, but I can't wait for beans on toast and pizza and cake and custard. I have a list! Sorry to hear you're plagued with UTIs. Hopefully this will be the last 🤞

when I had my son almost 5 years ago, I had to have a second stage hormone drip induction when things weren’t progressing fast enough 30h after my waters broke (this was at 41 w). I didn’t have any extra pain relief, just the gas and air - everyone’s different. The worst pain I remember was actually in the days after the birth (I ended up with an episiotomy as well) when you can’t take anything other than paracetamol which I always found completely ineffective :(

If anyone is looking for a pregnancy / birth book I can definitely recommend Milli Hill's Positive Birth Book. I read it this week while we were away and I found it so helpful. There are sections for every eventuality and it's all really easy to read.

I'm exactly two months away from my due date. It's amazing to think it's so close after the journey to get here. There's going to be an actual baby, and I have footage from when he was a tiny egg recently inseminated.

Just back from our week away in Mallorca so just catching up. The break was great - we were lucky and not affected by flight cancellations or lost backage, and the weather was great. Been feeling baby moving a lot more the past week (its a right wriggly so-and-so on flights!) :)

@CurbsideProphet Thanks for your thoughts on the positive birth book - I might see if I can get a copy through the library x

@ToCaden I'm feeling the same - 28 weeks this week, and I'm about to start regular appointments again with growth scans. It suddenly dawned on me there wasn't much time left! so I've started organising clothes into drawers (my sister has given us a load of stuff from her baby last year) and its all starting to feel very real!

@Holskey How exciting you're being induced soon!

@LemonyT That's great to hear your little ones growth has stabalised. I've been arming myself with knowledge about the accuracy of growth scans for my first growth scan this week, as I am adament about not wanting to be induced.

Sod’s law - I have dodged covid during the entire pandemic up till now. I’m 38+3 and have tested positive for the first time :( such crap timing. Does anyone know what the rules are now? What terrifies me is the nhs website mentioning that birth partners might not be allowed if they are symptomatic/ in isolation. I’m guessing as he’s part of my household we are technically in isolation?
also covid is making my blood sugars jump all over the place. I’m worried how this and covid is affecting baby at this late stage?
I’ve contacted my maternity unit and midwife and all they can say is ‘stay home and rest’. I have been told to not go to my monitoring at the DAU unless I’m testing negative by day 6&7 but my appointment is on day 5!??

it’s just one thing after another 😩

@LemonyT Urgh sorry you've tested positive. I don't really know what the rules are but expect it varies place by place. Its good you've been in contact with midwife, I guess just follow their lead.

Had my 28 week growth scan today. Feeling frustrated that despite having a small bump and eating well they think baby is measuring big at an estimated 1.3kg (90th centile). Mostly just annoyed as means consultant was pushing induction again which I'm adamant I don't want (and don't want to do sweeps either which was his backup option). Otherwise everything looked totally fine, just have to wait for my GTT results which I was told should also hopefully get back later today 🤞

Hi all. My twin girls were born at 33 weeks on Monday, after some complications. They are both doing well but in neonatal care. And due to me having an infection I'm not allowed to see them which is torture. So really feeling sorry for myself now

@Donimo oh goodness. I'm glad they're doing well but how heartbreaking to not be able to be with them. I hope you get well and are able to be together soon.

@Donimo I hope you recover from the infection very soon so you can be with your girls 💐

@2mumlife I'm 22 weeks and had glucose in my wee today so might be at risk of gestational diabetes 😔 I'm doing a fasting urine test next week and if it's positive for glucose again I'll be off to the main hospital for the full test. Trying not to worry too much, but it's hard as there's always something to worry about. My midwife did say that IVF puts me at higher risk of GD which I didn't know.

@Donimo oh my gosh congratulations (but at the same time I'm so sorry you're not able to see them in NICU 😔)

I apologise for being absent from the thread for ages - we had some news that was a bit of a curveball (to say the least). They finally found out the reason for my worsening polyhydramnios at 31 weeks; my little girl twin has an intestinal blockage called duodenal atresia, so she will need emergency surgery after birth and a fair whack of time in NICU afterwards to recover. I also needed an amniocentesis to check for Downs and other rare chromosomal disorders, as well as an in-depth fetal echo at Great Ormond Street to check for any congenital heart problems, as they're all strongly associated with DA. Luckily everything has come back negative, but it's all been extremely high-stress as you can imagine.

I'm 34+0 today, with both babies measuring just under 5lbs each, and about three babies' worth of amniotic fluid to carry about so I'm feeling extremely sorry for myself. C section has been booked in for 37+0 but they've given me a >50% chance of delivering before then. I suppose every day inside at this point is a win 😕

@TheSnufflet that is all so scary for you. And I can completely sympathise with the weight. In terms of your babies mine were born 33+6 weighing 4lb9 and 5lb4 and only needed some oxygen support for 24hrs. And now off all respiratory support and that was without me managing to have steroids pre birth. I know your little girl has other problems too but I hope the reassurance that you are 34 weeks and the twins are good weights reassures you a little. If nearer the time you want some advice re SCBU please ask as its been a huge learning curve for me.