Covid during very early pregnancy - greening afraid

[Amireallyabitch]

Hi everyone,

I had an embryo transfer last Sunday (IVF). On Wednesday I started feeling unwell and on Friday I tested positive for COVID. I am 6 days into the two week wait before I have to test.

I had an elevated temperature from Wednesday but still below 38c, then on Friday I checked my temp and it was 39c! I was going to take a paracetamol but then my mum intervened and told me it was irresponsible of me.... In the end I took a paracetamol. My temp is still elevated today (early Sunday morning).

I'm so frightened of what this will mean - I'm afraid of the risks of my high temp on the developing embryo (studies online suggest long-term development issues are possible with fever in the first few weeks of pregnancy). I'm afraid of the impact of the COVID virus on the developing embryo. I just fear that "events" in very early pregnancy could have a big impact on the embryo because so many big decisions are being/ yet to be made - how cells should differentiate etc etc

I already feel that in doing IVF we have increased our baby's risk of certain conditions, and now I'm afraid of what my fever and COVID could do. I read scary things like maternal fever being linked to heart abnormalities in babies... paracetamol use in pregnancy being linked to reproductive issues in babies etc.

I'm sitting here finding myself unsure of whether to hope for a positive pregnancy test or not.

I know people will think I'm being totally irrational but IVF is such a fraught stressful process that I think it has forever altered me state of mind when it comes to pregnancy and the health of my babies. I just can't think rationally anymore and I don't want to bring suffering to a child because of things that happened to me during pregnancy

Can anyone input?? Provide me with some rational, (evidence based, if possible!) thoughts.... Although I am also happy to read anecdotal evidence......

We have been so so careful - the supermarket is the only indoor place we go, and we haven't really been interacting with people so I'm feeling very unlucky to have caught COVID now, of all times :(

Sorry title should say feeling afraid!

How unlucky OP.

Just rest as much as you can,and don’t google any more.
When is your testing day?

Try and relax, plenty of rest and keep fluids up. Reading stuff online is not good, always shows the worst possible things first... and will make you more anxious! I recently had covid at 16 weeks pregnant, I'm 19 weeks now and me and baby are absolutely fine.
Try not to stress too much!

Testing Day is 4 Feb. I'm feeling so guilty, embarrassed - my mum says I should have been more careful, but I haven't been doing much at all anyway.... I'm not sure how much more careful we could have been. I'm worried about what comes next if I get a positive pregnancy result :(

I can’t believe your mum said that - how unhelpful and insensitive of her! Would definitely be avoiding her as far as poss. Rest and drink plenty of fluids and you’ll hopefully be absolutely fine.

Not irrational at all. Infertility is a trauma and it's such shitty timing. I had Covid between week eight and nine of our IVF pregnancy and at the ten week scan the baby seemed ok. Still bloody terrifying though

Can you take low dose aspirin? Check with your clinic first

I hope your little embryo implants and stays.

Also this isn't your fault. Omicron is everywhere.

Oh darling praying for you! Keep calling your doctor and make sure you note down any and all your symptoms

I also had loads of IVF and completely understand your worries. I'm sorry to hear you're feeling unwell. I was a bit ill before a transfer (before Covid happened) and told the consultant. They weren't worried all and told me to take some paracetamol. The transfer went ahead as normal and they mentioned that they often heard about women getting ill around transfer because everything is so stressful. After my last (so far) successful transfer I developed a bladder infection. Because pregnancy lowers your immune system it may even be a positive early sign that your embryo has implanted.
I asked a recurring miscarriage clinic about high temperatures because I had read the same stuff online as you. They told me there is no risk with a temporary high temperature that happens when you have flu or Covid but only when it's a prolonged very high temperature in case of serious infections and diseases such as Malaria (this is what research focuses on).
The paracetamol risk is in case of persistent and heavy use (for example for chronic back pain). Not just a few when you are ill. Also this was only according to some early studies- more research is still needed.
I'm on forums a lot and read about many women catching Covid during their TWW and becoming successfully pregnant.
Ivf is now more than 40 years old and many many healthy babies have been born thanks to the procedure. There are risks but these are actually only very very low compared to 'normal' pregnancies. Be careful with the Google and applying research to your situation. With a lot of research the question is whether it is causational: for a example research may show slightly more babies have birth defects when babies are conceived through Ivf but whether this is because in general older women (who have more risk in general) tend to have ivf is unclear. This makes findings more problematic.
Good luck x

I found I was pregnant 5 days after I tested positive so was 4/5 weeks pregnant with covid.
I had a temp between 38-39 and general cold symptoms / felt pretty crappy.

I was fine and so was the baby.

I'm almost 8 weeks now and had Covid around of the time of implantation, testing positive at the end of isolation. Been trying for 2.5 years with never a BFP so Covid seemed to be good luck somehow for me!

Fingers crossed for you 🤞💕

Sorry had to go back and re read there. In regards to the affects of fevers, I had a temp over the first night of symptoms. I've avoided googling too much into things so can't give any advise really (Matilda's post above has some great information though). It's not always easy but I'm just trying to live in the moment after wanting this for so long. Everything else is out of my hands. Don't blame yourself for catching Covid. There's not much more you could have done to avoid it by the sounds of it. Also think your mum is being a bit harsh.