BFPs following IVF to take symptoms & scans

[Justawannabemam]

Hi everyone.

I've started this group for us to chat about our symptoms, scans and any other pregancy related issues after getting a BFP following IVF/IUI/ICSI.

It is by no means to leave anyone out of the previous groups we have been in, where we all offer advice and help during an IVF cycle.

We all know hearing people's positive pregancy news can be heart breaking. I just found on the group that we are talking scans, symptoms, signs and positive tests I'm very conscious that those currently mid cycle may get upset.

We can all still give advice but maybe we could use this group as our pregnancies progress.

I've tagged who I remember from the last group, please feel free to add others as they join us on this next phase of our journey or if I have missed anyone.

@W1ngingit
@Millymillymillymillymilly
@womaninkent
@xreadytoglow
@Bluehawaii29
@Bryterlayter1

@Bluehawaii29 yes I think the midwife will help. I was asked how I was feeling at my booking in appointment. Anxiety must be so common throughout pregnancy you would think there would be loads of support.

@bajanbump that's a great result. I'm sorry that you have PTSD, but glad you have some support booked for soon.

@2mumlife I did actually find being out today and busy did mean I felt less nauseous whereas recently I've just been at home feeling awful.

Oh I'm really suffering with what must be round ligament pain at the minute. Just when I'm moving around, taking a sudden step or getting into bed or on the toilet etc causes a really sharp pain for a split second that really fucking hurts for a minute and makes me whince out loud. 😫

It's so early though to have it according to Google? But my job means that I'm on my feet for 10 minutes moving equipment around and patients for X-rays, then I sit for 30 seconds to process their notes, then back up for the next etc etc. and I do turn quite suddenly in bed. Use my stomach muscles quite often to move around in bed. I'm not being very careful with my movements, I guess. Now I need to be.

I have 6 days off now so I'm hoping that rest makes a difference??

@xreadytoglow I was reading about 10 weeks of pregnancy and it said to expect ligament pain as baby will be doing a lot of growing at this point. I also find I get more pains when I do more - like if I hoover or something. I think 6 days off will help - but I wouldn't worry about the pain too much - there's a lot happening inside x

@Overlyanxious thank you. Yeah I'm constantly up and down so hopefully these next few days will ease it.

@xreadytoglow it does sound like round ligament pain. Hope you can relax and not have to do very much for your days off.

I'm having it too, some days worse than other. Mine does appear even if I'm not moving, it really worried me at first as it's a sort of stabbing sensation.
I'm also getting a bit of lightning vagina , anyone else experienced that before

@JMC91 yes I've had this too! And I have a weird sensation down there like somethings about to fall out 🙈 sorry TMI. I don't know whether it's because of the pessaries but this is also right in the middle of the day when it's 100% not there anymore.

Talking about symptoms has anyone been experiencing dizziness? I do not really get to point of nausea (just sometimes i feel it coming but then my body starts coughing instinctively) but I have been experiencing consistent dizziness since a few days before my bfp. sometimes it feels like im really hangover but I drink plenty of water.

Also, from 5 weeks do you feel your symptoms increased, stayed the same o decreased?

@bajanbump I felt a bit of dizziness early on and still do some days when I've not rested enough. I think my symptoms were about the same at 5 weeks on. Progressively got slightly worse

@xreadytoglow hi hope you are doing better, I also got some lightening crotch pains over night and when I cough or sneeze sometimes getting the strain type pains in my sides ?round ligament. Am 9 week +1 but yeah I agree they can be quite shocking x

@HopeSpringsEternal123 I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing a chemical, it's a horrible thing to experience after the joy of seeing a positive pregnancy test few days earlier. Best of luck for you in the future if you're trying more transfers X

@wantingeasylife Sorry to hear update. Wishing you all the best for next steps x

@Bluehawaii29 Ah I thought your 9 week scan was your "official" viability scan. The safeguarding thing would scare me too, and completely understand feeling distrustful. Completely agree you need to be able to talk about things honestly with your care team without feeling judged (I found my booking in appointment hard going as disclosed past mental health / self harm issues and previous experience of sexual abuse, but midwife handled it pretty sensitively and offered referral to the mental health team if I want it at any point). I hope it's all sorted now?

@xreadytoglow I definitely had round ligament pain early on. I've sort of got used to it? but it can be really sore sometimes if you move in just the wrong way.

@JMC91 One of the ladies on my due date group experienced lightening vagina, but no experience myself. Hope it passes soon.

@bajanbump I had progressively worse nausea / tiredness from 4-8 weeks. Round around 8 weeks started to have days where symptoms weren't so bad (fluctuating symptoms are normal). By around 12-13 weeks I felt pretty much back to normal other than tired, and thats gradually got better during second trimester.

We took the plunge and booked a final childless sun holiday in Majorca for the start of June for a week - can't wait to get away! Hoping I'll still be feeling up for doing some of the hiking trails at that point 🙂

@2mumlife hey yeah the viability scan was already confirmed at 7 week+3 and then again at 8 wk +2 but this one is more for twin 2 progression I guess and I think they wanted to just see me one last time as standard procedures. So I’ll be 9 week+4 when I go on Tuesday. Hopefully might see the baby A moving by then. Excited and nervous again still as I have been every time but was nice not having any scans this week. Definitely needed a breather. Yes all sorted about the perinatal team. I called the original lady I had spoken to and she confirmed that the other team had also put down no for all their safeguarding qs so definitely no concerns raised. It will still be good to get some counselling through them as anxiety can pop up at any time during the pregnancy especially as I have no idea what to expect with it being my first. Oh wow that’s really nice you are going to Majorca. We went there in September and had an amazing time, enjoy! X

@IsabelHerna you might be interested in this thread.

Good luck for your scan tomorrow @Bluehawaii29 hope all is still well. Glad that the safeguarding questions are all no's in your case but yeah I can imagine how that would put anyone off from asking for help!

@2mumlife oooohh Majorca sounds lovely. How far along will you be then? Hope you can get some hiking in! I have some time booked off in September.. thinking of going to the Isle of Man to see family for a weekend then maybe a babymoon, just gotta see how it all pans out.

I had a bit of a scare early hours of yesterday. Woke at about 4am for a wee and the tissue was full of bright red blood. Luckily I was seen at EPU the same day and they gave me an internal exam as no sonographers were working and said I had cervical erosion/ectropion. As soon as she looked at my cervix she said yes this is definitely where the bleeding is coming from. I only had the one episode of bleeding and nothing since thank god, so now those pessaries are going up the other way!! They should really warn you about things like that at the clinic, I'd have done it this way from the start if I'd known.
We also got to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler 🤍
They have booked me in for a scan anyway on Weds morning (that's the earliest they had!) so even though I feel much more reassured I'll still go and make sure all is okay.

The first thing they asked me was what blood type I am. I didn't have a clue so I had to go in anyway for a blood test, which is when they offered the internal & Doppler check. Turns out I have a negative blood type and so I had to have an anti-D immunoglobulin injection. I'd never heard of this before! But because of the bleeding I had to have one now, then will have one later on in pregnancy (unless I have any more episodes of bleeding). It doesn't feel too bad now but ouccchhhh 🤕

@Bryterlayter1 omg thank you! Yes that's exactly what I need!

Hello to all amazing ladies and congratulations to everyone Xxx. May I join in, please?

I got a bfp last Saturday, but I've been struggling to accept it... is this normal? I just fear it may be a false hope and I am afraid to actually get happy about it.

@IsabelHerna are you having a blood test? That helps make it more real, specially when you see the evolution.

Has anyone experienced shortness of breath and night sweats?

My night sweats come and go, but some night I wake up completely soaked.

Also today I am really struggling with shortness of breath, not really to the point i can't breathe but I definitely been feeling it in my zoom meetings or while I eat. I need to pause and get my breath back

@bajanbump hi yeah I did get night sweats in the beginning but now it’s more my lower half that can feel sweaty when I wake up. I still get breathless walking and climbing stairs etc but getting more used to it now. Hopefully yours will get better too

@xreadytoglow thanks you, yes finally tomorrow morning for this scan, seems like ages since I did one but was only last Sunday. Sorry to hear you had a scary episode but glad it’s cervical and nothing related to the baby. Yes the pessaries are a real pain. I can still get a bit of brownish discharge after the afternoon pessary but unfortunately rectal is not an option for me as I have haemorrhoids and this constipation has just made them worse. Around 2.5 weeks left of them though so hopefully time will go faster x

@Bluehawaii29 hope the scan goes well/went well.

@bajanbump I also had night sweats and had breathlessness. I now don't have either. I do wake up warm though.

@IsabelHerna welcome. I'm nearly 11 weeks and still worry about whether it's real or not. I think the first trimester is the most worrying time.

@xreadytoglow that sounds so scary. I'm glad you were able to be seen quickly though. That's good you have a scan tomorrow as well just to give extra reassurance. At least not too much longer on the pessaries.

@2mumlife Majorca will be lovely. It's so nice to get away. I'm going to Spain in June as well. I cannot wait

First Midwife appointment this week. How long do they typically take?

Hi @Overlyanxious thank you I have officially graduated from the ivf clinic today 😍 midwife appt tomorrow and 12 week scan next. We have been confirmed to have one healthy growing baby and we are over the moon and grateful to have this little miracle xx

@Bryterlayter1 is this your booking in appointment? It took about an hour and a half for me. I was asked lots and lots of questions and then had to go to a different part of the hospital to get my blood taken - but that was pretty quick

@Bluehawaii29 congratulations - that's great.

@Bluehawaii29 Congratulations on graduating from the IVF clinic! Glad to hear your news that you are expecting one and sending my condolences for the other little one that hasn't made it. But like you say, it's still great news to be expecting one little miracle. Many women going through IVF would be ecstatic just to have that. We're all very lucky 💗

@Overlyanxious thank you. I hope you are doing okay!

Welcome @IsabelHerna! Congratulations on your BFP. I don't think I let myself get excited until my scan at 10 weeks.. by that point I'd seen bubs 3 times so I finally let myself think it was actually real. Then I started bleeding 😂😂 and thought wow I've jinxed it now!!! But thank god it's only cervical and I'm back to being excited again.

So excited to see little one again tomorrow and then I have my booking appointment later that day and will get a date for my NHS 12w scan. It's all happening!!

@xreadytoglow I'm ok - feeling a bit anxious though. Just need that 13 week scan which is 2 weeks tomorrow so not too bad

@xreadytoglow hey the same thing happened to me with Cervical bleed after the scan today. Thankfully it’s stopped but I know what you mean. These pessaries are making our cervix so friable. That woman was pushing so hard on my stomach too and that must have put a lot of pressure down there too. Can’t win with scans. They give you that short elation only to be followed by more anxiety! Good luck with your next scan x

I’m just lying in bed. We were going to go to pizza express for lunch to celebrate but the morning was too intense. Feeling better now and positive again for the little one x

@Overlyanxious hopefully the scan will put your mind at ease and allow you to relax and start to enjoy it 🤍 this first trimester is far from enjoyable eh

@Bluehawaii29 aw did you. Yeah our cervix's are definitely not happy with these pessaries 😵‍💫 not long to go now. Have your time decompressing and taking it all in. I don't blame you for needing it! Get pizza delivered instead 🍕