Ivf pregnancy - first trimester

[gulph]

Hi lovely's

Starting a new thread for those that have gone through ivf and are in the early stages as appreciate we have different anxieties maybe to other groups.

I'm Gayle, I had a fresh transfer on Monday the 13th March and I am currently 5 weeks 4 days pregnant. First test showed 1-2 weeks, last weeks test showed 2-3 and next test due on Wednesday (clinic have recommended a test a week until early scan) early scan is on the 14th April.

My husband and I have been trying for a baby for nearly 10 years. We fell pregnant naturally 6 years ago, however after some bleeding at 8 weeks, i went for an early scan and was only dating between 5 and 6 weeks so had to go back in a further 2 weeks to check if any development and the night before, I had a miscarriage. We haven't fallen since and following some tests, it was put down to make factor infertility and ICSI and was recommended however we could not proceed (privately) with my bmi so I started the hard work to lose 5 stone in May last year and hit my target in January 2023 to start our treatment.

I feel like there have been lots of barriers in our way so far. Nhs said no, due to my weight it was a no, due to the financials it was a no so to have anything with a yes now without having a massive battle, feels strange and like it's not quite true!

Symptoms so far - sore boobs, cramping, so hungry, feeling little bits of nausea but not sure if it is my mind or it is real

Feel free to tell me about your battle and how you are feeling

@Banbi @greentreeseverywhere

Thanks for setting this up, Gayle @gulphCongratulations on having made it this far - and thank you for sharing your story with us. Wishing you huge amounts of luck after everything you've been through.

I had a fresh transfer on

Good tip on the weekly test,

Oof. Clumsy thumbs this evening! Sorry for that. Anyway, had a 5d fresh transfer on 11 Mar. I was scheduled for an early scan on 13th but my partner couldn't make it that day. My one previous pregnancy was in 2020 and was a missed miscarriage picked up at our 12 week scan so we've decided to wait until we can go together on 18th. I'm sure it's the right thing but the waiting is driving me a little crazy.

Good tip on the weekly test. I feel quite complicated about my clinic right now. They've been excellent but since I got my positive test it's been "congratulations, your early scan is on X date - see you then". No mention of risks or caution about how early it is. They even sent me discharge papers to forward to my GP. I've decided not to pay for extra blood tests or an earlier weekend scan. I know a positive pregnancy test is the everything, but a little inexpensive reassurance would be helpful I think. Although tbh I don't think I'll relax until after the baby's born!

How are your symptoms today? I feel a little bloated and heartburny again, which after a couple of days without symptoms is actually welcome 😁

I've actually not had many symptoms today which has freaked me out a bit. I've actually been squeezing my boobs to make sure they are still tender 🤦🏼‍♀️ Today was test day and my digital test was showing 3+ so I know that it's going in the right direction, but I don't think I will ever stop worrying!
I've been obsessing over the risk percentages of mc for each week and just counting down to every Wednesday to tick off another week!
My clinic has been ok, haven't spoken to them since my otd when they gave me the scan date and told me to continue the pessaries and ensure I'm getting vitamin d and folic acid so recommended the pregnacare vitamins.
Can't work out if I'm excited or petrified of my scan next week, could be reassuring, could be devastating. At least waiting to the 18th they will hopefully be able to see so much more 💗

That's true about their being able to see more by 18th. Thank you ☺️

Try not to worry. Symptoms come and go. Mine haven't come back the way they were last week but I've got twinges in my abdomen like I'm more aware of it and still the tender boobs. I'm glad the heartburn hasn't come back as it was making sitting at my desk very difficult. Now I'm not physically uncomfortable it's much easier to throw myself into work as a distraction!

If everything's going well, embies are the size of a baked bean this week!

Hi, thank you for starting the thread and hope it’s OK if I join. I had a frozen transfer on the 16th March and am currently waiting for my first scan, on the 14th April. I had a missed-miscarriage of a spontaneous pregnancy last year (discovered at the first scan) then did three rounds of IVF embryo banking over the winter. I have no symptoms (other than from the progesterone).

I hope everyone has a relaxing (as much as possible!) bank holiday weekend :)

@CharlotteYorkMacDougal we are scan date buddies! I'm so scared!

Welcome @CharlotteYorkMacDougal! Hope you have a good weekend too 😁My acupuncturist wants me to keep a close eye on my blood sugar levels in the first trimester, so it'll be an unusually rationed weekend on the chocolate this year.

Can I join please? Recognise some of you from the March IVF thread 👋

I had a FET on 20th March l
(following a failed FET in Jan), and have my viability scan on the 18th April. I was convinced it hadn't worked again, so am still in shock! I am v fortunate in that we already have DD from previous FET (again 2nd time lucky after a failed fresh transfer).

I have been having a lot of pain/cramping and my initial test was v faint, so I'm not getting my hopes up too much. Symptoms wise I have been feeling sick, sore boobs and exhausted but not sleeping, although well aware that a lot of that is the progesterone. My blood thinning injections are getting really painful at the mo too.

Counting down the days till the scan. Lovely to have some company that understands

Hi everyone, do you mind if I also hop on this thread?
I had my FET on 21 March and positive early beta on 1 April followed up by another beta on 3 April that showed the numbers doubled. I have my scan on 17 April and am a ball of nerves.
I’ve never remotely been pregnant before. I have endo and DH has very low morphology so we did ICSI. My initial surprise and delight at the positive tests has given way to huge anxiety and paranoia. I’m trying not to second guess too much and just enjoy having had 2 lines on a test and positive betas for now.
Fingers crossed we all have sticky ones xx

@Stopthatnoisemummy our dates are practically the same, just a day apart!

Welcome ladies! I did another test last night as I was so worried that my symptoms didn't seem to be as strong as they have previously been and got a positive straight away so that has settled my nerves slightly but just wishing the time away to Friday so we can find out one way or another if this little bean has made it through the trickiest days.
I don't feel mentally prepared to have to start all again.
I didn't realise the progesterone gave symptoms, what is the difference between progesterone symptoms vs pregnancy symptoms?

Pretty sure I have convinced myself I've had a missed miscarriage and the progesterone is preventing the miscarriage from actually happening. Wtf is wrong with my brain?! 😂 literally driving myself insane over here.

@gulph don’t panic! I think we’re all feeling that way some days. I think a lot of our symptoms at this stage are down to the progesterone - bloating, increased appetite, breast pain etc.
I know you’re only doing 1 test a week but if you’re anxious you can always test for reassurance? Progesterone can’t mimic HCG, that’s all from the placenta :)
Also if you have nausea or a weird taste in your mouth I think that’s also from HCG. But it’s also completely normal not to feel anything, hence all those stories we used to read in teen mags about girls who gave birth in the loo because they didn’t know they were pregnant!
This wait is truly torture, basically another 2ww for the scan, so I’m right there with you.

@gulph really sorry if I have made you panic, wasn't my intention to add to what is already a worrying time for us all. I guess it's a way I try and rationalise stuff for myself and not get too ahead of myself.

It's nothing anyone else has said at all, it's my own brain! Like who am I kidding that this time we may actually have a chance.
Less than a week until our scan now so I'm just going to try to put it out of my mind xxx

Welcome and congratulations @graygoose and @Stopthatnoisemummy! I'm finding hope in celebrating all the little steps on this journey, even if it isn't a straight line 💛

We went out for our anniversary last night - drinks at a local cocktail bar and then a nice dinner. It was lovely to get out and do something normal. We did talk about the IVF whilst we were at the bar, but it didn't dominate the evening (barely noticed I wasn't drinking) and I'm feeling much more positive today.

Hope you're all having a good bh weekend x

How is everyone doing this week? Getting closer to scan dates!

I have been doing additional tests to reassure myself and all ok so far so just trying to relax as much as possible and keep my mind elsewhere!

I did an extra test too. My symptoms are still coming and going so it actually did make me feel a little better!

Sending positive vibes to everyone with scans tomorrow and Friday 💛

Hi everyone, I had a 5 day fresh transfer on 21st Feb and will be 10 weeks tomorrow. I'm trying to take it a week at a time and really trying to focus on reducing stress and staying positive - often easier said than done though!
I had a scan at 7+4 and was measuring right on track so the next milestone is my NHS 12 week scan on 2nd may - it feels so far away!

Awwwww congratulations and welcome @abbaroony.

I'll be 7+2 on Friday for my scan so hoping for the same good news as you!

How have your symptoms been as you are a couple of weeks ahead of me and mine have been coming a going. I was training a group of people today and I found I was barely nauseous when I was delivering the training but then during break times I felt awful but not sure if it was due to me having time to think about it not?

2nd May must feel a long way away but we are all here to support you through the next few weeks.

Thank you @gulph!

Good luck for your scan on Friday... hopefully it will provide some reassurance.

I've really been trying to not drive myself mad symptom spotting... my main symptoms have been tiredness and sore boobs. I've been pregnant before and I would say that both of those symptoms were more intense last time, but I've also had some new symptoms this time that I didn't have last time like mild nausea, headaches and food aversions, so I'm trying not to read too much into it all! In addition to all that, I'm never sure if it's the pregnancy or the progesterone causing the symptoms!

I think keeping busy is a really good idea and will help the weeks pass more quickly too!

Hey ladies can I join? 👋🏼

I did a FET on 1st April (so weird doing it on April fools 🥴) and I tested positive on Monday and got 2-3 weeks on cb digital. I had a beta hcg on Tuesday which was 741. Ive decided to not do another beta and just wait for the scan booked on 1st May. I just think it's either going to be viable or it's not and there's no point stressing myself out with the hcg blood tests, plus they are expensive!

My anxiety is through the roof though, this is waaaaay harder than any other wait I've had to do in the ivf process. Ive previously had a MMC, 2 chemicals all natural before deciding to go down the ivf route. So, this is my first ivf pregnancy and what's weird is that I have no symptoms and am convinced that nothing is happening down there! This is a genetically tested embryo and I'm on prednisolone (devils ticktaks) and clexane and intralipids. Sorry for my ramblings, I'm just feeling a bit stressed at the thought of a two and a half week wait....

Xxx

Hi everyone - been looking for a thread like this - I've had my transfer 29th March and currently 4 + 6 days! I actually can't believe it..
After 7 years trying 3 cycles of ivf - first ever positive pregnancy test!
I'm super cautious tho as my scan is not till 4th May...no idea why so lateas I'll be nearly 8 weeks then

I'm tired, sore breasts and a bit of nausea and some pulling in my belly!

Hey fellow ladies-that-know-exactly-what-I'm-going-through!

Please can I join??

I've been an avid reader of every IVF thread that mumsnet / the whole of the internet, has to offer for years but I've never posted before. I've always been too scared...

@browneyedgirl626 We're exactly the same! I, too had an embryo transfer on 1st April, and a BFP on Monday! This is my third round, and because my body doesn't respond well to the stims, I only got two eggs, and I had to fight to carry on, and not get the cycle cancelled. Both fertilised and got to nine cells day three, so they put both back, and now I'm waiting to see if both stuck! 7 week scan on the 3rd May seems a lifetime away!

I was incredibly naive, the first round, and I didn't realize a) evap lines were a thing and b) the trigger shot stays in your system. Because I'm a serial POS tester, I tested almost straight away, got positives because of the IVF meds for the first 5 days, and then evap lines from day 5-10 until they disappeared. Although I take most of the responsibility, compulsive testing early is a cross I have the bare, blue dye tests are just the worst, and I've got no idea how they're still able to sell them.

Now I know I've got a proper positive I just can't believe it, and my anxiety that IFV will fail, has been replaced by anxiety that I'll miscarry. It's never ending!

I have a question, if anyone can shed any light? Lots of ladies seem to be getting blood tests to see if the IVF has worked. Is this a US/UK thing? My clinic doesn't do any blood tests, they just ask for the HPT positive / negative. It would be really interesting to know what my HGC level is, and how I go about getting one of these tests.

Sorry for the long post, I've got three rounds of IVF to get off my chest 😅

@browneyedgirl626

Hey @SurferAnna I think you're in the right place!

A blood test detects hcg levels, anything over 25 indicates pregnancy. BUT, it's not an exact science and levels can vary a lot. It's also about testing blood hcg levels twice over 2-3 days because one reading doesn't tell you whether the pregnancy is progressing. So the levels are meant to double or near enough every two days. Again though, this is not an exact science and it can cause a lot of stress and anxiety if your results aren't doing what you think they should.

The last time I fell pregnant naturally I got two hcg blood readings - they were 62 and 75. It was very upsetting because I could see that it was likely that my pregnancy was failing, and then I had to wait another week and a half for it to pass. This time around my reading was 741 and I decided not to test again because I know that if the second reading doesn't look like it's doubling, it will really upset me and then there's nothing you can do about it anyway. But also the nurse said to me that my reading was a very good one and that I didn't need to test again unless I wanted to. I think tbh I've tried it both ways- testing and spending lots of money and worrying myself, and not testing, and I'd prefer to not test again, that's just my personal feeling about it though and I completely get that blood hcg levels should really be more than one reading to get a picture of what's happening. Oh also , if they are VERY high they can indicate an ectopic pregnancy.

What's your clinics position on testing? Have they offered to do a blood one? Where are you based? Xx