ERA/Alice/Emma infertility thread graduates/pregnancies

[seven201]

If you are a regular on the infertility board you may have seen the ERA/Alice/Emma threads for those going through those tests after lots of unsuccessful IVF or recurrent losses. This thread is for the ladies from there who are now pregnant. We can share our worries and joys.

I am useless at remembering who is pregnant from which thread so please do add yourself or tag others. @Janefx40 and @Faithhopelove83.

Also, if anyone who has fully graduated/had their baby, then please feel free to join if you wish. I don't want to tag individuals as I don't want people to feel obliged.

If you've also just had lots of failed ivf and/or recurrent miscarriages you are of course welcome too!

A little bit about me. I have a naturally conceived nearly 7 year old dc. Have been trying for dc2 for 5 1/4 years. One natural early loss, 5 failed ivf, 3 surgeries (main one being an adhesion removed), 2 natural pregnancies and early losses, 1 ivf pregnancy that got to heartbeat stage. This pregnancy is a letrazole round and I'm 9+6 (although measuring 9+0 but that's been consistent) so due early November. I've been spotting brown for the past 3 days but my scan was this afternoon, so reassuring (although still worried). I'm under the CRP clinic in epsom due to the miscarriages.

Good luck to us all!

@seven201 there's only a few weeks of term left now isn't there, so if you're struggling do ask for adjustments. I'm
Sorry you've had a bad time at the appointment :( if it's any consolation I cried inconsolably in front of a lot of important people at work with what happened last week, but you know what we're pregnant, we have hormones, we get emotional. And well done for managing to drink something which you'd normally avoid.

Thanks ladies. It's very out of character from me. Was quite a shock for everyone I think! Feeling much better now and just glad I got it done.

Hope everyone had a good day?

@seven201 glad your feeling better now and that’s another hurdle over and done with!!

@Gardenlady543 it has been a while, feeling quite anxious for Thursday but going to try and keep busy

@Janefx40 it was a no from the clinic re crinone gel, apparently just vaginal use, I am just going to hope going down to 1 pessary a day will help.

So a question for the group, me and DH have tried to put the blood thinner debacle behind us as much as possible and to stay as positive as we can, but we’re a bit confused re scans and next steps. We were told when it all went down that there is a really small chance that there would be any issues but the first we would know about if there was would be at the anomaly scan as the baby would need to develop more before we can take a detailed look - UCLH apparently prefer to anomaly scan at 19 weeks but in the call with the consultant when it first happened she mentioned we could get a scan at 16 weeks then 20 for anomalies but since then we’ve only been offered standard care from them which would mean the one scan between 18-20 weeks. I’m trying to weigh up these scenarios and what we should do:

Option 1)
Do a scan with UCLH 18 weeks (which they said they could do) and then pay for another scan at 22 weeks
Pro: if we leave it until 18 weeks, it’s a more detailed scan as the baby has developed more
Con: it will feel a long wait between my 12 week scan and the 18 week scan

Option 2)
Book a private scan at 16 weeks and then push the UCLH scan to 20 weeks
Pro: we get an idea of things sooner and not such a long wait after the 12 week scan
Con: the 16 week scan will be less detailed as the baby will be less developed.

Would be great to hear your thoughts and of course this is all pending a successful 12 week scan.

@AM08 ah well there you go. I've never taken crinone just cyclogest.

All I know is that Prof Akolekar who is probably the best of all the doctors I have seen, likes to do them at 22 weeks because he says there are a couple of things that aren't fully developed at 20 that he likes to look at.

If you are anywhere near Epsom then I recommend going to him x

@Janefx40 good point. @AM08 I believe professor Akolekar has his own private clinic in Sevenoaks, so it might be easier to see him there rather than through CRP. I think they might only be open a couple of days or evenings a week, not really sure. I don't know much about specific timings I'm afraid. I saw him at 12 ish and 16 weeks (due to fibroid, blood clot and previous pre-eclampsia) and he said he didn't need to see me again as all was looking good.

Good job you checked about the gel!

Thank you both for the recommendations, I’m going to look into getting a slot with him - as long as everything’s ok on Thursday I think I’m going to stick to UCLH scan at 18 weeks and then Dr Akolekar at 22 weeks - feels sensible and the right thing to do

I have gestational diabetes. Also generally having a rubbish day - our neighbours fence fell in because of our building work and they are very pissed off. Got completely drenched this morning and my tea spilt into my bag covering everything. I'd like today to 'do one'! I had a very late diagnosis of GD with my daughter, at 38 weeks, so only 1 week before I had a c-section anyway. I'm such a grumpy cow without chocolate!

Aww I'm sorry @seven201 to be fair that sounds like a rubbish day on top of the diagnosis. You're already on metformin aren't you, are they going to change management?

@Gardenlady543 a midwife or nurse, can't remember, called me and told me I had GD and she'd booked me in for a group info session next Thursday. I forgot to mention the metformin, but fortunately I have my 20 week scan followed by consultant appt on Monday next week, so I'll discuss it then. I had stopped the metformin a week before for the test, but back on it now, so hopefully it's already helping.

@seven201 that's probably to learn about diet and exercise changes I'd imagine. I think they advise treatment based on the response to lifestyle changes, initial blood glucose level and risk factors. Being on metformin is good.

@Gardenlady543 yeah, I think so. I think it will be a teaching session and they'll give out the blood sugar monitor stuff. It's good it's been picked up so early. At least I won't have to drink the orange drink again!

@seven201 that sounds like a rubbish day - sorry about the GD, does it mean you’ll have to limit sugar intake?

Tomorrow is a new day and it seems like you had your 3 bits of bad luck today so they’re out of the way - onwards and upwards.

Thanks @AM08 yes, mainly less sugary stuff. But it's more complicated, last time I remember discovering my morning bran flakes with milk sent my readings high, so it's trial and error really.

@seven201 oh I hope it’s ok and settles with the drug your on for it - it sounds like it will be a faff but good they are keeping an eye on things.

How are things with your neighbour now? Were any plants or anything squashed? In one way atleast it’s a good time for it to come down versus after a storm or something when workmen triple their prices (I know you’d rather it didn’t happen full stop)

They're still quite annoyed, but mainly at our builder, not us. It did break their rose plant, and we've offered to buy them a new one and we're buying and installing a new fence panel (for their old fence) but we can't for a couple of weeks as there's nothing to fix it to until a retaining wall is built, which they initially weren't happy about. We had loads of unscheduled rain here this morning, so it just fell in. Hoping for a better day tomorrow! How are you feeling about Thursday? Not long now!

@seven201 how are you after your awful Tuesday? So sorry about the GD. How are the neighbours now?

@AM08 is it a scan you gave today? Hope it goes well.

Have lost track if what is next for people.

@AM08 good luck for today!

@Janefx40 yesterday was better thank you! How are you and Leo doing?

Good luck @AM08

I've had a stressful morning, I took my TFT on Tuesday and the result just came back, erg it's bad TSH is super low at 0.005, T3 and T4 are both above range. So I'm hyperthyroid, the endocrinologist who is advising me replied back quickly and said it's strange and asked if I've had a blot of vomiting (none) and suggested it could be a further autoimmune thyroiditis. They told me to drop my dose of levothyroxine down by half. I called my GP practice who are normally really good, I asked if I could arrange an urgent appointment the response, "you should call at 8:15 if you need that" I very calmly explained what has happened how my blood test result had just come though, how I'm pregnant and this puts me at a risk of miscarriage and I need to adjust the dosage as advised by my endocrinologist" her reply, "no need to be irate" and the got into an argument with me about me being irate- I'm honestly not, I'm a doctor, I can have very calm conversations under extreme circumstances. Erg the receptionists are normally amazing at my GP. Anyway the conclusion is the GP should call me today so hopefully I can adjust the dosage. I am worried about the risk and asked the endocrinologist and he said, "no this level of hyperthyroidism is not uncommon in 1st trimester in normal women". I'm just worried about the impact of adjusting the levels too quickly :( he has told me to repeat the test in 10 days as I may need to go back up. I had left it 4 weeks between this test and I shouldn't have. Think I'll be doing tests myself every 2 weeks from now on.

Thanks all - the scan went well, measured a couple of days ahead which they said was normal - she said they can’t say 100% but if she had to guess she said it’s likely a little boy! It was the combi testing I had today rather than NIPT, so if that comes out as high risk in todays blood result then they’d book me in for NIPT asap but she said from the scan everything looked normal. In the scan pics - there is small lump on the babies head - is that normal does anyone know? Probably nothing to worry about as she did a really detailed scan and didn’t mention anything on that.

@seven201 glad you had a better day yesterday!

@Janefx40 any baby Leo updates?

@Gardenlady543 that sounds really stressful, I hope the GP can offer some good advice x

@AM08 it might be the yolk sac, mine was on babies head the scan before last and looked like a halo, but now is by the feet as the baby moved.

GP has prescribed the new dosage so just picking it up now. Just very worried about the risk this causes. I really didn't need this :(

Oh no, the screenings came back and showed elevated risk of edwards or patau’s - we have to go to the fetal medicine unit tomorrow

@AM08 oh I'm so sorry you have this worry. It is still so unlikely that you have it but I know that won't comfort you. You just have to find a way through this next bit now until you get the results. Keep us informed. We're here whenever you need us xxx

@Gardenlady543 worrying about your TSH but you are on the right track now so you are doing all you can.

@AM08 oh no. Did they give a number? Mine was 1/22 risk of downs (from CRP) and 1/55 (nhs) but with good scan measurements, and mine did come back fine. It's a really horrible wait though I know. Good you're going tomorrow. Is that just for the NIPT or are they doing more specialist scans? I just had the NIPT but not sure if it's different for edwards /pataus.

@Gardenlady543 that sounds stressful. So they've reduced your levothyroxine now? Sorry if I got confused.

@AM08 I'm really sorry you have had a stressful result as well today, I take it this is the less sensitive test that people have first, so will they do the NIPT tomorrow? I hope everything goes well, sorry you have to deal with this :(

Thanks @Janefx40 you're right and at least I know now so I can adjust.

@seven201 yeah so my thyroid hormones are high, this can happen due to very high hcg levels and would normally present with morning sickness, so that may why and the reason I'm not being sick is the steroids. It can also happen in autoimmune thyroiditis which is what they think happened in the first place to give me a thyroid issue. The thyroid gland releases all its hormones at once, so levels are very high but then because of the stored hormones are then depleted, the levels then become low and the person is hypothyroid. So I'm in this first stage now and the levels are high which can cause a miscarriage. Erg it was all going so well :( I have been taking 100mcg levothyroxine so the endocrinologist told me to reduce to 50mcg and retest in 10 days. I'm worried about the dropping the levels too much too quickly. But I don't know, they know best. My gp arranged the prescription and I spent my lunch break running around pharmacies to get the same brand I'm on, the last thing I want to do is throw in complications by changing to a different brand right now. So I'll take the lower dosage from tomorrow and repeat my level a week on Monday and go from there. Good think I have a scan Sunday so I can check if everything is ok still.