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!

Oh no @InvisibleDreamer , I'm so very sorry to hear that. It's just too cruel having your hopes raised like that and then this. @seven201 is right though, it could just be random bleeding and dilute wee? Have you managed to speak to your care team? (sorry I can't remember, is it CRP you're with?). With you and sending you a virtual hug x

No it’s full on bleeding & with a weak test result I’ve left a message on the out of hours service but they haven’t rung back.

@InvisibleDreamer so sorry this has happened out of hours. It makes it so much harder. Is your dp home?

@InvisibleDreamer I'm so sorry this is happening. It may be nothing and I really hope so but we can all understand the worry and panic. Keep us posted xxx

Thanks all for the support it makes such a difference to talk to people who understand even if it’s just online. My parents have driven me to my in laws and my OH is going to commute from there for the rest of the week. Bleeding and cramping has eased off a bit now but I always had strong positives when I was pregnant last time and I’ve passed a lot of fresh blood plus I can kind of feel that my cervix is loose/open when I do pessaries so although I’m holding onto a little hope I think I’m just waiting on the inevitable. I’ve taken extra progesterone & estrogen but suspect it’s already too late and it’s just delaying the process. I’m feeling quite calm now but I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. I just can’t understand how we’ve got half as far as last time when I’ve been on more drugs. It just feels like an impossible dream. In so many ways I wish we’d never started IVF.

@InvisibleDreamer are you going to try and be seen somewhere? I do my suppositories rectally as they irritate me vaginally, but it sounds like the blood was possibly more than just irritation levels? It's such a shitty time. I'm glad you've got family to look after you.

@seven201 I’m going to arrange for a blood test on Monday. Yes way too much blood to be irritation. It’s stopped now but I’ve doubled my progesterone & estrogen so it’s just delaying any more bleeding now. Hot sweats again this morning which was the only sign of my mmc last time (not that I knew it then). Waiting for first response test to be delivered today/tomorrow but I know in my heart of hearts that it’s too late & dreading seeing that line fade away further. Devastated because it was PGTA tested embryo this time which makes me think my body is just killing them off & I don’t see what else we can do.

@InvisibleDreamer I'm glad you have a plan for HCG. My previous pregnancy was a PGTA tested embryo too. It always measured behind, was too slow in growth but did have a heartbeat for a bit. The process is just so cruel. What immune treatment are you on?

@seven201 I’m so sorry for your loss too x Its so disheartening when they have been PGTA tested as well.
full protocol is:
Prednisolone 10mg pre transfer then 15mg upped to 25mg yesterday on further advice from Dr G
clexane 40mg
aspirin 75mg
cyclogest 400mg x 2 day
progynova 2mg x 3 day
methyfolate 1000ug
Vit D 25ug
thyroxine 25mg
I think that’s everything. Last time got to around 10+4 on just 10mg steroids (weaned at 8 weeks which I feel was a mistake) but kicking myself for not getting thyroid optimal before transfer although TSH was only slightly high at time of loss (2.8) feel like that was our best chance gone.

@InvisibleDreamer that's not much difference to mine (when ivf). CRP do a higher steroids, but otherwise very similar. Of course all these/some of these meds could make no difference whatsoever. It's hard putting yourself in the hands of doctors and going with it. Is your thyroid level hard to control? I take 25 one morning then alternate with 50 the next. No more bleeding or cramps today?

@seven201 thyroid is all under control only got put on thyroxine because I had the high thyroid antibodies and to get TSH under 2 for fertility. No more bleeding today but some hot sweats this morning & you can see how line has faded on tests below - top was 3 days before OTD, middle was OTD and bottom was yesterday. Sorry I hope no one finds the image triggering

@InvisibleDreamer that's a dye stealer! I think your tests are all looking great (middle is a different brand so kind of irrelevant). I never got to dye stealer stage and stopped testsing after about 25dpo very annoyed I didn't get a dye stealer. You're not out yet. Bleeding can just happen and the sweats doesn't have to mean mc either (I haven't had sweats with any of my 4). I'm also on Levo just for ttc/pregnancy.

@InvisibleDreamer I think you may be reading the test backwards. The bottom test is way darker. I don't know why the test line looks faint - just an anomaly but the line you are interested in is the one nearest to the writing. I know the bleeding may be worrying but the tests look good to me 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

Oh my god you’re right! Now I don’t know what to think! Hope is such a dangerous thing. I will test again tomorrow, mind you HCG can take a while to start going down so I guess I won’t know until the blood test Monday & I find the hot sweats quite worrying.

@InvisibleDreamer how are you doing?

@Faithhopelove83 I'm sorry your gp won't prescribe your meds. How's your anxiety now?

I've had a weird shooting pain at the side of my groin when I move or bend etc today. It's probably just a little trapped nerve or something, but hard to not overthink these things!

@seven201 not so great lots of hot sweats all night, stomach is deflated. Think I have to face reality that after so much bleeding it’s going to be a loss. Waiting for PT to arrive so I can see if line fading.

@InvisibleDreamer I hope you are wrong. Are you anywhere near London? I found HCG blood tests to be clearer than pregnancy tests. I did them via medichecks but because I live bearish to London, I went in to the Doctors Laboratory to have them done because they are very quick at turning them around.

@seven201 pain on one side is really common in early pregnancy. An awful lot of my friends had it as did I. Of course we always think "ectopic" and we have to be aware of that because of the risk but probably it's just the normal twinges of pregnancy 🤞🏼

nearish not bearish. Why would it autocorrect to bearish? Not even a word!!

@Janefx40 I’ve got a HCG test booked for Monday morning so that should give me a clearer answer.

@InvisibleDreamer I'm sorry I missed all this yesterday. I'm so pleased that your bleeding has stopped and you have a dye stealer. I really hope this means good news for you. I know how scary the night sweats must be. That's good you have a HCG test on Monday and I hope it goes well x

Hi @seven201 , I've been really struggling with fatigue and all day 'morning' sickness. I wake up sick, it lasts all day and night and I go to bed sick, there is no let-up. I also have a sore, acidy-feeling upper tummy and can't stop burping (sorry tmi). I feel dreadful. I had to go back to bed yesterday morning, and I slept a good couple of hours this afternoon. I'm struggling to do my work hours and that is making me worry. But the symptoms are also very reassuring so, apart from worrying about work, I've been much less anxious. It's just a shame that we can't get excited or think too far ahead at the moment.
Sorry about your weird shooting pain, that must be worrying. Glad @Janefx40 has been able to reassure, and I hope it goes soon x

Congrats on starting your mat leave @Janefx40 ! I hope you are able to enjoy and get the most out of this time before baby arrives x

So another dye stealer today very similar to Thursday but would 2 days be too soon to see any drop in HCG? I didn’t test negative after mmc for 6 weeks. Going onto to Amazon now to order more tests for tomorrow!

@InvisibleDreamer well I still hope for you. I've tried to Google in the past how long it takes for HCG to go down, but never really found the answer. I guess high numbers on your blood test tomorrow will be the biggie. Will you be having another 48 hrs later? Are you tempted by a clearblue weeks indicator (they can be very wrong though - I don't trust them personally).

@Janefx40 oh yes! Congratulations on the mat leave starting

@Faithhopelove83 sorry about the sickness and acid. In some ways as you say reassuring, but annoying none the less. I've been lucky with symptoms (or lack of) but I am definitely eating for two, despite knowing that I shouldn't be!

My groin twinges only lasted half the day, I think maybe I just slept in an awkward position or something.

I was holding out hope this weekend but had another (light) bleed and cramps today (actually started bleeding as I arrived at clinic) plus feeling hot/cold like my period is coming. Will get beta results this afternoon but just feel like there isn’t much chance now.

Glad your groin twinges went away @seven201 .

I had a weird one in the early hours of this morning. I suddenly started getting sharp stabbing pains in my left breast - so bad, I was exclaiming and clutching my breast/chest, trying to massage it away. This kept happening every few minutes for a few hours. It was scary because sometimes I couldn't tell if it was my chest/heart or breast. I think it's my breast and Dr Google suggests it's common in pregnancy. But it feels terrible. Sore boobs are to be expected, but sharp stabbing pains just feel wrong. Anyone else had or come across this?
Still really nauseous and just feeling tired and ill all the time. Getting anxious again too.
I can't believe it's only been 5 days since our scan. It feels like a good 2 weeks! Time is moving so slowly and I can see this being a looong week!

I think your next scan is Friday @seven201 ? Mine is on Tuesday next week.

Thinking of you today @InvisibleDreamer . It's such a horrible, stressful time. Sending hugs x