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 well you were right that wasn't a nice experience. 20 mins of deep poking, I was wincing, I thought about calling it, I was worried of the impact of the deep pressure, she was putting her whole body weight into it :( she said we couldn't film a clip on the screen like they let me do at my fertility clinic. They did give me a nice image. They didn't tell me anything aside from saying, I'll write the report up and give it you when I asked what the measurement was when she did it. Was a very different experience to my private scans. I guess it had to be done. Kind of wish I hadn't cancelled my Sunday scan for next Sunday, as then I'd get a nice video to add to my video of all the scans. Never mind.

Hi ladies, sorry for my silence after my very wordy initial posts. Thank you @Janefx40 for the blood test tips; I did a beta and unfortunately the HCG was barely rising and I have now started bleeding so I’m going to have a third miscarriage. I will continue to be cheering you all on in your pregnancies but shall take myself off to one of the other boards as we prepare for transferring our euploid. I have lots of questions but will put them on one of the other boards too. Lots of love to you all, thank you for being so kind xxx

@Jellybelly56 I'm so sorry to hear that. It is so hard. Take some time to be nice to yourself. Sending lots of love and hoping things work out better for you soon x

I'm so sorry @Jellybelly56 did you want to come to ERA EMMA ALICE testing thread 8 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/4792872-era-emma-alice-testing-thread-8 ❤️

@Gardenlady543 sorry it wasn't a nice experience. There no photos or videos of the screen at my clinic either. Seems a bit mean! I remember with dd I went for my 12 week scan and had just been for a wee as the letter didn't mention a full bladder. The sonographer kept going on about how it was my fault she couldn't get a good image and was really poking my belly, so much so I had a bit of bleeding that night. Heartless!

@Jellybelly56 I'm so sorry. That is really really shit news. Take care of yourself xx

@Jellybelly56 i’m so sorry to hear your latest update, thinking of you xx

@Gardenlady543 so annoying the scan wasn’t great and they wouldn’t let you take a little video for your collection - is your next private one next week now?

@seven201 it caused vaginal bleeding omg that's awful. Everything online says it's really cushioned in there and not to worry about brutal scans but I'm so carefully usually and may as well have had a sumo wrestler sat on my abdomen for 20 mins.

@AM08 yeah I have another booked a week today, so have to wait that long to see if this caused any damage and also get a video for my collection, I know logically people say it doesn't cause damage but it's still worrying :(

I got this nice picture from the scan showing the vertebrae :

After speaking to my friend I decided to make a spur of the moment decision and book a private scan for today. I'm just upset about the nhs scan and worried with how much pressure she put on me. The ultrasound direct ones are just 10 minutes and they are always gentle so I think it will make me feel better to know things are ok.

@Gardenlady543 ah good, glad you did that and got to give yourself some peace of mind - hope it all went well and you got your video?

QQ for the group, when in your pregnancy did you get a proper bump? (Any advice on first pregnancy would be amazing) I just look like I’ve had a very big dinner at 15.5 weeks but can’t say it’s ‘the smooth oval’ type bump I thought I’d have by 16 weeks…

@AM08 yes I got great videos :) got a cute video of baby kicking out their arms and legs imgur.com/a/VOwlFNU and a big stretch imgur.com/a/cX7AFpe

I've had a bump since the early days but I think initially this was bloating. It would be smaller in the morning and get bigger as the day went on, I asked the technician yesterday and she said it is a proper bump though, I think it's quite normal not to start showing for a while, and I definitely look more pregnant than I am. My friend has a retroverted uterus and didn't have a bump for a long time.

@AM08 I can't remember how early I showed with my dd. But... some women don't even know they're pregnant until they go into labour! So do not worry at all about the size or shape of bump.

@Gardenlady543 how lovely that you had such a lovely extra scan. Worth it for reassurance sometimes.

I always show super early in pregnancy from about 8 weeks. Partly bloat but also partly pregnancy. Sadly I also still look pregnant now (sigh!).

@Gardenlady543 are you able to advise on BV? I've never had it before but noticed an unpleasant odour (sorry if TMI) and have some of those vaginal PH tests you recommended way back when! I'm testing blue so think I may have it. Do I need to get antibiotics from the GP?

@Janefx40 it sounds like you do have it, the gp may want to do a vaginal swab before prescribing antibiotics or they may just prescribe so I'd get on and sort out an appointment if I were you. They will likely prescribe metronidazole.

Ah it’s interesting, everyone seems to be different bump wise - I put on a pound during the first trimester and one a week during the second trimester so far so hoping I’m on track.

@Gardenlady543 such nice videos! Have my 16 week midwife appointment tomorrow so hopefully we hear the heartbeat then and scan Monday morning, can’t believe it’s been 4 weeks since we last had a scan, a bit nervy now!

@Gardenlady543 thanks. Did an e consult thing with my GP and they have prescribed me antibiotics. I wouldn't have had a clue about this if I hadn't been on the ERA thread for so long with others who get BV!!

@Gardenlady543 what does this mean? It says 5 as a single dose and then says space throughout the day (there are only 5 in the pack). Seems contradictory

You can take a big dose all at once, but the evidence suggests it isn't as effective. Most BV regimes are 400mg three times a day for 5-7 days. Can you get in touch with someone to get more?

@Gardenlady543 thanks. I'll space them out and see if I'm any better

@Janefx40 you really need more if you're doing that because you'll be out before the end of Sunday, can you get any more before then?

@Gardenlady543 yes you're right. I am going to take them all in one as otherwise I won't have enough. I'll see if that does the trick. I've never had this before so hopefully a mild case and this will work?

My boy set a new record last night and I slept for 2 x 20 minute periods between midnight and 6 when I passed him to DP. He has a sniffle and needed to be held upright. I am broken. I also have a cold. DP is going to do a shift tonight but I don't want him going to bed late as otherwise I have to be up early with DD and it defies the point. So I'll still only get 3 hours in a row max (actually even that's not going to happen as already 7:45 and he's still putting DD to bed so can't take over yet). I feel for him too - he is working very hard between work work and home work. He gets no let up at all either. Don't get me wrong, the little man is worth it but my goodness this is brutal!!

My DD was NOT like this so hopefully your babies won't be either.

Sorry - I feel like I'm pouring negativity over your longed for pregnancy joy. It is a wonderful magical time just quite tough too!

@Janefx40 that sounds like a horrific night, it must be really difficult for you and DP right now, particularly when you have DD. Hoping that Leo has a better night for all of your sakes tonight and his sleeping patterns get better soon xxx

@AM08 hope the midwife went well. Nice your next scan is so close.

@Janefx40 sorry about the BV and lack of sleep. My DD had silent reflux and it wasn't until she was 10 months that the GP finally gave her the right meds (I'd let them fob me off for months - still annoyed at myself for that) and she actually started sleeping in bursts longer than half an hour or so and could be laid down. Distant memory now, but as you say, totally worth it! Hoping you get a better night tonight.

I'm 24 weeks now and this last week I had a lot of comments from people at school saying how I mustn't be coming back as I'll surely have started mat leave before next term. Had to explain repeatedly that I'm just massive and not due until early Nov

@seven201 ah I sympathise re the size thing. I had the same with both my pregnancies too. People kept saying "oh you're only x weeks? I thought you were about to have the baby". There was a colleague due 2 months ahead of me and they said "oh you're so much bigger than her" etc etc. Hated it!!! But weirdly when I got to about 34/35 weeks people started saying how "neat" I looked so it obviously evened out. Honestly I wish people just wouldn't comment!

24 weeks is ace tho. I always thought of that as a great milestone as past the point of viability which is reassuring although obviously you ideally don't want to go into labour for quite a while yet.

Yes I think he has reflux and we have omeprazole now and I do think that has helped. I can now lie him down without him immediately waking but unfortunately it has coincided with him getting this cold so we haven't seen much benefit as yet.

DP took the early shift and did the 10pm feed and I actually got to sleep from about 8:30 to 2am. I've had 5.5 hours sleep - the most I've had in a row since Leo was born and I feel great! Apart from this horrid cold!