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!

@Spin101 it looks like Ultrasound Direct do NIPT testing and they have sites all over the country x

Big love to you 2021ivfagain

Thank you @Janefx40 ! I found a place close by after lots of googling

@2021ivfagain not sure if you’ll see this but I’m so sorry to hear whats happened and sending you love for your journey ahead - great news on the 5 day 5 blasts

@Spin101 glad you found a place to do the NIPT testing, keep us posted on next steps. Have you had much nausea so far?

@seven201 sorry to hear about your cough and the inhaler, it seems pregnancy just exacerbates any issue! Has the swelling on your legs/feet gone down at all? And how far along are you now?

We managed to get away in the UK which was 100% the right thing for us - turns out flying with a bunged up nose is not very good for pregnant people, as ears and nose are connected so for the first half of the first day my ears were a nightmare like I was under water and doctor couldn’t prescribe me anything as decongestants aren’t safe for pregnancy, so was brilliant to have the option to train it back!

hope everything is doing well?

@AM08 feet not improving but I have just opened my compression socks delivery, so I'm hoping that does something! I'm 32 tomorrow and have a growth scan in the afternoon.

I'm glad you managed a UK break but sorry to hear about your ears. Nothing seems easy when pregnant.

For anyone who gets to the point where they can't get any shoes on I recommend compression stockings! It's really helped. As I'm a skirts and dresses woman it's been a hassle but I've been rolling them down when teaching/walking about and pulling them back up when just in the office or whatever.

How is everyone? Not much news from me. We had the 32 weeks scan on thurs and she has the gestational diabetes large tummy, some hair and had the hiccups on the scan. Was nice to see her.

@seven201 I have the same numbers as you in my weeks as I'm at 23 :) so cool that your baby has visible hair!!

I went for another scan yesterday, I hadn't been getting much movement yesterday that I get high up, but it seemed to have been explained by the baby being lying in a sideways upside down position low down. She had her feet (which by the way are 4cm front to back, is that not crazy that a tiny body part like feet are 4cm, how is she fitting inside me!) Anyway the feet were at the left side of my abdomen and the technician thought it was strange I couldn't feel her kicking away since the feet would have been nowhere near my anterior placenta. I do think I may have seen a foot bulge out of my abdomen last night though.

I am maybe stupidly having to go down to London this week for a work event, will be wearing an ffp3 on the train, is anyone else wearing one, because I'm feeling so looked at as the only person wearing one wherever I am.

Hello all, @Gardenlady543 shared the link to this with me. Got my 9dp5dt BFP today with a PGT-A tested euploid embryo (embryo 7 for us!). Going to dip my toe in but I've had a previous IVF chemical a year ago and a little tentative that it will be over as soon as it started. I didn't realise how many of you were over here, belated congrats to all! I might only be here briefly, who knows!

@thislittlebird awwwww!! Congratulations!! I hope you are here for a full 8 months more!

@Gardenlady543 I think wearing a mask is sensible. There seems to be a lot of colds about at the mo. I've picked up yet another cold from school so my cough (had for 4 weeks now), isn't going so my ribs aren't getting a chance to heal. I'm getting hardly any sleep and am sometimes welling up in pain from any big coughs. I don't think there are any painkillers stronger than paracetamol that I can take though. Dr yesterday basically told me I just have to wait until it gets better, but I'm getting near breaking point. I had a brief few hours yesterday where I thought it was getting better, then a relapse and a bit of a melt down. I might take a sick day this week as I'm struggling to survive the work weeks! Sorry, very moany.

That's so cute her feet are 4cm already. I sometimes look on an app and press the real size button and get a shock at just how big my baby is already. I often don't feel my baby moving unless I've got my hands on my tummy and am properly concentrating.

@thislittlebird congratulations on the BFP, I know it is hard knowing that things can change at any point but hopefully you can get enjoy this milestone and see it as a real step forward

@seven201 sorry to hear you’ve been so unwell and even worse that there isn’t much you can do treatment wise - I hope it’s just one of those things where one day soon you just wake up better. Also great news on the compression socks working and on the little one with hair and hiccups - so cute

@Gardenlady543 I totally get why you’d want to be cautious, do whatever feels right for you. Just my opinion, there are still coughs and colds about but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was a few weeks back in central london. Also great news on the fetal movement and scan.

Pregnant women can now book covid vaccines. No need to wait for the text, just go via the website if you wish to have one.

How are you doing @AM08 ?

I feel a tiny bit better today. Hoping it lasts!

How are you doing @thislittlebird did you say you're going to have a blood test?

Oh @seven201 I'm sorry that you are still unwell :( do take time off to rest if you need it. What app are you using to see the baby size?

@AM08 how are you doing?

Anyone else woken up by the thunder, it was so loud at 4am, so now I'm really tired and have my big journey to London and hotel stay tonight then conference tomorrow and then back tomorrow eve. It's so hard coordinating it with all the meds etc.

@Gardenlady543 it's this one:
apps.apple.com/gb/app/pregnancy-tracker-app/id505864483

Yes, we had the thunder and rain overnight too. I'd kill for a good nights sleep! I hope your conference goes well.

@seven201 thanks! @AM08 definitely a milestone. If we can get to 5 weeks + with all being ok that’s a start.

@Gardenlady543 that sounds stressful. I’m ok, just anxious. Yesterday was stressful because it was like my regular hormonal migraine was starting, today would be CD1. I went to bed feeling unwell and then a few hours later it passed without really getting started, so I’ll take that as a good sign. Bloods are being done in the morning.

Ah I’ve freaked myself out a bit, haven’t felt baby much tonight if at all, he’s normally v active (we did go for a walk after dinner so maybe I just was busy on the walk and didn’t feel him). At what point in the pregnancy should fetal movement be consistent? Feeling a bit anxious

@AM08 try not to worry as these things do fluctuate but equally it is always best to seek advice / monitoring if you are worried.. You can call the Labour Ward if you are worried out of hours or there will be a different number during the day. They are always happy to have you in for monitoring - better to be reassured. I went in around that time and then a lot forwards the end of the pregnancy. Let us know what you decide

@AM08 I was told that people don't really see any pattern until at least 24 weeks, I'm about there and I'm still not getting anything that's even convincible as movements really. How are things down, did you call the midwife team I know from others that they will likely say come in and check things are ok.

Thanks @Janefx40 @Gardenlady543 i had typed the message from bed yesterday night and he started a series of kicks right after/ was active for 20/30 minutes - was such a relief. He was quieter than usual during the day so I’m going to keep an eye on it today (I was rushing around yesterday) and if needed go for some monitoring/ maybe book in a scan as I’m not seeing him for another 3 weeks. Thanks again, it’s hard to know with these things whether it’s being paranoid or whether something might be wrong.

@AM08 everyone has their own pattern, but everything I've read said movements are greater in the evening, also during the day you may be getting them but be distracted and it's only when you sit down doing nothing that it becomes noticeable. Glad everything perked up right after.

I did my big day in London yesterday which ended up being a pregnancy reveal day as I saw so many colleagues that have only
seen my head on webcam, I was very honest with them all about being anxious having been through a lot of ivf, everyone was very nice. Glad it's over though, anyone else find the train an uncomfortable nightmare? Nothing else much happening with me but from next week is when all the appointments start, as I'm under consultant led care I think every 2 weeks I'll be seeing either the midwife or consultant.

@Gardenlady543 makes sense, it’s crazy how much worry it can cause. He’s active again this morning so hoping all is fine. I am feeling quite bad as we’ve pushed our 25 week midwife appointment until next week as we have a wedding abroad this weekend and a funeral on Wednesday where DH is doing a speech. I think from 28 weeks I get regular scans because I had low Papp a in the combined testing but I am midwife led in my care which I’m a bit frustrated about as whilst they’re lovely, at times they don’t have answers to specific questions.

Nice to get the news out there about the pregnancy and share a bit of the journey so people can be mindful in their responses given what you’ve gone through and the ongoing anxiety of it all.

I'm glad you felt the movement @AM08 . How many weeks are you now? I don't think my baby has a pattern, but I'm also too busy to take proper notice of frequency and timing, so maybe she does.

@Gardenlady543 well done on your london trip. Nice to get it out in the open with colleagues.

I can't decide if baby is just hanging out on my bladder today or I'm getting a UTI. Downing lots of water just in case.

Oh no @seven201 can you drop a urine sample into the gp or midwife?

@AM08 what did you have on the combined testing? A low lying placenta?

@seven201 this has been posted in a teachers subreddit, thought of you in your teaching role.