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!

@Gardenlady543 oh ok. It wouldn’t necessarily need to be over 10 weeks? That would make it all easier.

Ok I checked, it needs to be over 10 weeks. So I could delay my scan by a few days or use my NHS one in a couple of weeks. Might ring them tomorrow to check.

@thislittlebird are you sure, you need to be 10 weeks minimum when you have the blood test taken but on the booking it just says, "Upload recent ultrasound report if available."

@seven201 how did you get on today? Good luck for tomorrow!

Thanks @Janefx40 . I remember that well. One time you cancelled an appointment and let me know so I could try and get it! Such a journey. We started ttc for dc2 at the end of 2017! I tried the ivf threads briefly and found them too depressing (as everyone else seemed to get pregnant first try!) but the era/Alice/Emma ones have been so helpful and supportive. Very lucky to have found such a wonderful bunch of women. Thank you to everyone xxxxx

@thislittlebird I wouldn't do the NIPT blood test too early. I did mine at 10 and a half weeks and it came back with not enough sample to test, so had to go back again and that caused a nearly 2 week delay (as they insisted on testing the second vial taken on the day of the first test, which predictably showed no result). Personally I'd wait until 11 weeks if you can. Sorry, probably not what you want to hear.

@Gardenlady543 I'm glad you had a good scan today. Always nice to see the little one. Hope the consultant goes well tomorrow.

I didn't get anywhere with trying to speak to my consultant. I left a voicemail for my consultant's secretary but short of going down there, I didn't know what else to do. I will mention it in the morning though.

@seven201 sleep well xxx

@thislittlebird yes my NHS combined test came back low risk despite my age. My age did massively up my risk calculation but my other results lowered it enough. It was something like 1 in 800 so higher than if I was 21 but still low.

I did my NIPT test at 10 weeks and also didn't get a result. I did Panorama this time which goes to US so it took 10 days to get told there was no result. The doc then screwed up the re-test by using a kit that was out of date. It took 10 days to get told they wouldn't use the sample! Then the 3rd draw worked but by this time we were at 16 weeks.

With my first pregnancy we did the Harmony at 10 weeks which is tested in the UK and it was quicker and the test worked. I think more Panorama's seem to come back with no result but that is just from chat - I've not researched it or anything.

If you have found one that will use a different scan that's great but most would insist on a scan when you do the bloods because they want to check the pregnancy is ok before they test. And I reckon they would charge the same without the scan anyway.

@Gardenlady543 yeah their website says 10 weeks + gestation

It’s about 250 without the scan vs 400-500 with. Tbh I’m not in a rush, I’m leaning towards waiting to see if the nhs offer me it at 12 weeks and then doing it if they don’t. Interesting to hear about the different tests though and the lack of results.

I’m going to do my 9.5 week scan as planned to check all is ok and then it’s only 2 weeks 2 days until the 12 week and go from there.

Good luck for tomorrow @seven201. what time do you go in?

@thislittlebird that sounds like a sensible plan.

7.15 I need to get there but might be waiting round a while, although as I have the gestational diabetes I should be one of the first.

@seven201 fingers crossed you’re first up! Is it nil by mouth for quite a while before or are you allowed water?

@seven201 Best of luck for today! I hope everything goes smoothly !

@thislittlebird like @Janefx40 mentioned if you have a window to the womb nearby, it’s much more affordable. They don’t spend more than 5-8 mins with you but it still gives you the reassurance you need at a much more affordable price. I used concepto too - had the bloods taken on a Saturday and results on the Monday and they seemed much for affordable than other clinics. Their lab was in London too which sped things up

She's here! 7lb 1oz and we're both doing well. Hoping to be able to go home tomorrow. She looks just like her sister did as a baby.

@seven201 this is absolutely wonderful news - congratulations! So cute she looks like her little sister. I don’t know if you’ve mentioned this but have you picked out a name?

@AM08 thanks. No clue on names yet

@seven201 awww congratulations, I hope you are having some nice cuddles! How are you feeling after the operation? I hope you get to go home today.

@Gardenlady543 thanks! Bit sore when the meds start to wear off but fine again once they kick in. Annoyingly they're saying not to have ibuprofen due to the kidneys. Should be going home this afternoon but as I couldn't wee 6 hours after having the catheter out they had to put one back in, so I get to take one home for a couple of days, then see if I can wee again once it's out again. I'm loving the snuggles but she didn't really sleep overnight as she seemed to have some tummy pain (finally did a poo this morning)!

@seven201 huge congratulations!! I hope you’re able to wee soon and are able to rest and have lots of cuddles 🥰

@seven201 congratulations!!! So pleased for you all. Keep taking the paracetamol - I found that more effective than ibuprofen anyway.

Sending lots of love xxx

Thank you Jane and spin xx

@seven201 congrats! How are you feeling? Are you back home now?

I had my 9.5 week scan btw, it was fine and I was measuring 9+4 which is exactly what I was on Thursday

@thislittlebird ah congratulations. Sorry not to have been more "on it" and asked. How are you feeling? It's terrifying going for that scan isn't it?! Xxx

@Gardenlady543 how are you doing? Has the sickness and nausea slowed down/stopped?

My medichecks came back and my progesterone since stopping is 128 vs > 191 when I was taking one a day. I’m thinking that I should start taking one a day now and retest. Does that sound reasonable?

Hi everyone :)

@seven201 how are you feeling and are you all settled in back home? Have you had the catheter out and passing ok now?

@Janefx40 how are you doing? How old is the little one now?

@thislittlebird this is amazing news! How are you feeling and when do you think your next scan will be?

@Spin101 I'm assuming your level was in the units nmol/L, so your level is 40ng/ml. My level was 93.2 (29ng/ml) after coming off, I tested at around 15.5 weeks. I used the charts on this site naprotechnology.com/progesterone/ there's two but they are pretty similar. I've attached one chart with my levels plotted. I also looked at the normal ranges,

2nd trimester: 25.6 to 89.4 ng/mL or 81.41 to 284.29 nmol/L

3rd trimester: 48 to 150 to 300 or more ng/mL or 152.64 to 477 to 954 or more nmol/L

So my biggest concern was being close to the lower limit in the second trimester. I took 1 x cyclogest 400mg a night and stopped at 28 weeks. It seemed like a very simple thing to do and was worth doing it to not worry.

I retested my level last week and it is now 264 which is 83ng/ml, I feel like while I'm not at the median, I'm pretty close to it and not right at the bottom level any more for 28.5 weeks.

I've had the NCT course this weekend which was pretty exhausting.