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 Sorry you're feeling tired, rundown and anxious, although this is to be expected. An increased heart rate is normal / a good sign! Your body is starting to produce and pump lots of extra blood. I've had a difficult first trimester with pregnancy symptoms and anxiety, but I've reached the point now where I've accepted that anxiety is inevitable, it's a marathon not a race, and I can only take one day at a time and navigate as best I can from scan to scan, trying not to overanalyse everything. It's hard. Infertility/IVF/loss is hard, then pregnancy against that background just gets harder! But I'm 11 weeks this weekend and therefore almost the furthest I've got. You have my every sympathy for these anxious early days - hang in there and hopefully you get a plan and scan date soon x

Thanks @Faithhopelove83 my heart rate was 110 for a lot of today so I found that worrying :(

The blood test never came back, really frustratingly I ordered result only, no doctor comments and spoke to them numerous time as they had applied it, they told me they took it off. Called at 3pm to double check they'd taken it off and they hadn't. So the result never came through, I'm pretty symptomatic so that should hopefully be a good sign. New symptom today of hypersalivation which is very common according to the internet.

@Gardenlady543 is hypersalivation an official pregnancy thing? I've been wondering because honestly I feel like I've spent the past 7-8 months trying not to spit at people when I talk to them!!! And I don't even want to discuss my pillow at night. Pregnancy is a beautiful time but also pretty gross 😂

Sorry you didn't get your results. They work weekends tho I think? So hopefully tomorrow x

Oh yes @Janefx40 it's called ptyalism gravidarum and some people need to carry something to spit in around with them!! They told me there is a chance the results will come through tomorrow and I did randomly get results through at 7pm on New Year's Day, so who knows. But usually if I haven't got it by the end of Friday it will be released Monday.

@Faithhopelove83 Im a bit lost for words with your post, I don’t know why but it’s hits me a bit emotionally to just think about this journey we’re all on and all of the anxiety - it’s so very painful but I’m so pleased for you to be 11 weeks, this is going to be it for you and it’s going to work out 💪

@Gardenlady543 annoying about your test result not be being back but super about your symptoms, so funny how random pregnancy symptoms are, DH tried to snog me earlier and I wretched at him.

I’m still besides myself at what’s happened, I’m just worrying that because my HCG was so high in both my betas that I might be further ahead pregnancy wise then my days suggested and organs might have been forming when I took that pill (they start at 6 weeks typically and I took it at 5 weeks 4 days). I just had a huge cry to DH that we have just overcome ivf and now we’re going to have to wait till the 18 weeks to start feeling some normality. I’m going to ask the hospital to provide me with counselling now until the 18 week mark- it’s the least they should do.

@AM08 I'm so sorry you've got this worry :( I think asking for counselling will be helpful. I do really think this will all be absolutely fine, but I understand why you're anxious ❤️

I have got myself really worked up, I went to bed early as I was so tired and I’ve been wide awake since 3am, I convinced myself that my symptoms have gone and got anxious as I have done no urine tests since 9dp5dt and because that blood result didn't come back I only know anything objective from 8dp5dt. I decided to do a test (I'm 12dp5dt and the OTD is tomorrow). It's a dye stealer, so I'm happy with that :) still stressed and anxious though!

@AM08 firstly I would say that it is totally natural to be beside yourself with worry at this stage. I honestly don't know how I got through it twice. It was all consuming for me 100% of the time. If I stopped worrying about one element, I started with another. Scans helped a little but then I would pour over them analysing each measurement. If you didn't have this worry, there might well be another. I'm not saying that to minimise what happened to you at all. Just to say that the anxiety is totally normal whatever the circumstances.

In terms of what happened to you, it is also normal not to let go of it. I was furious with the clinic to an extreme level where even talking about it made me shout for at least 2 years. Now I can talk about it with a quieter, simmering kind of anger. My Mum (lovely but mothers can be annoying right) used to sometimes say "well they did give you your DD" which used to make me so angry because I'd say "no they nearly killed my DD and it was only because I sat there reading academic research that she's alive".

I wouldn't recommend holding on to it if you can help it if you can't let go then that's natural and in your case it is still very recent

@Gardenlady543 this is so exciting, a dye stealer, this is really happening!!! What’s your next steps - a scan around 6 weeks? So pleased for you.

I just can’t imagine getting to 4 and a half months pregnant to see if everything will be ok. My nausea has doubled over the last day or 2 also, very much feeling like by the end of the week I’m going to be very much in morning sickness mode.

@Gardenlady543 I think you have your answer there! What a perfect test! Hope you get your results today xxx

@Gardenlady543 I tested until 25dpo and I didn't get to dye stealer stage. Really good test!! I still keep smiling when I think about your pregnancies!

@AM08 I'm so sorry you're going through this. Sorry about the nausea but hopefully that gives a little symptom reassurance.

@Janefx40 did you say you were going in for monitoring today? Tuesday is SO close now!!!

@seven201 yes I am there now waiting to be seen. No real concern but I'd rather be checked than not just in case.

How are you doing?

My
8dp5dt was 92
10dp5dt has come back at 152

This is a doubling time of 2.8 days, is that too slow?

It's a 65.2% increase over 48 hours

Sorry 94.1 --> 152
So doubling time 69.4 hours
Percentage increase in 48 hours of 61.5%

@Janefx40 I think it's really nice you're able to have that extra reassurance. All go ok?

@Gardenlady543 yes, I know doubling every 48 hours is often mentioned but what I've read says 72 hours is fine too. X

@Gardenlady543 yes 72 hours is fine too. it's not a precise science either. 94 was quite high for 8dp. Not super high but high. 152 is a normal result for 10dp. If that had been your first result, we'd be thrilled. This is the problem with having too much information! It can be worrying but just remember you had a dye stealer today so all looking good x

@Gardenlady543 i think it sounds good, not that I am the biggest fan of my clinic right now but my doctor did tell me not to come in for any more betas as women really stress themselves out expecting a doubling every 48 hours and sometimes it just doesn’t happen like that and it is no indication that something is wrong xx you have a dye stealer and your betas look good!

Thanks for the reassurance everyone, I didn't do a urine test yesterday, but did a couple this morning as today is past my official test day and I need to call my clinic and Dr Gorgy to make arrangements.

It looks like it's still going up, but then I thought I had a big increase after 8dp5dt and my second beta only showed the small increase. By now I'd need to have a beta of around 600 to have caught up.

How's everyone doing? I'm sleeping terribly, really lightly, waking up all night which must be hormones as this isn't me at all.

@Gardenlady543 those lines look great! Your hcg level just needs to keep going up at its own pace. I was at ARGC for a while who test daily/every 2 days for a couple of weeks and I'm still on the FB pages. The number of women who panic because their hcg doesn't quite fit the pattern but then are totally fine is huge! Will have everything crossed for you.

Is your surrogate doing any more tests?

To everyone - I wanted to check you are ok with me sharing tomorrow when I have my section? I'm aware that most of you are still at an early stage with your pregnancies and I don't want to trigger you.

I won't put loads of info on but if you want to see a little more, you can check me out on this other thread

Due April/May after loss - thread 2 🌈🌈 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/4721358-due-aprilmay-after-loss-thread-2

Oh wow @Janefx40 you must be so excited!!! Wow how exciting!!

Our surrogates repeat beta from Saturday just came through, it is 3258, which is a 110% 48h increase / 45 hour doubling time. So that looks spot on.

I just did my positive past official test day admin, I'm going to speak with Dr Gorgy tomorrow and need to wait for nurses to call me about the next steps from my clinic.

It's all systems go for me today, I got a bit confused with the dating, the nurse said they do the scan 6 weeks from conception/8 weeks gestation. So I'm booked in on 6th June and having another intralipids next week.

Oh also, the nurse said not to worry about the beta as when she worked in the early pregnancy unit they would consider slow as like a 20% increase rather than 60%.

@AM08 Thank you ❤. I hope you're right and this is it. It's been nearly 7 years now, 3 MCs, and I turn 40 soon, so I really need things to change. Sorry my post made you emotional. @Janefx40 is right that there is always something to worry about. As my fertility nurse said to me (I thought it was insensitive to begin with, but she's probably right), it's good preparation for parenthood - we worry throughout infertility/IVF/loss, we worry throughout pregnancy, and then we'll worry about our babies and won't stop worrying about them. How are you doing now? Is your scan on Wednesday?

@Gardenlady543 Great to see your hpt lines and betas are progressing, and you have a scan date! I had really bad insomnia in early pregnancy but it did eventually go, I can't remember when, but I think it was mostly between 4 and 8 weeks. So hang in there, it will pass.

@Janefx40 Been thinking of you lots ahead of your big day tomorrow. I'd love to know how it goes. Wishing you all the very best with everything and the safe arrival of your little one 💙x

@seven201 How are you doing? Hope you're ok x

I'm doing ok, been feeling lots better - less nausea, more energy, more myself. But there again, the symptoms were at least reassuring. I'm still eating loads (I've already put on 2kg) and quite breathless (due to progesterone levels). It's an anxious time trying to get beyond our 11-12 week milestone and beginning to stop/reduce meds. Our 12+1 week scan is a week today and it will be at the hospital where we lost our baby 2 years ago (and I stayed there after I subsequently haemmoraged and was taken there by ambulance), so we're dreading going back there as it's so full of traumatic painful memories that still feel so raw, but it will be good if we can face it / overcome it and come out with good news. I had a fall yesterday and injured my knee and leg - just hope baby is ok.

@Janefx40 I'd absolutely love the full update version tomorrow! Can't wait. How are you feeling about it?

@Gardenlady543 good strong lines there. I'm glad you're getting booked in with your clinics. Good numbers for your surrogate too. It's all happening for you right now! My sleep goes through good phases and bad - it's really frustrating not sleeping well!

@Faithhopelove83 I'm glad your scan isn't far off. Sorry it's at the same hospital where you've had past trauma. Nice your dh can be there to support you (and you him) through it. I think now is the time for the symptoms to start tailing off. I wouldn't worry about the fall, the foetus is well cushioned in there. Hope your knee is ok.

Not much news from me. I'm getting fatter by the second! I've got dr edge scan and intralipids this Friday then prof Akolekar 16 week scan next Thursday.