IVF pregnancies - Spring 2024

[thislittlebird]

Anyone here in a similar position? I'm feeling a bit of an odd one out on forums now where I don't feel pregnant pregnant and I don't feel infertile infertile, and thought I'd see if others were in the same, tentative situation. I don't feel like I'm ready to join the main May 2024 gang until I'm more confident this will continue.

I'm only 4 weeks 5 days :/

Hey. Due early May next year, with our first baby after our first round of IVF.

How did you find the whole IVF process?

For me, It was better than I was expecting (I was completely knocked out for egg collection!) and so far I haven’t had any pregnancy symptoms either (although had a scan earlier this week and everything is looking good).

@Dipintheroad that’s nice that it worked fast! Ugh, so this might be long lol. It’s been very complicated and quite long, hence I’m quite anxious. We started ttc in 2019 when I was 36, started IVF when I was 38 in early 2022 and I’m now 40.

I found the process ok tbh. Injections not as bad as expected, egg collection ok etc. physically not too bad. For us the difficult part was first of all having to navigate the nhs system telling us there’s nothing wrong with us (there were issues for both of us) and us having to fight very hard to get the funding we were owed. And then after that, it was the failure.

So we did 3 rounds in total. 1 NHS, 2 private. 3 embryo transfers failed in the NHS round, one was a chemical. The second round was a complete waste of time, DH had had a fever and infection so all we got was 2 morulas, the sperm was screwed. Obviously they failed. Only after our second round did we really get to the bottom of the MFI problem, which was DH has antisperm antibodies which are rare and render his sperm immotile/dead, so all the trying for 2 years was entirely pointless. And yet even a few months ago specialists are asking us if we’re having enough sex and blaming it on my age because he has a normal count. 🫠

Then we regrouped, put more work into testing him, did a third EC this year (March) and we got 5 embryos but this time we PGT-A tested 3/5, 1/3 came back euploid. Transferred a 5AA fresh untested in March/April and I had some weird immune reaction, but it failed. Then added prednisolone and extra progesterone to this transfer and somehow it has worked. My best guess is it’s the chromosomally normal embryo we transferred that’s got us this far. Obviously being late 30s when I started means we could have been putting back abnormal embryos each time. So it’s lucky number 7 for us right now!

Oh and I have had symptoms since 2dp5dt which is a bit of a pain in the arse lol. Same as when I was briefly pregnant on the chemical cycle, insane hunger all the time and weird stuff like a sore throat and heart palpitations (from 7dp5dt) most days. It worried me at first but apparently it’s quite common.

Hey, please can I join? Feeling very similar to you @thislittlebird. I got my BFP earlier this month after my second round of FET and had a successful 7 week scan today so starting to feel more confident ❤️

I think the whole ivf process completely knocked my confidence that I’m not quite ready to be in a main group quite yet.

Tagging @doughnut89 in case you want to join ❤️

Tagging @Summerishere83 in case you want to join ❤️

i will shut up now 😂

Hi everyone, I feel exactly like this @thislittlebird! Currently 7 weeks pregnant after a fresh embryo transfer. I didn't find the IVF as taxing as the constant trying and failing to get pregnant. Egg collection freaked me out though, I don't remember any of it lol. And the TWW was killer. Also on my scan this week I am measuring a couple of days behind the dates....hope that's not a bad sign 😶
P.s. congratulations everyone!

@KG1244 thanks for adding me and really pleased to hear your scan today was positive 😊

I feel in the same position as most of you, not quite ready to join a main pregnancy group yet (even though my due date is end of April rather than May 🙊 - I’m nine weeks tomorrow).

@halsi on my seven week scan I was initially a couple of days behind too but the nurse told me it could just be the position of the foetus and she remeasured and then was correct.

@thislittlebird im so sorry for all you’ve been through, that sounds like such an ordeal. I’m 33 and I must admit I’m grateful I at least found out about my fertility issues last year as I feel like I still slightly have time on my side (hopefully). I can’t imagine how hard these past four years must have been for you. I’m praying and keeping everything crossed for you that this one’s a sticky baby xx

Welcome welcome to all! @KG1244 It's nice to have people in the same situation tbh. Glad the scan went well, it must be a relief. Mine is October 5th, terrified I won't get there, my confidence is through the floor.

@Halsi the trying and failing is soul destroying. Tbh, the end was sort of in sight for us. We'd discussed doing 2 more retrievals and testing embryos, but that would have been our absolute limit (and will be if this doesn't go to plan) I'm glad I didn't remember the EC! I recovered well each time. Hopefully the scan wasn't an issue, fingers crossed!

@Doughnut89 I've asked MN to add April in, don't want to exclude any recent IVF graduates! Thank you, it's been a terrible, long road tbh. I am very twitchy about it all, it feels a bit like some sort of PTSD. I was on a thread when I got my first BFP and then left promptly after when it ended, so I'm really hoping this goes well. Especially because of my age now. What issues did you have? For us it was the MFI mentioned about, and it was (I think?) low progesterone for me, and possibly an excitable immune system.

I had two beta HCG tests this week, 11dpt = 667 and 13dpt = 2281, the internet tells me this is good so I'm trying to be reassured by it.

I’d love to join this thread if that’s okay - I’m a little ahead. I’m 14 weeks and due at the end of the March.

@WholeZebra welcome! It must be nice to get to the 12+ plus phase, are you feeling less stressed?

Very tentatively joining, I'm 4+5 atm. One successful cycle resulting in my daughter, one failed transfer, one miscarriage at 5weeks on the dot and now this one. Already feel like it is failing because my awful nausea and sore boobs from the early days have gone almost completely.

@MaybeBabyTwo Welcome! I'm the same as you then at 4+5, so I can relate to that. My chemical started at 4 weeks ish before and properly kicked in at 5 weeks, so it feels like such a slog to get past those early obstacles. Did your clinic do any beta tests for you?

They do but I can't really see the point as last time I had two absolutely beautiful results 48hrs apart and then miscarried less than 24hrs later so I just don't think I'll bother this time. It ultimately won't change the outcome. My clearblue digital said 2-3 this morning so I might do another one next week to see some progression if I don't obviously miscarry before. My test progression has been good but now I'm at that dye stealer stage they seem to be wavering a bit each day as to how strong they are which worries me.

@thislittlebird it was reassuring having the nhs scan - but it’s so strange now because you don’t have the clinic etc following you up so you feel very much alone. I’m definitely still a little concerned and often worry but trying to stay positive!

@MaybeBabyTwo Well, the tests look quite good, hopefully it's just a day or so of low key symptoms. Fingers crossed for you, Sunday feels a long way away. I haven't tested at all since the first day. Did the two betas and decided to just wait it out.

Thanks @thislittlebird
It turns out I was born with what’s called a complete septate uterus so I had a large septum running down the middle which would have made implantation impossible. I had to have an operation at the beginning of this year to remove it. Then I also have an oestrogen dominance and issues with my lining so I’m currently taking 1200mg of progesterone a day.

Yea those hcg levels sound good to me. Congrats 😊

@Doughnut89 I have a complete septum too, haven't had it removed, carried my daughter to 32 weeks. Infertile because my tubes are dead because of it though.

@MaybeBabyTwo thats amazing that you still managed to carry your daughter to 32 weeks!
I was told that even if a baby did implant, it could lead to further complications, higher risk of miscarriage, possible preterm birth and would generally put me in the high risk pregnancy category so was advised to have it removed. That’s good to hear that there are success story’s for other women who have it though x

Thank you for adding me @KG1244 , lovely to hear about your positive scan today ❤️

Great idea for this group @thislittlebird I really don't feel like joining the main one for the same reasons.

I am pretty cautious still, my scan with the IVF clinic is at 6+6 next week and I dread it. All because I had an early scan at 5+5 the past Monday at the EPU and we got good news and bad news. Good news is we saw 2 gestational sacs 😅 (we transferred 2 embryos:))) bad news is yolk sac in only one of them and something like two lines at opposite ends in the other. No fetal poles in either. Gestational sacs are 10mm and 9mm which would make it 5+3 and 5+2, so measuring behind a bit.

So yeah, not ready to celebrate yet, I feel like I'll be moaning and grumpy the whole time if I were to post anything...

But always hopeful of course:) just very much aware that on Tuesday we will know for sure and I'm dreading this moment.

Very positive stories here though despite everyone's own setbacks so it's good to have this group.

All the best ❤️

@Summerishere83 yeah, it's hard isn't it? I didn't even get excited when we got this positive, it was very matter of fact because the last time we got a positive it ended soon after, so the short-lived excitement was pointless for us. It was just a first box ticked.

Two! Oh wow, you're brave. Is 83 an indication you're the same age as me or am I guessing incorrectly? I think cautious makes sense, is it a little early for fetal poles? How came you ended up at the EPU? When I went there for my 1st BFP test after I started bleeding at about 5 weeks they didn't find anything. Good luck for Tuesday, fingers crossed it will be fine!

I looked at the other thread and had the same worries about would I be too down, anxious, fretting compared to everyone who hasn't struggled to get here.

Hi, I'd like to join please, I've been extremely fortunate to conceive aged 37 on my first round of IVF with a fresh transfer. I'm now 11 weeks pregnant, due on 12th April.

I've been suffering quite badly with hyperemesis and I've also got mild OHSS which has caused some ovarian pain. One more week to go of the progesterone pessaries and I'm interested to see if any of my symptoms settle after that.

Kind of? I've had IVF. First FET ended in a chemical and we never got to our second as we've had a natural surprise in between. Now 6+2 but suffer from recurrent miscarriage so the anxiety is real.

Hi @thislittlebird
Yeah we've had two early losses before too but I haven't been this far yet, I'm 6+3 today 🤞

That's right, I turned 40 last July and the transfer was in August so although they advised against transferring two, they couldn't say no. Hoping at least one will make it 🙂

I've been having cramps since the start but also some bad pains, at some point mostly in my left flank side so they wanted to check for ectopic, luckily it isn't. They said the pains must be the uterus stretching and perhaps my fibroids, one is like 3cm.

Fingers crossed we'll all be fine ❤️