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 :/

@thislittlebird so pleased for you, congratulations!

Anyone else experiencing acid reflux? It is NOT the one 😂

@KG1244 YES. I get it every evening just before dinner. It's gross! I'm hoping it doesn't get worse but I imagine it will...

@countrypunk it is so nasty. I’ve generally had it after dinner but it randomly turned up this afternoon. Have you taken anything to manage it?

@KG1244 No I haven't yet but I'm thinking a big bottle of Gaviscon might do the trick... if you find anything that works well please let me know!

@countrypunk tried that last night cause I was lying in bed burping 😂 and struggling to get to sleep. The berry flavour is rank so if you do buy it, go for a different flavour. I’m not sure how much it helped to be honest but I did manage to get to sleep so guessing it reduced it a bit.

While I cant say Ive been having reflux, I have been burping non stop since about week 6. Im so fed up of it!
Constantly gassy, with big burps, regardless of what Ive eaten, or when.
I hope it stops soon, but I dont have much hope!

Thanks everyone! Has anyone here forgotten a Cyclogest before? I had a really busy day at work and I remember my alarm going off on my phone during a work call and I had to turn it off. But then I forgot to take it when off the call and only just realised now when I went to take my second one. Was feeling ok and now I’m worried I’ve messed it all up.

@ASGIRC yes I think it’s very common unfortunately. Honestly, nothing sexy about pregnancy 😂

@thislittlebird oh don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Just take it as soon as you can. I asked the clinic about this and they said a few hours out is fine and that’s in the 2WW.

@KG1244 it was supposed to be at about 10am and I forgot all day :/ Finally took it 12 hours later when I was supposed to be taking my second one, with a Lubion this evening too. So nearly a whole day between evening dose last night and today, which has worried me more.

@thislittlebird I have both forgotten and purposefully not taken them, and it was absolutely fine!
At my transfer, my doctor told me to not worry if I forgot a dose of progesterone, as there was no actual scientific evidence it worked. So to take them normally, but to not panic if I didnt.

It is absolutely fine!

@KG1244 so true... LOL

@ASGIRC thanks, I hope so. No changes this morning so hopefully everything is fine. Week 6 has been very symptom free for me, beyond a bit of extra hunger and consistently tender boobs.

@thislittlebird I agree with @ASGIRC please don’t worry. Also I know was panicking at the weekend because I generally felt good and not nauseous, this week has been very green! It really does change daily

@KG1244 the symptoms thing I find odd, in terms of pre-pregnancy I kept reading how symptoms start at 6 weeks, but mine were very busy in weeks 4 and 5 and calm in 6, so far!

@thislittlebird Also, you need to think about the half life of the progesterone. Every medication has a half life, which is the amount of time it takes for 50% of it to be eliminated. In progesterone thats around 16h.
So even after 32h, youd still have about 25% of the last pessarie in your system!

Dont stress about it! And while the clinics make us take them for months on end, after the pregnancy is established, there is very little scientific proof progesterone is useful in any way. It causes no harm, though, which is why we take so much of it!

@ASGIRC I tried to look up the half life last night and the internet wasn’t providing me with an answer, not that I spent too long on this. Useful to know! Mine is naturally low so it’s reassuring to be on it. Looking forward to getting to the point where placenta takes over, fingers crossed.

I’ve spent this morning concocting some lovely girls names, DH will have a shock when we eventually talk about this because I’ve already got a shortlist 🤣. We did discuss how we want to be able to get excited but are scared to just yet.

@thislittlebird Ive forgotten to take my cyclogest pessary a few times- made no difference!

Have any of you had a weird taste in your mouth? I wouldn’t say it’s metallic, just like a weird off taste.

@KG1244 Eugh yes, a very sour taste for me. I can't shift the damn thing no matter what I eat or how many times I brush my teeth.

@TheBirdintheCave yep, done the same. Chewing gum, mouth wash… nothing works! Pleased its not just me 😂

@KG1244 Fortunately that is not a symptom I have had!!
Its bad enough that food doesnt taste right (nothing wrong with it... it just all feels a bit off), so Im glad I dont have a weird taste in my mouth on top of it.

But I hear it is very common

Looking for some positive words of wisdom please ❤️

Last night when I wiped, I noticed it was very pale pink and then this morning, very light brown. It’s gone now but obviously felt quite panicked. I phoned the EPU and the nurse said not to worry and only to phone if it is red and filling a pad. Anyone else been in a similar position? Really appreciate your support, and really don’t want to think about the M word.

What had you been doing yesterday before it happened? Any sex or straining when going to the loo?

I'm surprised the EPU have just dismissed it.

@TheBirdintheCave nothing. The only change is in the past couple of days, I’ve done both my pessaries vaginally. I was doing one in the front and one back so maybe my cervix is a bit aggravated from the change. There is no colour at all when I wipe now and no discharge at all. Not sure what to do.

@KG1244 I had brown spotting from 6.5 to 8 weeks. I then had a small bleed - just blood when I wiped - and further spotting for a week at 12 weeks. All was well.

I can't take my own advice because I panicked, but please try not to worry. Apparently spotting/bleeding is more common with IVF pregnancies. It can be down to so many things: a 'breakthrough' bleed when your period would have been due, the placenta forming/attaching, slight trauma/irritation to cervix, a small haematoma, or something else minor but inexplicable.

Though if you're worried, EPU should scan you. They did me. Can you take comfort from the fact that they don't think it warrants worrying? How many weeks are you now? Any amount of blood is very scary during pregnancy but it's usually nothing sinister.

I had an appointment with a consultant this week (about something else) and I mentioned the tiny bleed. She said it can sometimes be a sign that the placenta is not quite as secure (she didn't use that word but I can't remember what she did say) as it should be, and I've been booked in for extra growth scans at 28 and 36 weeks. But she said she was being extremely cautious and she really didn't think it was anything to worry about.

To put your mind at rest, why don't you call the EPU back and say you're very worried, IVF baby, and you'd really like a scan?

Xx