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 I'm also short and also seem to keep the same size dress for ages, regardless of weight.
When I got up to 76kg in lockdown (aboit 12st) I was still wearing my (albeit a bit tight) size 12 jeans.

I'm now down to 65kg (about 10st) and my size 12s still fit nicely (a bit roomier!) and I manage some 10s,depending on the model.

Have you looked into button expanders? That's what I'm gonna do until I 100% cannot fot into my clothes. Maternity wear depresses me! It all looks dark and gloomy!

I'm glad the workout was nice! Seems like a good way to keep active!
I walk to work every day, so that's my daily dose of exercise 🤣🤣

@KG1244 honestly amazed I haven't been, when did your sickness start?

@ASGIRC yeah I'm convinced it's a short person thing. I got up to 69kg and my trousers were a bit tight and I looked bigger, but dress size the same, albeit tighter. I got down to about 58kg before my transfer and now I've put on some again, I'm about 60kg.

Hadn't thought of those, I'll look them up. It hadn't occurred to me that I'd need maternity wear this side of Christmas, but I guess I might.

@thislittlebird i think it was around 7 weeks. It does seem like a lot of people just get nausea and no sickness. Definitely varies!

@thislittlebird Also, I used a hairband to give me some extra waist room by looping it through the button hole and then over the button! Not sure I’ve explained that clearly but it’s a good hack.
You mustn’t say you don’t have much life left when you’re only 40🤣🤣 (This is what 4 years of being made to feel geriatric has done!!!!)

@KG1244 I didn’t realise that progesterone caused bloating, if so then that’s def happened to me! Just 2 more weeks on it 🙏

@Misty84 oh 100%. It is definitely a thing. I was so bloated by it before I had even had the embryo transfer.

Hello ladies, do you mind if I join? I'm 9 weeks tomorrow with my third ivf pregnancy - first one miscarriage, second one twins, now singleton. But, I'm a nervous wreck this time around. My betas were initially looking really low, but increased enough to get us to a first scan (at 6+4), where we saw a good heartbeat but measuring about 3 days behind. My clinic were really pleased with that, but the sonographer was somewhat gloomy in a 'it could go either way' kind of way. My next scan is next week (probably Tuesday). I'm so convinced it's all going to go pear shaped (and have terrible experience of a d&c last time, which isn't helping). And I suspect it doesn't help that my only experience of successful pregnancy is twins, when I was so unwell I had no worries! I'm definitely nauseous this time, and with food aversions, but quite different to last time. We're also in the middle of moving house, and stressful job, so feeling like it's all a bit much. So would appreciate a handhold until next scan.

@ASGIRC I was 34 when I had him. 37 now.

Wow I feel like I have so much to catch up on this thread today 😂🙈

@ASGIRC that’s exciting you have you gender scan next week!!! I’m assuming you’re going to find out?

@thislittlebird that sounds lovely that you got to go to your workout class. My local pregnancy yoga group says you have to be at least 14 weeks so I still have two weeks to wait

@thislittlebird and @KG1244 yea I’ve mainly just had nausea, I’ve only been actually sick a handful of times. It was more in the very early days around 5 weeks ish that I was throwing up so thought it would be worse but then it stopped for a bit and has just seemed to start up again this week. I really freaked out about 7 weeks when I seemed to have no symptoms but all the scans I’ve had so far seemed to be okay 🤞🤞🤞

@KG1244 and @Misty84 yea the progesterone made me soooo bloated. I’m off it now and have gone right back down. I was trying to take regular pictures to track my body throughout the pregnancy but I’m now half the size I was a month ago 😂😂😂

@beam23 welcome and congrats! I wouldn’t worry about the sizing, my 7 week scan they said I was measuring three days behind then I had a scan last week with my fertility clinic and they put me a week ahead! It can apparently just be the position they’re in making it hard to measure

@Doughnut89 Thanks for the reassurance! This time around everything has felt like a bit of a rollercoaster - I only realise know what smooth sailing we had last time!

@thislittlebird I was also never actually sick last time, but was consistently nauseous until about 16 weeks. So by the time the nausea stopped, the heartburn kicked in! This time it comes and goes - but definite food aversions.

@Doughnut89 of course!!! I cant wait!!!

Progesterone didnt make me bloated, but it gave me a lot of trapped wind. And burping. OMG the burping!!!!! I have stopped the pessaries 3 weeks ago now, but Im still burping constantly... I guess my body is producing a ton of progesterone LOL

@Misty84 I also use the hairband hack on some trousers that dont quite fit, but that I refuse to get rid of!!

Hi all! Happy Saturday xxx

having another day of no symptoms at 9w2d so back to panicking. How are you all?xxx

@IVFAlone Very tired today. I keep having to go to bed early. Feel like my nausea's lightened up a bit today too which has me on edge 🙄🤦🏻‍♀️

@TheBirdintheCave ah at least you have the tiredness to keep you reassured! I’d kill for any symptom atm but also feel like I should be enjoying the downtime xx

@IVFAlone I’m worried too, I also have barely any symptoms but I just have to assume it’s ok until I know if it is or isn’t at 9.5 weeks. I’m 8 weeks today.

I’m slightly freaking out because I ate a slice of salami and piece of soft cheese at a birthday party last night. At the time I thought oh it’ll be fine, and now I’ve got myself worked up the next day. In future I think I’ll only eat salami at home that I’ve frozen (as per nhs instructions) and defrosted. I know the odds are very slim of getting listeria but I can’t help worrying after how hard it’s been to get this far.

@ASGIRC @Misty84 i used to use the hairband trick as a kid lol

I’ve done half my life or more already, I suppose. It’s a miserable thought but not untrue, need to try to make the most of the rest of it!

@ASGIRC progesterone doesn’t bloat me, it seems to do nothing to me tbh. I don’t get symptoms on my period either so I assume I’m not very sensitive to progesterone. My levels aren’t super high, but even when they were I had no symptoms from it.

@beam23 welcome aboard! I’m not even nauseous now, I won’t pretend I’m not a little concerned but I know how these symptoms can come and go.

@Doughnut89 I didn’t go to a class, I did a YouTube video at home. I’m more likely to do it if I don’t have to make time to go out somewhere. My 7 week scan was also behind, hoping it won’t be next time.

Sorry, it’s toxoplasmosis, not listeria that the salami could have, now I’m worried all over again.

@thislittlebird Burping was really my only symptom from the progesterone. I have always been gassy, it got a bit worse with the progesterone, and I also became a bit more constipated (which I guess is also to do with not drinking alcohol, which never really agreed with my intestines😂).

I also dont really get many symptoms in my periods. I was on the pill for 10000 years, but stopped a couple of months before my transfer, and I had literally zero symptoms for those 2 cycles. Not even mild cramps!

I know I am always saying symptoms dont mean anything, because they dont. But it has now been 3 weeks since my last scan and I keep having intrusive thoughts of "what if something has gone wrong and I dont know?"
I have my gender scan on Friday, and am really excited about it, but also slightly terrified I will get there and the baby wont be ok.

I know it is unlikely, as Im in my second trimester, and my last scan was at 12+6, but it is still a bit tricky to not think the worst, when you read of someones loss, particularly late term ones.

Chances of toxo as just as low!
Think about it this way... In your 40 years of life, you have never been in contact with it, despite taking no precautions!
And that salami was probably store bought, and those things go through rigorous foos hygyene procedures. It is very very VERY unlikely that you may get it, even if you eat it every day!

@ASGIRC I am having exactly the same thoughts as you about my gender scan. I’ve got it booked at 16 weeks, which will be a whole month since my last scan. We’re building it up into a massive deal in our heads, really looking forward to it. But it’s really hard not knowing whether everything is definitely alright in there, and the thought of getting to that scan and it not being so is horrific!
But like with everything else we all talk about…worries, lack of symptoms, missed a pessary, eaten something that might not be good- there’s bugger all we can do!🤦‍♀️

@thislittlebird Are we not supposed to eat salami? I had a salami and mozzarella panino yesterday 😅

@Misty84 You are 100% right! And thats what I keep telling myself.

And then the thoughts go away, until they come back at a later time.

Im sure it will all be fine, though.

I guess because i also have no bump (and I dont want it, i like being able to wear my own clothes, and going into winter I have zero elasticated waist trousers, and maternity wear, in general, is too "sad" for me, with its muted and dark colours...), I have no way of "checking" growth!

All I can go on is that I feel mostly fine, theres no bleeding, no pain (apart from gas) and nothing that would make me question whether things are going well. So i just pat my flabby belly and tell the baby that Ill see them soon, and then theyll have a proper name!

Hi Ladies! I have been lurking for a while, Can I join? I’m 9 weeks from a frozen transfer, this is my 2nd IVF pregnancy (DD is 3). I’m 44.
I’m signed off work with hypremesis and have lost 7kg so far, oh the joys! We used a clinic abroad and a private consultant in the UK. Had my viability scan last week and was great to see the little one wiggling round!

@PollywithaP Welcome and congrats :)

@ASGIRC I've not even had burping really, I guess I should be relieved! Yeah, same, no mild cramps even for me when I have a period. My only symptom is migraine, which I'm glad to see the back of for a while.

I'm having the same thoughts, I guess we all are. I'm very worried I'll have had a mmc in 1.5 weeks at my next scan. I desperately want to get to the second trimester so that the risk reduces.

You're right, I've never had it in 40 years as far as I know. I have no idea if it was store bought, I hope it was. But it's so hard not to worry. Between the soft cheese listeria, salami toxo and covid last night feels like an error lol. It was also a very boring birthday party and I'll be avoiding group socials until beyond 12 weeks. We also had to take injections with us and forgot one, so did the blood thinner early and the Lubion late...I look forward to the part where I don't have to worry about taking these everywhere with us.

@TheBirdintheCave cooked salami is fine, and salami that's been frozen for 4 days and then defrosted. I'll be freezing a few packs so I can have it without worrying, because it's one of my go to snacks.

@PollywithaP welcome to the thread!

I wonder if I should add June to the thread in case there's any newer folk that want to join? Not sure if I've seen another IVF pregnancy thread floating around.

@beam23 that’s so interesting that you found have twins easier. I would have assumed that would have been harder. Hopefully you’ll have smooth sailing here on out 😊

@thislittlebird that’s a great shout on doing the workout at home. I might try that instead. I’m sure a tiny bit of salami will be fine. As @ASGIRC said, supermarkets have to go through so many hygiene checks that it’s pretty likely to be safe.
i had an awkward moment in a work lunch the other day where we were having tapas and I had to be like, “I can’t eat the chorizo”, and it be and a bit of a thing and of course no one at work knows yet 🙈🙈🙈

@thislittlebird you’re so lucky you didn’t have many symptoms on the pessaries. I’m not sure what I would have preferred the bloating or the burping @ASGIRC 😂

@Misty84 when is your gender scan booked in for?

@IVFAlone and @thislittlebird I went through a phase of having no symptoms and honestly freaked out so much, I know how scary it is. But definitely make the most of it. My sickness came back the last few days and has not been fun at all 😩 @IVFAlone when is your next scan booked for?

@PollywithaP welcome and congrats on seeing the baby move 😊 sorry about the hypremesis