Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

IVF pregnancies - Spring 2024

997 replies

thislittlebird · 22/09/2023 12:58

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 :/

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Thread gallery
9
thislittlebird · 20/10/2023 18:17

@ASGIRC remind me, did you have regular IVF or ICSI and what grade was your transferred embryo?

OP posts:
countrypunk · 20/10/2023 18:18

@ASGIRC Congratulations! You must be over the moon 🌝💕

I have a very strong feeling we're having a boy, based on zero evidence.

thislittlebird · 20/10/2023 18:18

@countrypunk haha, anything that's making you think that? I suspect a boy because I wanted a girl forever. But I'm ok with both now, just sad I can't use all the names!

OP posts:
ASGIRC · 20/10/2023 18:25

@thislittlebird I adopted an embryo, but I think it was regular IVF, since it was from young donors (not a couple, just 2 random donors matched together).
It was a 3AA, so 60% likely to be girl!

She 100% did NOT want to be seen. She was fast asleep, with legs crossed and back turned. No amount of jiggling would move her. I ate a little candy drop, and she moved positions slightly, but even then, a lot of jiggling was needed for her to uncross the legs

thislittlebird · 20/10/2023 18:34

@ASGIRC interesting, I didn't realise they did donor embryos like that, assumed they were couples. Well, the girl odds fell in your favour!

Haha, I'd be desperate for baby to turn after all the waiting.

OP posts:
TheBirdintheCave · 20/10/2023 18:37

@ASGIRC Aww congrats on your little girl! :)

ASGIRC · 20/10/2023 20:07

@thislittlebird They might have been for a couple who did double donation! But the donors themselves were not part of a couple!

It took a LONG time! But it was worth it!!!

ASGIRC · 20/10/2023 20:08

@TheBirdintheCave @countrypunk Thank you!! I am absolutely over the moon! A girl is what I wanted!

KG1244 · 20/10/2023 20:09

@ASGIRC ahh congratulations! ❤️

CazzyM1983 · 20/10/2023 22:07

@thislittlebird wait. You don’t see the consultant until you’re nearly ready to pop?! I’m shocked by that. I haven’t heard anything from consultant yet but I don’t want to wait that long!

@ASGIRC ahhh congrats on finding out it’s a little miss xxx

IVFAlone · 20/10/2023 22:10

Another day of no symptoms here! 10w 1 day and I’m starting to worry. I had a scan at 9w3 and everything was fine with a strong heartbeat but just worried now that I’m not feeling pregnant anymore.

countrypunk · 20/10/2023 22:22

@thislittlebird My mum always said she thought I'd have a son, and we had a scan on Monday and asked the doctor if she could tell the sex and she said yes. She was very careful to say that she could see if it was a boy OR a girl, but she seemed to see very quickly and it just feels like it would be easier to see a boy over a girl.

So the feeling is not based on anything concrete! I suppose also the embryo was a 4ab and I remember @ASGIRC saying they're slightly more likely to be boys?

Still not sure if we'll find out! Will you?

countrypunk · 20/10/2023 22:26

I don't know if these have already been mentioned, but I recommend Expecting Better by Emily Oster and The Positive Birth Book by Milli Hill. The birth chapters in Milli's book are quite intense but so informative. It's really making me think about birth choices.

Emily's book is very reassuring about all the things pregnant women are told we must avoid!

ASGIRC · 20/10/2023 23:48

@countrypunk Ive not read it, but Ive read a lot about Expecting Better and I really like the concept. Im 100% on board with what she says in her book.
I dont think Ill be drinking any alcohol, but thats mostly because Id want more than a glass here or there, so better to just go without completely!

And while I am avoiding some things, I am still eating others, like ham.

I find the language towards pregnant women to be so patronising and infantilizing, and it really pisses me off, so having Expecting Better out there is a really good thing, even if some people veehemently disagree with it.

countrypunk · 21/10/2023 09:12

@ASGIRC Agreed! I haven't drunk any booze either but it's my 40th birthday early next year and I will definitely be having a guilt free glass of champagne!

I haven't read the whole book yet but the chapters about caffeine and alcohol are so interesting.

ASGIRC · 21/10/2023 13:13

@countrypunk I am debating whether to have a glass at Christmas, NYE and my bday, in January.
If I do, I will feel no guilt! But I might not, as I might then get thirsty for wine LOL

thislittlebird · 21/10/2023 13:33

@ASGIRC my friend had a couple of glasses of Prosecco in her pregnancy, no harm done. I have no strong desire to right now, maybe one at Christmas? Dunno tbh. I don’t like to torture myself after the event which is likely to happen with me.

Thanks for the book recs @countrypunk. when I hopefully get beyond 12 weeks I’ll look into some of this stuff.

I might try one of the 0% alcohol sparkling wines I have in the fridge later, if I’m feeling ok. Will report my findings!

Speaking of avoiding things, my ham and salami have been in the freezer a sufficient amount of time now, I can probably release them!

@CazzyM1983 they must have referred you to a consultant based on age too, right? They said 36 weeks appointment is to assess the 36 week scan, offer induction and see when baby needs to be delivered. They told me to ask about birth options at the 16 week scan, so maybe you get to see one after that? Dunno really.

@countrypunkwhat week scan was this? I take it you said you didn’t want to know? Did you do ivf or icsi? Grade 4s are fairly 50/50 I think, mine was a 4AA icsi and icsi favours girls slightly. I always said I wanted to find out but now I’m faced with the choice I’m less certain. I quite like having all the names in play, I will do a fairly neutral nursery either way…we can decide nearer to 16 weeks, I suppose, I’m 9 weeks tomorrow.

my friend always said she envisioned me with a girl. My mum had only girls, that could be why. But since then my nephews and nieces have been pretty evenly spread.

OP posts:
countrypunk · 21/10/2023 13:54

@thislittlebird @ASGIRC I didn't miss alcohol at all until a couple of weeks ago, and I've since tried some alcohol free gins - really good!

@thislittlebird it was 17 weeks. I'm having some extra checks because I had a LLETZ 10 years ago, so they're keeping a close eye on my cervix. I've also got extra growth scans at 28 and 36 weeks because I had a small bleed at 12 weeks. It's lovely getting to see the baby a bit more.

We had ICSI. My partner wants to know but I'm really not sure! I'm worried I'll feel a bit sad either way, whereas if I wait till birth I don't think I will at all.

Can I ask why you're consultant led and they're talking about induction at 36 weeks? Sorry if you've already said. I asked my midwife about induction because I read they don't like IVF pregnancies to go beyond 40 weeks, but she said they're happy for you to go on now as long as you feel OK and no signs of distress from the baby.

Lots of girls in our family too! But I don't think that influences my pregnancy because the sperm decides the sex?

ASGIRC · 21/10/2023 14:07

@countrypunk I miss the sponteneaty of "lets go grab some beers!". Because most places dont carry AF free and even when they do... its not really the same!

But I have my fridge stocked with AF beer. I tried one AF wine and wasnt a fan at all. It was too sweet for my taste.

@thislittlebird Thats it. Ill see how I feel around the holidays and decide then whether to have a glass or not!

CazzyM1983 · 21/10/2023 15:05

@thislittlebird i haven’t got a scan now til 20wk 6days! I’m gona get a private one tho cos I don’t like leaving it all that time

TheBirdintheCave · 21/10/2023 15:15

Scan today was all good :) Measuring three days ahead now.

thislittlebird · 21/10/2023 15:49

@CazzyM1983 sorry, I meant 16 week midwife appointment!

@countrypunk alcohol free gin and alcohol free beer i've found to be very good, but the jury is out on the wines for me. I've tried a couple and like @ASGIRC I find them too sweet. Two more in my house to try yet before I give up!

@countrypunk I'm pretty sure the midwife said to me that I'd get extra cervix checks, I'm just not really sure what it all entails.

I get that. I think my partner might like a surprise? As much as I would, I also like to be prepared/don't like so suspect I won't be able to resist. I might be sad at either stage, but right now I know I'll feel a bit sad to give up on some names so early on.

I know older dads (35+) are more likely to have daughters. My mum had two daughters in her mid 20s with her first husband and then one daughter with my dad at 36, he was in his 50s at the time! This article says two thirds of parents over 40 have girls!

They wouldn't want me to go over because I'm 40 and they rated me at moderate risk, so I have to be offered induction at 36 weeks. Tbh, if I was younger and not IVF I might go the natural, wait to 40 weeks labour route, but I don't think I could forgive myself if I made that choice and something went wrong so I'm leaning towards requesting an elective so that I don't face induction and then also an emergency section.

@TheBirdintheCave glad to hear it went well, which scan was it?

OP posts:
TheBirdintheCave · 21/10/2023 16:01

@thislittlebird A 10 week one so I could have the NIPT blood test. It was so nice to see the wee one wiggling away 🥰

thislittlebird · 21/10/2023 16:18

@TheBirdintheCave oh nice, are you 10 weeks exactly? Is the NIPT private? I know they’ll offer me something like it at 12 weeks because the midwife said as much but I do wonder whether it’s worth doing early or not.

OP posts:
ASGIRC · 21/10/2023 16:24

@TheBirdintheCave Amazing news!!! And 3 days ahead is great!!