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 :/

@CazzyM1983 That's reassuring. Also now if I do get it I will defo phone my midwife!

Your work really shouldn't be putting you in situations like that. Have they done a pregnancy risk assessment for you?

@CazzyM1983 Ahh I'm sorry you have to do injections :( I hope this is a wake up call to your work.

@CazzyM1983 im sorry, not what you need. Like we don’t have enough shit to deal with with ivf. Echo what others have said, your work should definitely do a pregnancy risk assessment or maybe speak to your GP and raise your concerns with them and see what they suggest?

Got signal for a few minutes, just dropping by to say the scan went well! Measuring 9w4d which is exactly what I am. Relieved it’s done!

@thislittlebird Yay! That's brilliant :)

My NIPT came back low risk so good news all round!

@thislittlebird Woohoo! So pleased for you. Hope you're feeling good 🙂

@TheBirdintheCave Also excellent news! Amazing!

Yay! Excellent news for the two birds in the group! @thislittlebird @TheBirdintheCave

@thislittlebird So pleased for you, that is excellent news 👍

@TheBirdintheCave great news!

They said my placenta is currently quite low lying so that’s something to watch.

It’s a bit weird tbh. I’ve spent years feeling like this won’t work and now it is working it’s sort of hard to get my head around, and what that means. If I’m honest, I had probably failed so many times (6 embryos before this one) that I’d assumed this wouldn’t work and started to accept I’d be childless. So it’s a weird headspace.

Congrats @TheBirdintheCave and @thislittlebird!
Think the weird headspace of disbelief is to be expected when there’s been such a long journey and so much failure.
I’m 4 months today and still constantly pinching myself. Hard to comprehend that this 4-year nightmare might just have an end in sight!! 🙏🙏

@Misty84 4 months, it must feel good to hit that milestone. Yeah, it's very weird. I said to dh today that I can't get myself prepped for what's potentially to come yet because we still have all these hurdles to get over. Really I want to start a process of trying to understand what taking care of a baby means, because I have no clue. I'm not around any, I live a very adult life where all my friend's kids are older and I barely see any kids. So it's like the nightmare might end, but new challenges will start and I'd like to feel more ready sometime soon.

I had a bad headache yesterday (again) and went to bed at about 9pm. Still feel a bit rough today.

@thislittlebird @TheBirdintheCave glad to hear your scans and tests were all good!!

@countrypunk my work tried giving me the generic risk assessment. Which I complained about because it didn’t have tasks I do for my job on. Then noone would take responsibility for it. Then they did one and I agreed to some things I wasn’t over the moon about. Tried it in practice and it’s not happening. My team leader is expecting things which I am just flatly not willing to do. I tried being reasonable and working with them but when you see there is no thought gone into anything when I get given something to do, it’s stressing me out having to fight things all the time. And as for telling me to take someone out for a hike that’s been violent with workers in the last month, I don’t think so!!! Why would anyone think that’s a good idea? They live in a really rural area and I’m already not happy about the distance I’m expected to drive. It’s a shambles. Been writting a big list today and will think about possible solutions and contact HR on Monday. But they have been involved this far so I’m struggling to feel confident they will be bothered what I think. Husband told me to just go off sick because of the stress. Difficult to know what to do because if I don’t work then my mental health suffers. I like working.

@CazzyM1983 God that is a shambles. Defo speak to HR and make sure they know that you like your job, you want to be in work, but it's their responsibility to ensure you're safe and they're falling short on that. That's a really difficult situation for you.

@CazzyM1983 You could also join your union if you're not in it and they should support you.

@CazzyM1983 Sorry, another thought! You could take someone who is supportive of you to your meeting with HR. Even if they just take notes.

@thislittlebird It does feel good however I think having miscarried before, that fear doesn’t go away, even though I’m over 6 weeks further on than I was last time. I just don’t trust anything!!!

Talking of being prepared, a mum friend asked me if I’d started reading pregnancy books yet. Erm…no! I know nothing!

Having a hard day today. Woke up with a pain last night right where the baby is. It hasn't come back but my nausea has basically cleared up this morning and I've had no more fishy wriggles today so I'm pretty sure it must have died overnight :(

@TheBirdintheCave Sending love. I don't think any of that means your baby has died. But I get the worry. Have you called your midwife?

I had a panic on Wednesday because I thought movement had stopped and couldn't stop crying. I booked a private scan and babe was absolutely fine.

Xx

@countrypunk I have since thrown up (lol) and felt a bit of wiggling so hopefully everything is ok! It's all so terrifying isn't it.

I haven't even met my midwife yet, my booking in appointment isn't until Monday 🙄

I'm sorry you had a panic day too.

@TheBirdintheCave At this point in the pregnancy, loss of symptoms would NOT be an indicator of misscarriage. As your hCG levels would still be pretty high.
Symptoms come and go constantly. They mean nothing.
Pains are also really common and normal.
Im sure your baby is absolutely fine.
Congrats on your NIPT!

@thislittlebird yay for a good scan!!!

On Wednesday I tried my doppler again and this time I found her heartbeat!!! At 17 weeks! Had been trying since about 10 weeks or so, and could only hear the placenta, which beats at my own heart rate. No real idea on what has changed, but maybe the placenta has shifted sideways a bit, as it isnt directly under my belly button anymore, but my baby is!

I could also hear a LOTTTTTT of movement! Seems shes only sleeping when I have actual ultrasounds!

@ASGIRC Oh that's so exciting that you found her heartbeat and such a lovely thing to hear! :)

@TheBirdintheCave Oh that's good. (Kind of 😆)

I've found as time's gone on it's got more terrifying and more exciting. So the good days are really lovely!

@TheBirdintheCave sorry you have had a scary day x glad the wiggling is still there.

@countrypunk yikes I’d be the same if I couldn’t feel movement anymore! I had my spell of crying uncontrollably yesterday cos of my covid situation.

its all so hard isn’t it. I’ve currently got some weird pains/sensations going on but I think I know it’s wind but in my head I’m like, but is it?

@ASGIRC that’s so cool! Would you say it’s worth getting a doppler?

@CazzyM1983 Theyre pretty cheap, but you have to have the right mentality to have them. You might not be able to pick up the heartbeat, depending on position on the baby (though as the weeks progress, it becomes easier)

Ive been trying to pick it up for almost 2 months and it was only a couple of days ago that I managed.
Also, while it can be reassuring, just hearing the heartbeat and movement, you shouldnt rely on it to tell you all is well if other things seem wrong.

If you think you can deal with all that, then Id say, absolutely, go for it!

@ASGIRC So lovely for you to hear her heartbeat yourself. That must have been amazing. I don't think I'll get a doppler because of everything you say - I'm prone to panic 😬

@CazzyM1983 how many weeks are you now? I've only started to feel a bit of movement over the past week or so. I think it's movement anyway, it's kind of hard to say!