IVF pregnancies - Spring 2024 (thread 2)

[thislittlebird]

New thread! Do tag everyone I've missed, I'm off out to see the new Hunger Games so can add more later but need to dash! @CazzyM1983 @KG1244 @countrypunk @Misty84 @ASGIRC @TheBirdintheCave @Summerishere83

@KG1244 thank you - her full name is Nora Daisy. My contractions started at 13:20 on the Monday - went into the birth centre at 22:00 on the Tuesday and she was delivered in theatre the Wednesday at 20:57. It was lovely until it hit 18:00 on the Wednesday and it all went wrong! Ended up staying in Hospital until the Saturday so it was quite the slog… but I’d do it ten times over.

@WholeZebra oh bless you! That is rough. Were the staff supportive? I’m starting to feel a bit apprehensive about the birth as it’s either induction or c section which has been recommended by the consultant.

@WholeZebra Congratulations on your new little one!!

@KG1244 Ive also been told they won’t let me go beyond 40 weeks. However that seems to mean before 41 weeks I’ll be inducted or book for c-section… so could be 40 weeks and 5 days it happens.

I’ve also been told 25% of inductions in England end up with a C-section.

My baby is currently breech at 35 weeks so might be having a planned C-section.

@WholeZebra congrats on birth of baby Nora! It does sound like a slog but nice to hear you’re home now.

I’m seriously dreading hospital in any shape or form.

@KG1244 have you got an appointment to discuss your options?

@CollsR @KG1244 I’ve been told various things and I think my trust has relaxed ivf and geriatric mum rules a bit. I assume because it’s in London and lots of babies are ivf or older mums, they probably don’t want to fund all the extra scans like others here get. initially I was told I wouldn’t be allowed on the midwife led unit, would have to be on labour ward and was booked in for early May to talk about induction. I still have that consultant appointment booked so can chat to him then about c section worries etc. it seems my c section will be either a few days before 40 weeks or a few days after so maybe it’s 41 like @CollsR said.

The senior midwife I saw about the c section gave me a useful RCOG info leaflet, screenshot attached. I was quite surprised by how many first time mothers need intervention but it probably is about right based on the people I know who have been induced for their first.

Oh and I’m also quite pleased now that I’ve gone the c section route because at the day assessment unit last week they said my resting heart rate was very high so now I have to mention that to a doctor. My understanding is the more controlled option will put less pressure on my heart than natural labour so maybe that’s a good thing. Neither is great, of course 🫠

@WholeZebra Congrats on your baby!!! Mine is also called Daisy, but in Portuguese. Margarida. Im sorry it took so long and that it didnt go smoothly, but now you have your baby and you are home, so everything will be fine!!!

Ugh the peeing thing is soooo annoying! Im two weeks PP tomorrow, and its still just as bad! Though Im glad I can pee... I couldnt pee on my own for over 12h after they took the cath out, and had to have my bladder emptied with another cath, at some point, but this is pretty anoying. It seems it can last up to a month!!!!

@KG1244 all of the staff were amazing and made a traumatic birth a really positive experience.

@ASGIRC how beautiful! Daisy is a family name for my OH. The peeing thing is a nightmare! My catheter came out the next morning but I peed quite quickly after and had no problem since. I’m finding I’m having a problem with urgency now. When I have to go - I really have to go! But hoping it resolves quickly.

@CollsR Still breech here too at 34+2 🙄🤦🏻‍♀️ Turn, baby, turn!

@WholeZebra really pleased to hear the staff were supportive ❤️

@TheBirdintheCave have you tried the movements recommended on spinning babies?

Urgh today is heavy pregnant day! Suddenly my bump feels super heavy. Any tips? Fortunately my lower back doesn’t hurt so that’s something!

@TheBirdintheCave if it makes you feel better - mine was breech until 38 weeks and then turned with the help of spinning babies!

@WholeZebra I remember you saying! I really hope that happens with this one too 🤞🏻

What exercises am I supposed to do for breech babies from the Spinning Babies website? 🤔 Everything on there I can see about breech is a course that you have to pay for.

@TheBirdintheCave its basically this - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s-szODdpg8A&pp=ygULQnJlZWNoIHlvZ2E%3D

Ugh, I’m really annoyed. GP has been trying to contact the maternal medicine specialist in our trust for weeks and weeks on my behalf about my genetic high cholesterol but they didn’t reply. Then I saw her today and she said they’d finally replied and the specialist said I should have had 28, 32, 36 week scans and I might need to start aspirin. So I guess I’ll mention this to my midwife tomorrow but too late now, I’m already 32 weeks 😔

@KG1244 Oh wow! I'll give that a go. Hope it's actually physically possible 😂

@thislittlebird That's rubbish service. I'm sorry. I'm on aspirin due to being overweight. It's low dose aspirin to thin the blood a little - I'm taking two 75mg tablets once a day. You could have a google and my just start it yourself. I'm also on blood thinning injetions since 28 weeks. Definitely talk to your midwife about it your genetic condition, get it in your baby notes and even call yourself to your antenatal care to see what they say.

@CollsR how early did they start you on iI? They’ve now moved my consultant appointment forward to 26/4 which is fine, still late imo, but very frustrating that I’ve missed out on two scans. I’m already worried about things going wrong.

@thislittlebird I'm on 150 of Aspirin every day and have been since 12 weeks. I have to stop it at 36 weeks though apparently as it can cause more bleeding during birth.

35+0 today! 😱

@thislittlebird I’m on the same as @CollsR 150mg since 12 weeks because ‘it helps the blood flow to the placenta and can cut the risk of pre eclampsia’ according to the midwife. Also stopping at 36 weeks, and i’m 2 days behind @CollsR at 34w5 days today.
I had to go to the Dr about the hives today as they are so itchy I could not sleep last night. Dr said take antihistamines and prescribed hydrocortisone for the itch. Unfortunatley I have so many now they are joining up all over my body and they are huge (some are 8 inches across). I will have to do my work meetings from home until they clear as they are in my hair, and all over my face and i’m itching away like a cat with fleas! Roll on 30th April which is my last day, then leave booked before the baby arrives 😬

@thislittlebird I started 150mg aspirin at 12 weeks just like @PollywithaP . I was also told to stop at 36 weeks by nurse but antenatal clinic doctor today said to keep going if I want until 24hrs before my induction (not booked yet)

I’ll see what they say when I go in, I guess. I’m annoyed that I told them I had xyz issues at the start and they just glossed over it all, didn’t care, when they should have checked.

@PollywithaP that’s not fun. I have an outbreak of papular eczema, probably because my immune system is low and I’m stressed about it. It’s an aggressive form of eczema that I had between 2019 and 2021 and my life was hell then, I was covered head to toe, couldn’t sleep for itching, and it didn’t respond to the usual treatment. Doctor has put me on antibiotics and given me eumovate ointment, but I know that it needs to be battered with strong steroids, oral steroids, anti inflammatories, potentially multiple antibiotics etc but I can’t really go as hard as I need to on it because pregnant. I’m hoping it’ll get back under control but speaking from experience it doesn’t seem likely, so I’ll have to put up with it until the baby is here and I can attack it. It breaks out in intensely itchy, small bumps that spread if I scratch, it’s very hard to treat.

I’m fed up of feeling sick too. I didn’t have nausea very much until the last few weeks. Now I have low level nausea a lot of the time, I assume everything is squished in there.

I’m 36 weeks 2 days today (Mon 8th April). Had a scan that was good.

Baby is no longer breech & is head down. All tests are normal. So my birth plan is induction in 39th or 40th week if he doesn’t come naturally before that. Will have a scan at 39w2d & then will be booked for an induction within a few days or week.

Im a bit scared now that’s locked in as a plan. I was thinking that a planned C-section might be needed. My preference is to try avoid surgery (personal reasons- I’ve had a lot of surgery in the past). It’s still a scary prospect to try vaginal childbirth. 30% chance I still end up with a c-section.

Amazing to be at this point.

@CollsR Oh that's brilliant that baby has flipped! 😬

Urgh feel like there has been a mental shift now i’m starting to get freaked out about childbirth. I think the problem is that my consultant has given me a recommended choice of induction or c section and it’s the stress of making a choice. It all feels very real. I also don’t know what decision to make and I’m scared I’m gonna make the wrong one - e.g. nightmare long induction and rushed for an emergency c section or a horrendous recovery from a ELCS and struggling to breastfeed and care for my baby.