IVF/FET Pregnancies due Oct 2024

[2mumlife]

Hi, thought I'd start of thread for those of us who have been through fertility treatment and are due in October 2024 :-)

I'm 6 weeks today after FET. This was our first try for a sibling (also a FET pregnancy).

Nausea is kicking my butt this time around. How is everyone else feeling?

How is everyone feeling about their early pregnancy scans?

That's good you got hold of a doctor @LuxeBiscuit but not ideal nobody had come back to tell you. My midwife says I'll be doing my urine test at my next appointment with her at 16w.

@Custard7891 I think my midwife said they check urine at all appointments. it's so strange how antenatal care differs across the country.

@Custard7891 Sounds good with your blood results - they lost one of my blood tests with DD last time too, can’t remember which though. Bit of a pain you need to get more blood taken. I’m nearly done with meds too and can’t wait to be off them 😂

@LuxeBiscuit I got a suspected UTI with my last pregnancy, and also found GP was better to go to to be honest. It’s better to nip it now as they can be problematic to treat sometimes in pregnancy I think

Partner delightfully informed me my abdomen was starting to change shape and feel a bit solid already the other day, so I need to start getting on the moisturiser.

Has anyone started their pelvic exercises yet? I keep meaning to get on it, but find them weird and awkward and I’m still not sure how to do them right 😂😂😂

@LuxeBiscuit yeah at my booking appointment I assumed it would be urine, blood, weight and height, but she only did bloods and took my word for it for weight and height.

@2mumlife I keep forgetting about pelvic exercises 😂Need to have a daily alarm on my fitbit I think as a reminder.

@2mumlife could you do the exercises as part of group class - yoga, Pilates etc? Might feel a bit less awkward lol

I've been doing reformer Pilates for years but haven't been since ET. If all goes well at the 12 week scan I think I'll start back with floor Pilates instead of reformer to help with pelvic stretched.

@Custard7891 I was weighed. You clearly look trustworthy

Hope everyone is doing well. Not long to go until 12 week scans!

@Custard7891 yay to finishing Cyclogest!

@2mumlife i haven’t started yet but really need to!

I’m 13 + 4 today and finally feeling less anxious and settling into it a bit more. I’ve managed to get back to the gym now too, which I think has helped my mindset.

@LuxeBiscuit Hated yoga when I tried it when I was pregnant with DD. Never get any time to go to the gym any more, which I do miss. I’m aware I’m much less fit than I was before/during pregnancy with DD ☹️

@IVF23 Glad you’re feeling less anxious :)

I had my 12 week scan today girls. Everything is fine. Amazing to see too! Hope you are all keeping well xx

@TheYorkshirePudding ahhh congrats!! Glad everything is going well :)

@2mumlife same, I find yoga slow and boring - much prefer Pilates.

I can only imagine how hard it is to find time for yourself with a little one.

Congratulations on all the good news scans. Does this mean you are finally off medication?
I am suppose to take tablets plus cyclogest pessaries until the end of the 12th week… can’t wait to finish them.
I have had extreme bloating since I started them. Anyone else struggled with the bloat from medication and has it improved since you have finished?

@LuxeBiscuit My sister has said Pilates is better too. It’s ready hard work having a toddler and trying to find time for yourself. It wasn’t so bad when I was on mat leave as I didn’t feel so guilty leaving DD with partner and doing something for myself as I was with her all the time, but it’s been different since starting back at work (went back just before 12 months). Mon-Thurs I get DD up, dressed and breakfast and off to nursery, then straight back home to work (wfh). I’ve compressed my full time hours into 4 days as I’m the higher earner, so partner get up before we do to leave for work and does pick up from nursery, then it’s basically dinner and getting ready for bed. Fridays I take off work to spend some quality time with DD and then weekends I want to see my partner as we get no time really during the week as we go off to bed about an hour after DD falls asleep. I’d love to cut my hours at work down more tbh, or get partner to go down to 4 days once this next 1 arrives.

Talking of nurseries, not being funny here, you need to start putting down your names NOW. It’s ridiculous but in so many places there are massive waiting lists. I don’t even live in a city just a town in Scotland and by the time DD was born it was already too late to get into our first choice nursery (we put her name down when she was about 6 weeks old to start when she turned 1yr….)- we’ve stayed on the waiting list there, and had to find a plan B in the meantime. Still no spaces in the nursery we wanted for DD. We’ve already put this one down on waiting list for our first choice nursery with no garauntee for a place in Oct 2025 😮

Congratulations @TheYorkshirePudding 🥰🥰

@Sammyma i stopped at 11 weeks and my bloating has improved a bit but also still struggling with it, think it’s just all the hormones! Hope yours improves once you stop the Cyclogest

@2mumlife it's absolutely insane that you've had to put this baby down on the register already! I heard it's only going to get worse with the recent funding changes.

Thanks for the heads up though :-)

@LuxeBiscuit We don’t even live in a particularly metropolitan area, I didn’t think we’d have a problem, and I guess in some respects we didn’t as the other nurseries we viewed once it became apparent we weren’t getting a place in our preferred one did have spaces. I think it must be absolutely crazy in London and I know Edinburgh is awful for nursery places. It’s just something you don’t think about needing to do before a child is born but actually my experience is you really do just need to put them down as soon as you get that positive pregnancy test 😮

Is anyone doing or has done private genetic test in the first trimester (e.g. harmony)? I wasn't going to do it but at least 10 people asked me if I am doing it so they are getting into my head

@Francesmalin I've been considering it. It's more thorough than the NHS dating scan. But on the other hand the NHS will do a NIPT if your results come back high.

The benefit of doing it privately seems to be getting results around 4 weeks before you would on the NHS.

What are you swaying towards?

Hi all. Great to see positive 12 week scan results commencing! I’ve not been on in a while - got some time off work to recoup after catching every cold, cough etc. going. Was wiped out (not helped by being on steroids!) - crazy busy with work and my 2yr old DD! Have felt constantly sick for the past 4 weeks too but has eased off these last couple of days (I’m now 10w). A lot more brutal this first trimester than previous PG but then I’d be worried without the symptoms - as my DH says and it’s so true!
Been contemplating a private scan before my 12 week on the 12th April after losing ID twin heartbeat at 6.5 weeks to check what’s happening in there but then I wonder if ignorance is bliss and to just wait it out..?

@Francesmalin No, not doing it here and didn’t for DD. I think before doing it you need to be really clear in your own mind about what you want the information for - ie would you decide not to continue with the pregnancy if it came back with a certain result? If so, be very sure you’re ready to make that decision before doing the test I think. We’ll do the nhs screening, but I don’t feel I would be prepared to end the pregnancy regardless of the results tbh.

@Lindyloolou Sorry you’ve been unwell ☹️ I’ve found this PG a lot harder as well so far - I think it’s just the extra exhaustion (or perhaps we’ve forgotten how bad it was 😂). I’ve personally just held out for nhs scan, so not had any scans since my viability scan. NHS 12 week scan is next week for me. I didn’t pay for any private scans last pregnancy and prefer not to get into that cycle / head space of needing loads of scans. There is an interesting radio programme on bbc sounds about pregnancy and it actually talked about scan anxiety versus just trying to check in with your body. Was really interesting actually

@Francesmalin I’ve had the NHS screening at the 12 week scan and they said my results will be here within 1 week. I know it can lead to difficult decisions but that doesn’t worry me; I’d rather know. @LuxeBiscuit what does the private one offer over the NHS NIPT?

@Lindyloolou sorry you’ve been feeling like that! I’ve been exactly the same and off work. I’ve had terrible 2-3 day long migraines at each stage of coming off my meds too. Have you had a 9 week scan with your clinic?

Show is called “child” and I think it was episode 4 about ultrasounds where they talked about it

@TheYorkshirePudding Think it depends what level of testing you pay for as I think there are different packages for Harmony test. If you look it up online there is lots of info. I know you can get the babies sex through it

@2mumlife were you not offered a 9 week scan from your clinic? I thought it was standard before they ‘release’ you xx

@TheYorkshirePudding the NHS screening checks for Downs, Patau and Edward's syndrome but I think the accuracy is in the 80% range. The NIPT looks for the same chromosome abnormalities but the accuracy is in the high 90% range, plus I believe it can identify other abnormalities.

One of the ladies on the other thread had the NIPT and it highlighted Turner Syndrome - something I had never heard of before. Sadly she lost the pregnancy a week later. Heartbreaking.

My understanding is the NHS will do the NIPT if your screening results are concerning.

I had my only clinic scan at 7 weeks so it feels like a lifetime ago!

@TheYorkshirePudding No my viability scan was at 6 and a bit weeks and that was last scan. Its unusual to get more than 1 viability scan from your clinic :)

@LuxeBiscuit My understanding is that the harmony test picks up more than just the 3 the NHS look for too. There are different types of NIPTs and I think the accuracy and things vary slightly. I often think with the screening whatever is going to be will be regardless, so its really about knowing why you want the information and what you want to do with that information. I guess the biggest one really is deciding whether you would want to end of the pregnancy if the test came back suggesting a high risk of any of the disorders, and thats very much a personal call.

From my minimal observations, I do think those who have been through fertility treatment seem more predisposed to pay for a Harmony test. I don't know if its just something about pregnancy having been really medicalised, or being so used to having lots of information, or more wanting reassurance. Its interesting though.