IVF Pregnancy Club- spring/summer 2026

[pastelheart]

Wanted to start a thread for anyone expecting after IVF and due next spring/summer

I am finding it quite daunting after infertility for 4 years and then a round of IVF to now be FINALLY expecting in June 2026, can hopefully chat with anyone else in the same boat

@backtotheicsi🩷

My sleeping has been terrible, I go to bed early as I am so tired (like 9pm) but then just toss and turn mostly till after 1am sometimes later, them am wide awake 4/5am and can’t get back to sleep, 😵‍💫 the bags under my eyes are crazy I have actually aged 10 years I think due to lack of sleep! 🫩 I also get so hot through the night even with my window open .. thinking of changing my winter duvet back to my summer duvet as I am far too hot! If it’s a good sign that the pregnancy is going healthy then I guess I’ll take that and be happy though, feel bad for moaning when it’s all av wanted for nearly 6 years 🙄

Still battling bronchitis over here. Gutted but trying to accept Christmas is not going to be what I hoped (our plans start Sat). Tricky as after one of my toughest years yet I had idealised it as a time I would finally be feeling well (or as much as poss when preg) and be celebrating baby with family and friends. Sure there will still be good moments though.

Hope those struggling with insomnia can catch a break! I think it is OK to be grateful and a bit fed-up at once!

My sleep score on my Oura ring was……. 17 the other day. 17 OUT OF 100. I didn’t even realise it could be such a low score lol i was convinced it was broken

@magpie234 Sorry to hear your still Ill , I do hope it calms down soon for you and you get some relief over Xmas.
@pastelheart 17 .. poor you, I track mine with my watch and I am lucky to get more than 4 hours solid. Ah well better get use to it as once baby is here that will be the sleep gone till they are about 13 ! Lol then you can’t get them up and out their bed 😂

Had my 12 week scan today and baby was tucked in a curled position, took ages to get little one to move into the right position so she could measure 🤭 she’s all good though and still measuring ahead by two days and strong heart beat so that’s really put my mind at ease as was panicking after my symptoms dropping suddenly last week!

Hope everyone else is doing good🧡

I've also been sleeping really bad... although last night was better than some. Definitely sleep deprived as if I sit down for 5 mins, I'm almost instantly asleep.

I've been doing OK, I definitely feel the anxiety rising as I approach any kind of appointment and my 20 week scan is on the 30th so a week a bit away. It was NYE so glad it's come forward a day 😂

I start to over analyse things I know are normal. I've got a small bump which I know is fine for a first pregnancy and not sure I've felt any definite movement yet, which I also know is normal... but try telling my irrational anxiety filled mind that 🤦‍♀️

I have found seen the cutest little cardigan that I'm going to buy when the 20 week scan goes well though... which is very exciting as so far I haven't been able to bring myself to buy anything.

@AmberRose26 yay! Glad your scan went well and baby cooperated eventually 🩷 was it lovely seeing baby again? Xx

@CloudyIvy55not long for your 20 week scan! I had no bump for ages with my first pregnancy so like you say it’s normal 🩷 eeeeek cardigans are soooo cute xx

@CloudyIvy55 thats good they brought it forward a day, means you can relax more on new years night. I have been sneaking a few looks a done things online like a Moses basket and some nursey furniture, but I don’t think we will bough also till after 20 weeks scan. Would be good to get things in the Xmas sale though 😂 but I think we will wait.

@pastelheart yes it was amazing seeing her again, we could see the spine and brain etc and she was moving her arms about and legs were going also .. was so cute and just feel more connected and in love with her now ✨ feel so so so blessed 🧡 do you know what gender your baby is ?

I was thinking of girls names that mean fighter or warrior /survivor or something along those lines just after all the looses we had would kinda fit nice that this little bean was a survivor.

Had anyone ruse been thinking about names yet ??

@AmberRose26 Glad your scan went well! Such a good hurdle to jump. So crazy seeing the spine etc! Love the idea of a name to reflect her tenacity. Matilda means mighty in battle apparently? I love the nickname Tilly. Have picked ours - has been a favourite for ages - but keeping it to ourselves till birth. I keep calling her it at home to test it out though which is fun! Makes it feel so much more real but tbh I still cannot believe it.

@AmberRose26 awwww that’s so cute! Yes we are having a boy 🫶🏼 we have had our boy name picked for 4 years so at least we don’t have to worry about what we are going to call him lol xx

@pastelheart @magpie234 that’s good you both have your names, super exciting! I am adding names to a list so will see what we can both agree on 😂🤭🧡✨

A very tired human over here too, my toddler has taken to waking screaming every half an hour for the majority of the night over the past month. I think it must be a combination of overtiredness and developmental but I am hanging on by a thread 🥲 got my gender scan tomorrow so praying for a slightly better night tomorrow so that I can actually enjoy that

@AmberRose26 yes I am glad we already have the name sorted we have been using it at home but my partner shortened it the other day and we both HATE the shortened name… so his name is not to be shortened by anyone which is probs wishful thinking LOL

@babycoconut yay for gender scan! Make sure you update us! Xx

@pastelheart i will update 😊 xx

Oh i feel you on the shortened names thing- my son’s name can’t be shortened/mispronounced or misspelt. I stumped on other boys names but I have two girls names I like. One falls into the same category as my son’s but the other is three syllables and I really don’t like any of the nicknames which stem from it. I have to say my sons name 8392929292929 times a day so I don’t know if I could cope with a longer name or if people use one of the nicknames 😂

💝💝💝 just got my first positive test after trying for 5 years thanks to DE IVF. Congrats to all of you and good luck to everyone for healthy and successful full term pregnancies! 🍀🍀🍀

Oh I feel your pain. I normally give myself enough herbal sleep aid to tranquillize a horse and now can’t use it! I’m ordering diphenhydramine. I used to use it in the past and it’s supposed to be pregnancy safe.

@Applewisp Huge congrats and welcome to the group. Such amazing Christmas news for you 😊

@babycoconut Excited to hear what sex you are expecting! I find boy names so hard. We had no pref but were quite relieved to be told ours was a girl only as we had nothing we loved on the boy list. So she saved us an admin job 😅

@pastelheart How aggy do you think it would be to do that list up top with our due dates and sexes for those who have found out? I am losing track slightly!

@Applewisp congratulations on your positive ! Fingers crossed for a healthy pregnancy for you also. On the sleep , I managed to get a whole 6 hours last night ! Which is great, 😅 hopefully tonight will be the same .. I am off now for two weeks over Xmas /new year so at lest I can snooze anytime if I need to .. ahh bliss.!

I have started drinking Rooibos tea which is safe in pregnancy and meant to be a relaxant, also helps with iron, magnesium, calcium and aids digestion and it’s a natural herbal tea so hopefully that helps me at nights ! And it tastes really good too. 🧡

Anyone else developed an itchy rash ? At around 5 weeks I started getting itchy arms /legs then it spread to my lower back and upper chest area, I managed to get rid of it with coconut oil applying like 3 times a day. Wasn’t sure what caused it .. been clear of it for a few weeks to a month but it’s came back ? It’s intensely itchy , small tiny wee bump like spots ? So strange ?! Trip to GP if it doesn’t go away I guess 🤔

I was on progesterone pessaries and just came off the last few days so not sure can it be progesterone linked ?!

@babycoconutnames are so difficult, I still love the name we have chosen so I hope my partner doesn’t go off it because of the shortened version 😵‍💫😵‍💫

@Applewisp congratulations and welcome!

@magpie234 are we able to do that? I thought the same thing but I didn’t know if we could do it lol 😂

@AmberRose26 I haven’t had a rash as such… but I am super itchy. I presumed it was because my skin has become more dry when pregnant so I have been slapping on cream and oil which I do thinks helped. When I scratch I then get redness and bumps? Not sure if it’s the same as you have though

@Backtotheicsijust checking in? I hope you are okay
x

Also I was thinking the other day… (this was the first thought in my little brain as I opened my eyes… don’t ask… I’m strange)

that it’s so good that we have ladies at different stages of pregnancy in this group, not just everyone within a few weeks of each other as we can all support each other, yanno when someone goes is this normal?! And then the reply will be from someone who is further along like yep normal I had that!

my last pregnancy was 12 years ago so I don’t remember anything so it’s 100% helped me so much

I just thought it was really really lovely 🥰 🩷

@magpie234 also ‘how aggy’ made me LOL, I love that saying but it got banned in our house because I asked my partner why he was aggy 30 million times a day every day 😂

… and then he banned it even though he said he wasn’t aggy… which I thought was interesting 😂😉

@magpie234 thank you! I got a better sleep last night so feel more human this morning and definitely more excited now.

@pastelheart my mum always says you just tell people “that’s their name” or “it’s not X, it’s Y” and people will follow that. My sister’s name in particular could’ve easily been shortened but never has… aghhh it’s so hard! I think the further along you get, the more you’ll just “know” whether it’s the one or if you’ll go off it.

completely agree re us all being at different stages. My last baby was only a few years ago but I already feel like I’ve forgotten everything! My best friend just had her second a few months ago, we were pregnant the same time the first time around so I’ve been constantly asking her stuff too!

@Applewisp huge congratulations! 🫶🏼🫶🏼❤️

@pastelheart Not sure… I think if you just edited the intro to the thread at the very top and added them in there like you seem to have done for @Backtotheicsi with a pink heart? But think you have to do it as the OP. Keen to see who else has due dates around mine as think I am one of the first but I know nothing 😂

@AmberRose26 Rash sounds annoying! Prob hormonal but I would def get it checked out with the GP to be safe. Think they worry about another rash/itchiness but usually much later in pregnancy.

I am on day 7 in the bronchitis trenches and feel ever so slightly more human today so going to attempt a bit of wrapping. So hope I have turned a corner as was feeling so gutted at the thought of missing out on lots of Christmas fun. It has been such a beacon to me after a hard year! Hope everyone else is feeling well.

Yeh it’s more of an intense itch and after I scratch it’s like my skin is on fire! I don’t get any type of skin condition normally, like eczema etc so it’s very strange, and yes annoying! 🙄 when I google, it’s matched to a histamine response type rash ie from an allergic reaction?! I’ll give it a few more days then head to doc 😏

yes my last pregnancy was also a long time ago .. 23 years ! I had a child when I was 19 , now 43 so yeh it was a long long time ago I had my 1st 😅.. I brought my 1st child up on my own as a single parent as her dad left when I was pregnant, but I am now engaged and with my current partner who doesn’t have kids and would love to be a dad so that’s why I am now on this path again, and I am loving it though I always thought going back to the ‘baby’ stage and starting again wouldn’t be for me but now I love the direction my life has gone in, and I can’t wait to do it all over again!

if you do the due date and weeks along at the top of the chat - I am 12+1 today and having a Girl 🩷✨🤞🏽 (that’s with fingers crossed all progresses as it should 🙏)

I am off to the pharmacy to collect my baby aspirin, I was told at my dating scan the other day to take 150mg once a day as I am higher risk for pre-eclampsia due to age , gap between last child and had multiple miscarriage. Anyone else on baby aspirin?