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🩷

I will be 37 week on Christmas Day! Just back from my GP check up - all looking good. I’ve really bad back pain the last few days and he reckons I might have pulled something. Recommended exercises and a birthing ball

gosh sorry i haven't been on here in a while and just saw this message, hope you've improved. Reason I had time to read through some messages is because im laid up with the worst cold of my life. My breaths are all wheezy and my chest and throat are soooore and im so knackered! Did you end up getting any antibiotics? I'd love to avoid anything but paracetamol but obvs sometimes more help is needed! My back has been so sore with it too, tbough sounds like yours was preexisting.

quick update from me, couldn't get baby in correct position for combined screening so got NIPT and results all clear! Also I turned 40 at the weekend but being pregnant finally is like wearing an armour where I literally don't care about getting older anymore (it was always just tied to fertility woes) so that was nice! I got to tell my nieces at the party and theyre all so excited. The youngest boy was simply glad he wont be the youngest anymore.

Baby's sex is in the report but i'm not ready to look. assuming this is the only time I get to be pregnant successfully then its nice to live in the unknown for a little longer!

Scans coming out my ears in the coming weeks to keep an eye on the cervix.

Hope everyone is enjoying their festive time! :)

I developed this in my 20s (it was extreme at the time with red firey welts everywhere) but it calmed down over the years and now only shows up with hormonal changes and certain allergens (primarily mould and mildew, periods and as it seems, pregnancy). Antihistimines (when I wasnt pregnant) helped with the hives but make me drowsy and stoned (even non drowsy ones). My absolute best advice is applying cold things to take the heat out of whatever part is itching. its worst on my back and chest, for my back i'd lift my shirt and press my back on a cold bare wall. really helps. I feel for you! I let the midwives know it was flared by pregnancy but they were very familiar with it being a hormonal thing.

Welcome @babycoconut ! My bday was just a couple of days after yours, I hope it was a fun one! I love my december bday :)

and congrats @Applewisp !! I've also waited a very long time to get this far and passing every milestone is just amazing to me. Even though my horrible pregnancy magnified cold is making me feel lousy, im simultaneously joyful that I have a pregnancy to mae my cold so much worse heh. Just so grateful :)

Hey ladies so sorry for being MIA I have felt absolutely rotten and so tired! But feel a bit better being off.
thanks for checking in @pastelheart were plodding along, anatomy scan on the 9th of Jan so really looking forward to that I have resisted booking a private scan and trying to keep distracted.
im sorry to those who have been bobbed down with germs it seems to be absolutely everywhere at the minute, fingers crossed for speedy recovery so you can all enjoy tomorrow!
I’ve not bought much and I’m getting one of those pop up car seat prams off sister in law for the school run so just need to pick a main pram, I like loads of buggy’s but super fussy on full carry cot style prams but I’m very out of date haven’t looked yet! Xxs

@Nosejug Oh no! Sorry to hear it has got you too. Sounds like mine and I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis. I did go to get checked and the GP gave me antibiotics in case it was bacterial but unfortunately they did nothing so it must be viral (90% or so of cases are). Other advice was just lots of rest and hydration. Honey and lemon. Paracetamol fine. I have had the odd Strepsil (been cautious but the basic variety seemed fine to me) and some preg-safe cough syrup. My upper back hurt with it too. If you are feeling wheezy they could give you an inhaler? I am def improving on day 11 today but the cough is lingering on and I am mostly just so fatigued. It sucks but I have found it best to lean into it and go full force with the relaxing on the sofa with silly telly and snacks. Hope you feel better soon ❤️‍🩹

Sorry to hear some of you are feeling rough! Definitely not needed during pregnancy or at Christmas!!

I've had a little more spotting so they are seeing me for a scan this afternoon - logically I know everything is probably OK, but I'm pretty anxious. Just need to try and keep busy. I'm 19+5 today!

@FancyGoosehonestly the cove is soooo pretty! I did like the reef too but it felt a lot heavier, so Cove it shall be!

@dubkittenthats fair, and who can argue with a pregnant lady?!

@Nosejugi hope you are okay 🫶🏼 and congrats on NIPT results too!

@Backtotheicsi glad you are okay and lovely to hear from you 🩷 I hope you are feeling a bit better now.

@CloudyIvy55hope your scan went okay today 🫶🏼

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE. I hope you all have the best time, thank you for all the support you have given in the group, I have 100% found it invaluable 🩷🥰 xoxox

@pastelheart awh merry Xmas to you and your family and everyone else in the group. Hope you all have a good one, it’s definitely good to have like minded people to share it all with 🧡

@AmberRose26i hope you have the best day… and next year we will have our little babies! 🩷🥹 exciting! xxx

@pastelheart awh for sure, I can’t wait until the end of Jan when we will start telling everyone, we’ve still not told anyone yet, currently have the in-laws round just now and I am wearing a big baggy hoodie to try cover my bump as I have definitely bloated out ! I keep putting things in the pouch pocket at the front to make it look like I just have loads of things on my pocket and that’s why it’s so protruding at the front 🫣😅haha !!

Scan all went well! Baby looking good! They also checked me and my cervix...couldn't find any reason for the spotting but I'm very relieved all looks OK.

Merry Christmas everyone - I hope you all have a great day tomorrow!

Merry Christmas gang and thanks to @pastelheart for setting up this group. It has been a huge help and support to me knowing there are other women who get it - not just pregnancy but the harder road some of us have to take to get here and the nuanced way that continues to impact things - and I am wishing all of you the very best for 2026 with all the excitement there is to come! ✨

Merry Christmas everyone 🥰🎅🏼❤️

@CloudyIvy55 I’m glad everything went well with your scan, what a relief for you x

@CloudyIvy55 - so glad to hear the scan went well, must be such a relief and hopefully now you can relax and enjoy Christmas!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! Hope you all have a wonderful day. I am going to make sure I get a pic by the tree so that I can hopefully replicate it next year with a baby in arms 🥰 Thanks for the support everyone and thanks @pastelheart for setting up the thread. 🎅🎄

Great to hear the scan went well @CloudyIvy55
I’m wondering if I may have felt a first flutter this morning… 20 weeks today!
Merry Christmas everyone, wishing you all a wonderful day and yes, just think what life will be like a year from now 😍
congrats on starting maternity leave @dubkittenand Happy 37 weeks.. wishing you all the best for the final stretch!

@MintOwl oh what a magical Xmas present to feel baby for 1st time in Xmas morning ✨ merry Xmas everyone

Merry xmas all

Baby girl did some strong kicking earlier - my partner saw my entire belly move ! I just wish we had caught it on video

@AmberRose26 I hope covering the bump went well! And you had a lovely xmas

@CloudyIvy55 I am so pleased your scan went well, how is the spotting now? How was your Xmas?

@magpie234 you are welcome! I am just glad you ladies joined me as i was worried I would be just chatting g away to myself for 9 months 😂 hope you had a good Xmas!

@babycoconut hope your Xmas was lovely 🩷

@FancyGooseyou are welcome I hope you had a lovely Xmas

@MintOwleeeeek exciting for movement! Hope you had the best Xmas x

@worldwidetravel2017 yay for movement! I hope you had the best Xmas

and everyone, I hope your days were lovely! I got a new charm bracelet with the initials of my partner and son… and baby but I can’t wear babies initial yet as my partner is worried it will cause questions and I will cave and tell everyone LOL xx

I meant… I hope everyone else had lovely Christmas too… but I just stopped typing lol x

Sorry for the late reply, just noticed this for some reason! thanks for replying yes from what I can Google it is the most similar to a progesterone allergy /reaction, I did end up getting an appointment with GP and it was the nurse who saw me, she wasn’t 100% sure what could have caused it but said my skin has flared up with a histamine reaction for some reason to something?! I got antihistamines and hydrocortisone cream 1% which she assured me both were safe in pregnancy but still not keen to take them as even though they say they are safe I just don’t wana take any pharmaceutical if I can help it, I ordered some nettle cream that has natural anti histamines and it seems to have calmed it so far .. so I’ll keep using this and hopefully it clears completely and if not I have the pharma stuff to use if I want. Hope yours is not to itchy at present for you, mine seems worse at night when I get hot under my covers🥴🥵

@pastelheart thank you, yes I managed to cover it from the in-laws .. I think..! 🤔😅 I just kept mentioning how ‘I feel so bloated from eating all the xmas food and cheese’ so hopefully they think I have just got a bit fat from that haha .. I won’t see my mum until end of Jan as she lives far from me but I will tell her by then I’ll be around 18 weeks !! But if it had been my mum down for Xmas this year and not the in laws she would have clocked it right away as she knows me too well 😅

Your bracelet sounds lovely. Hope your day was also nice for you and your family ! 💛

I have my birthday now tomorrow to look forward to .. another year older doesn’t seem so scary now (hopefully) our baby is on the way and I have no more over 40’s egg collections to worry about (fingers crossed) ✨🤞🏽🙏💛

Happy birthday for tomorrow! @AmberRose26

@pastelheartno more spotting over the last couple of days, thanks for asking!

So lovely you've had some strong kicks @worldwidetravel2017

I've been quite achey today, achey groin and a mild belly ache. I really need to get over how my brain jumps to a problem when I feel any kind of sensation or being uncomfortable... not doing myself any favours because I know logically it's normal. Continuing to feel some light random flutters which is lovely. 20 + 1 today!

Yesterday pm we went to maternity triage to get her checked
As she had , had a v quiet afternoon

Once we were in the waiting room - she moved !

Shes already said heya this am

Midwife tues

@AmberRose26😂 good forward planning! My day was lovely thank you ☺️ I hope you had the best birthday! Did you do anything nice?

@CloudyIvy55 I am so glad no more spotting! That’s good news as it can be worrying can’t it

@worldwidetravel2017 ah no! Glad she is all okay though, they like to keep us on our toes!

can anyone remember when braxton hicks started for them? I am pretty sure that’s what I have been having since yesterday evening but it is worrying me a little, my uterus keeps getting tight and it’s really uncomfortable. Not painful just not pleasant as such. Also not regular but just when I move, so sit down, stand up, lie down etc. it just seems a bit early to me (17+3) I have messaged my midwife for reassurance and I do have our appt on Wednesday too so I am not stressing too much yet xx

That may not be BH, it could be round ligament pain or just your tummy stretching to make room for baby. Hopefully the MW gets back to you soon.

I got some bad BH yesterday so spurred me on to finally pack my hospital bag 🙈😂