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🩷

@pastelheart yes thanks birthday was lovely, just a nice quiet relaxing day and then went out for dinner in the evening. I hope everything will be ok at your appointment on Wednesday, am sure as others have said it will just be stretching /growing of the uterus.

@dubkitten oh waw how many weeks are you now ? That’s super exciting getting your bag all packed!

anyone else find from the 12 weeks scan to the next such a long wait, I had my 12 weeks scan 18th dec at 11+6 , I am now 13+3 , I know it was just nearly two weeks ago we had the scan but I don’t get another scan until I am 20 weeks which seems ages to wait, I do have a midwife appointment when I will be 16+6 , still 3 and a half weeks away 😵‍💫.. which is a routine check up appointment, does anyone know do they listen in with the Doppler at all ? What kinda checks do they do at that point ? We are thinking we might book a private scan for around when I will be 15 weeks as just nervous and want to check everything is still continuing as it should 😵‍💫

I will be 38 weeks on Thursday.

I agree in the wait between scans, I had one at 7 weeks, 12 weeks, 21 weeks and a growth scan at 32 weeks. I am based in Ireland so it may be different but my care alternates between my GP and the maternity hospital - every appointment with the maternity hospital they give me a mini scan (picture isn’t as clear as on the proper scans) so I get to see bay and hear the heart beat. When the appointment is with the GP they always use the Doppler to make sure everything is ok.

Back in the hospital on Wednesday for my 38 week check up (as clinic is closed Thursday) so hopefully they may give me an indication as to whether they will let me go over the 40 weeks or induce me (due to my age, I’m 42). I would rather not be induced but will follow their lead as don’t want to take any risks

@AmberRose26 I know what you mean re the wait between scans...my 20 week scan is 7th Feb which feels ages away! Especially as can't really feel anything yet. Private scans a good idea to reassure.
@dubkitten Wow, so close now! Are they using the IVF accurate due date or their own calculations? With my son, the hospital calculated due date was a week earlier than my correct IVF due date. So they said I was overdue when I actually wasn't. Think they should use the IVF dd really.

So, I told my son on boxing day. I waited till all the family had gone. He was so shocked and so happy! He said he was more than happy and has been adorable . It's just been us for 8 yrs so a big change. He keeps saying he can't believe it!
He then wanted to tell his nan (my mil) over the phone as it was late. So he called and said he was going to be a brother and I could hear she was dumbfounded.. then he passed her to me and she said, "How could you put this on us now?"...I was quite taken aback. Just an odd interaction. I put it down to shock and her age -84. Then she asked how did we manage it...and that she didn't know what to say. I said perhaps she could just be pleased for us and that we'd catch up another time. Probably wasn't best to announce over the phone. DH mentioned it when he saw her next and she denied even saying it. It was so different when I was pregnant with my son 9 yrs ago. Hey ho. We're happy and that's the main thing!

Yes they are using the same date as the IVF clinic and when I went for my 12 week scan the baby was measuring to that date too, at my growth scan he/she was measuring 4 days ahead but they didn’t make any adjustments to the due date.

That’s a weird reaction from your MIL, maybe she was just tired if it was late and didn’t mean anything especially if she can’t remember saying it.

So cute about your little boy being excited, my 12 year old goddaughter lives with me and she is dying for the baby to come, she will be a right little mammy

@dubkitten tummy is feeling better today, but was sore all day yesterday! Got my midwife appt tomorrow so will deffo raise it (and raise that I tried to contact her and had no reply, so how do I actually get in contact with her when needed 😂🙄) wow I can’t believe you are 38 weeks… will you be having our first baby in the group?!

@Sara237what a strange reaction from your MIL! Is she always like that? And to deny it too… weird

@AmberRose26 glad you had a good birthday! It’s my 16 week midwife appt, but delayed at I am almost 18 weeks now. I honestly can’t remember what they do at 16 weeks appt but can report back tomorrow!

baby boy has measured ahead at each scan but we have stuck with our IVF date too

I promised myself I would go overboard with baby clothes this time as I remember feeling overwhelmed with clothes with my son but I have somehow already managed to completely stock up on first size (I don’t know if baby will fit in this as I think he will be big) and up to one month (we do need 28 baby grows don’t we?) and made a dent in 1-3 months too 🙃🙃 I sent a text to everyone yesterday like no more first size or up to 1 month please and thank you.

going to order our pram in the next couple of weeks too. And have a appt at mamas and papas in a couple of weeks and I want to sort bouncers, cribs etc etc. have started a list on my phone of everything we need too so feeling more organised now. ALMOST HALF WAY can’t believe it! xx

Yea I think I’m furthest along so I’ll be the first, have an appointment tomorrow so hopefully I get a plan then. I’m due 15th Jan and my goddaughter will be away from 9th-12th so ideally want bubs to come after that as she would be devastated if she wasn’t here when it came.

@pastelheart I started getting braxton hicks around the same time as you. I get a few a day. Sometimes i get 10 in an hour. I've had cervical checks and all is fine. My doc says some uteruses just get irritated more easily especially as I've got a fibroid. I would just get your cervix checked to make sure it's long and closed.

@AmberRose26 my midwife used the doppler at my 16 week appointment. I think it might depend on where you are based though as I had read that they might not or that you might have to ask. Mine offered though but warned me not to panic if it took a little while as baby is still quite small - but thankfully she found it quickly. I am in W. Sussex if that helps!

@pastelheart I thought I had been fairly restrained so far but I did realise the other day I had 30 baby grows in first size/one month - oops! I have only bought a few bundles off vinted but it all adds up! We found an amazing deal on the pram we want too so ordered that today which feels quite terrifying - I can't get over the tempting fate feeling even though my rational brain knows that is silly! But it is an exciting step too.

@dubkitten your due date is so soon now - how are you feeling?! So excited for the first arrival of the group! Who is next then do we think - might be you @worldwidetravel2017 ?!

I worked out earlier that when I go back to work next week, I only have 8 weeks left before I am due to finish for mat leave (with a bit of annual leave too) which feels soooo close!!

@FancyGoose Ooh which pram have you gone for? Had a John Lewis appt today and we liked the Silver Cross Cove so are prob going to plump for that. Does feel scary though! Bought a few clothes which was fun - the first thing we have bought and I am 22 weeks.

I’m good thanks, getting more uncomfortable and my back is sore but on the home stretch.

productive day today cleaning my room, hanging the rest of the baby clothes and putting stuff together.

@magpie234 first purcharse is exciting - such a milestone! I think we bought our first little outfit at about the same point. The cove seems really popular and is beautiful. We went for the uppababy vista v3 - I don't think it looks as nice but just really liked the way it steered and some of the features - including the bloody massive basket 🤣

@dubkitten how exciting! Is that a highchair with a newborn insert? Is the make siesta? I have my eye out for one as we have two german shepherds so need to be able to keep baby pretty elevated but not keen on the cost of tripp trapp or similar!

@FancyGoose Tried and really liked that one too! Have got quite a few steps up to our house so if I remember rightly the reason we decided against it is because there is no carry handle once folded. That might have been a diff one though. Have got some friends who rave about their UV3 so I reckon you made a good choice.

20 week scan done and all looking good! ❤️

Anyone else still can't believe they are actually pregnant sometimes!? After the years and all it took to get here, I still say 'I can't believe it' to my partner and he's like.. "Well you should! Your halfway through!" 😂

First baby so we've got nothing... although I made my first purchase after the scan today. An impractical but irresistibly cute cardigan. Buying stuff and even looking at baby items has been a bit of sticking point for me so think this was a nice first buy. I've started researching prams, car seats etc and it's all quite overwhelming when you've no idea what your doing.

@CloudyIvy55 Fantastic! Such a relief to get that one out of the way - and a cute cardi sounds like the perfect celebratory first purchase. I also got a couple of cute ones from JL today 😊. Good for spring layering!

Tomorrow I have this rogue obstetrics consultant appt at the hospital I know nothing about but assume is just an automatic protocol check-up on account of ours being an ivf pregnancy 🤷‍♀️. Is smack bang in the middle of the afternoon so a bit of a pain tbh… but I know I should be grateful of any support and thankful things have been going smoothly so far.

@dubkitten how exciting! I hope your appt goes okay tomorrow! I have my first face to face midwife appt tomorrow 🙂

@SamVan awww thank you for replying! It just felt very early for braxton hicks but I know that’s what they were so I was worrying. I haven’t had any today but my tummy feels very sore. I am going to speak to my midwife about it tomorrow… who still hasn’t responded to my initial message about it yesterday 🤨 how are you?

@FancyGoose baby grows are sooooo cute though. I love them! Wow mat leave isn’t very far away! Mine is about 5 months away lol.. I am going to try and get a promotion before I start though as I have been acting up for the past two months so really want that role. Going to have a convo with my manager in the new year about it

@magpie234we love the Cove too! What colour do you like?

@CloudyIvy55 glad your scan went well! And exciting buying your first baby thing. I also still don’t believe it. I have been making a reel since we started ivf and I have finished it today, ready to post tomorrow to see the year out and honestly it’s been the best year 🩷 xx

Yea it’s the babylo siesta, I wanted one suitable from birth as we spend a lot of time in the kitchen and didn’t want the baby down on the floor in a chair

@pastelheart I mean… all of them?! I love champagne but for practicality will probably go for pewter which I also really like. How about you?

Sorry meant to say I got it in Smyths Toy Superstores (I think they have them in UK too)

Hi everyone , that sounds super exciting buying all the baby clothes and prams etc, after my 20 weeks scan I think I will start buying then. And I guess you can never have too many baby grows .. 🤭.. thanks for replying with regards to the midwife appointment /scans etc, we booked a private scan for end of next week when I will be 15 weeks .. just can’t wait until 20 weeks to know things are still progressing .. and as someone mentioned they might not use to Doppler at my 16 weeks appointment (which is nearer 17 weeks) so 15 weeks is in the middle from now until my midwife check up so makes sense to do a scan then 😅

Do you all have nice plans for new year at all? We are just staying in and having a really quiet one, if I can stay up for the bells and not fall asleep before, a nap will defo be needed to stay up, Haha 🫣🎊 I have been napping around 4ish for the last few days now for an hour or so, really struggling to keep my eyes open at that time for some reason.

Hehe @AmberRose26 my plans are pretty much accepting I will get sleepy at 8 and struggle to be awake till 10 never mind midnight! I’ve only just started sleeping through the night again since first getting pregnant so I’m reluctant to be woken up to say happy new year! I’m lucky/unlucky to be getting fortnightly checks from 16 weeks to monitor my cervix, a double edged sword if ever there was one! But will be nice to see alls well (to my untrained eye).

aw @CloudyIvy55 lovely to hear your 20 week scan was a good one :) I’m also googling some “pregnant after infertility” discussions to try make sense of my feelings, apparently things become less abstract when the baby can be felt moving. I have a rounder tummy (14 weeks) but am half putting that down to extra fat haha. It’s nice/dangerous not feeling sickened by chocolate anymore! I’ve always avoided looking at baby things, and am softly letting myself browse baby sections but I’m still early so maybe will wait till 20 weeks for a purchase too! I’ll probably want to cuddle it.

Eventful morning, came for my appointment at 8.30 and still here 😫
Protein in my urine and high blood pressure so was sent for bloods and repeat urine which was then sent to the lab. Then had to go to Emergency for BP monitoring and a trace on baby. BP was fine, first trace ended up picking up my heart rate so needed to get restarted. Then on the second one - near the end the baby started having a party and heart rate went high so had to stay on it longer.
Just waiting now for the lab results and to speak to the doctors

@pastelheart I hope you hear back from your midwife soon. I've found that the NHS does not typically check cervical lengths and whether the cervix is closed. I do not know why this is the case personally as my doctor who is an MFM specialist does and I think it is prudent to do so. I would push them to check it if you're still worried! Just tell them you're feeling a lot of pressure below or something which should prompt an escalation. Hope you are doing well aside from the BH! Dehydration and exhaustion seems to make mine worse and electrolyte powder seems to help with reducing it.

I'm doing well! 25 weeks today and just started shopping. I had my john lewis appointment this week and we are going for the Joolz aer2 set as it's super lightweight (6.5kg) and fits in the overhead cabin which is helpful as we will be travelling with baby at 2 months. I love the silvercross cove as it's so pretty but it's too heavy for our purposes unfortunately.

So BP and urine was fine but bloods showed reduced kidney function (which could be the start of BP problems) so back on Friday for repeat tests. See how they go and then they will make a plan - doc said aim is to get me to 39/40 weeks

@dubkitten Sounds like a long and stressful morning. Glad you have been monitored carefully and really hope all goes OK.

@SamVan That pram looks good. I am torn as we are in a town surrounded by countryside so I do want the option of not just being able to push it along pavements. But equally I am pretty feeble and have some steps up to our house to manage so lightweight is appealing. Going on a plane at 4 months and not sure what we are going to do about that… def not up for taking the Cove if we do go for that one as it would have to go into the hold and no doubt get bashed up. Fear we may end up getting two.

Happy New Year everyone!! Wishing you all a wonderful 2026 😊

@dubkittensorry to hear about the stressful morning, hope the appt goes well on Friday and all the best for the next two weeks. So nice to see your baby room/pram pics.

@CloudyIvy55wonderful news on the scan ❤️

I had my 20 week scan yesterday too. All went well and they confirmed baby’s a girl 😍 It was such a relief after the long wait from the last one, and having not felt much movement yet. I was really struggling to believe I was pregnant at points over the last few weeks and my partner and I started worrying we’d told too many people too soon. Felt very tense as they checked the different measurements but it was wonderful to then be able to relax a bit more and enjoy seeing her jiving around in there.

I suddenly don’t fit into my jeans at all as of this week so I’ve ordered a couple of things from Next to try on tomorrow. Other than that, we haven’t researched or bought anything at all! Hoping to get mainly second hand stuff but the most recent babies in our friends were at least five years ago so likely to be a combo of Vinted/Freecycle etc and new stuff. Maybe we will buy a celebratory baby-grow to kick things off…