IVF Pregnancy Club- Part Two

[pastelheart]

Hey girls!

thread number two for us, thank you again for all being so lovely and supportive. I still can’t believe, after all those years and all the upset… are babies are on their way ♥️

IVF pregnancy club Due Dates/Birth Dates

AmberRose- 3rd July (baby girl) 🩷
Sara237- 24th June (could be a week earlier)
Zirafica- 21st August, c-section could be 14th August
Magpie234- 1st May, could be 24th April (baby girl) 🩷
Nosejug- 27th June, may be earlier though
Fancygoose- 28th March- c-section could be 24th March
SarahAndQuack- 19th June
MintOwl- 14th May, (baby girl) 🩷
CloudyIvy55- 15th May
SamVan- 7th April (baby boy) 🩵
Pastelheart- 4th June (baby boy) 🩵

Dubkitten- baby girl born 8th January 2026 🩷

I've begun writing replies to these messages (from last week etc) twice now and not managed to complete one! Sorry, I have been reading avidly though! @magpie234 sorry BF isn't beginning easily. I have a couple of concerns about it not working for me but really really want to do it. I've been assured by my nurse cousin and midwives at antenatal and a new friend (who's a new ish mother) that the nhs lactation consultants and charities are truly excellent at helping. That even someone who had tried for 2/3 weeks without luck ended up being able with a bit of help. Def reach out and see what they can do for you!

aw @CloudyIvy55 personally I'd love to hear it all! if you make a new thread i'll be reading that anyway as prep. I feel so unprepared! All the helpful offers of things are starting to come through, but we;re finding some things are mouldy or unusable and its meaning ever more tasks of dump trips and inspecting things or collecting things from cities when I cant travel and my partner is working crazy hours... we kind of wish we just committed to buying things new!

@AmberRose26 totally with you on preferences for natural fibers if possible. at the very least my plan is to breathe the mattress for as long as possible and have nice cotton sheets. We got our baby box the other day! was so fun going through it and I'm glad that no matter what I have a safe bed for baby.

@pastelheart i sincerely hope you're on mat leave now and your phone is switched off (to work at least!) and that you're catching up with yourself

Are you still going @SarahAndQuack ? I did a tiny bit of gardening today and the baby was kicking loads low down and my hips were NOT into the positions | was in. did you say hands and knees is more comfy?

and @MintOwl you're up next right? I hope you're keeping well! any luck with colostrum harvesting? the glands/fibrous tissue in my boobs kinda weird me out (when i do breast checks) so i wonder if i'll be any good!

For my part, I wake up every morning with useless and painful hands (carpal tunnel) and its still hard to make a fist in the evening! one hip has been quite painful and the other joined in today haha. My heels are still sore and crunchy when i get up, though my toes are no longer sore! Those are my woes, small as they are! scan again this week. baby is moving differently now, proper shapes poking out my belly which simultaneously amaze me and weird me out! First hypnobirthing session today though a lot is focussed on the cervix and its 'natural ability to open' lol... i might need to write my own scripts, like, 'it's also ok if it doesn't'.

lastly, I bought two treats from vinted for the baby, just clothes that I actually like rather than solely practical. I can't wait to receive them! old m&S (st. Michael) dungarees :D and a cardi that matches a 90s bennetton one I own hehe.

@Nosejug sorry you are experiencing carpel tunnel .. it sounds sore I hope your ok and it eases soon for you .. oh that’s exciting you got your baby box .. I am still waiting for mine but hoping it won’t be long now .. yes I was looking on boots website and they do various cot mattresses .. thinking I’ll get a full foam rather than one with springs .. I have ready the polyester ones can gas off quite bad so trying to find a natural fibre one .. there is one I like but it’s sold out in boots and can’t find it else where .. will keep looking .. I have the Moses basket so not such an urgent thing the now to get the cot mattress .. but I just want to be prepared and have it bought.

Ach it’s not so bad @AmberRose26 funnily enough the only time I’d heard of it before was the head teacher on mean girls saying “my carpal tunnel came back” but turns out my sister got it bad in pregnancy too. Maybe a family thing! It’s all temporary so I’ll just appreciate it’s not a life sentence!

baby box came the day before 33 weeks so yours should be soon! And same with the cot mattress, we decided just to leave it a bit as well have the next2me and a Moses (though need the mattress for that). Good to know about avoiding polyester most of all!

@Nosejug you will be pleased to hear… FIRST OFFICIAL DAY AT MAT LEAVE!

I don’t know what to do with myself! I have started washing all of babies clothes and that has brought me a lot of happiness this morning!!

how is everyone?! X

@pastelheart thats good you are now on leave .. you will hopefully be able to switch of and just focus on baby’s now .. how many weeks are you now ? Can’t be long to go ? So nice to be washing the baby clothes that’s a nice way to start your leave, I am the same with wondering what to do 😅 if you find any good box sets to binge let me know 😂

@Nosejug ah glad it’s not too bad and manageable for you ..oh the box might come this week then I’ll be 33 week on Friday 🤞🏽.. i actually had a look and there is a mattress in b&q of all places .. looks not bad though and quite cheap .. I’ll share the link incase you were interested, mostly natural it does have a layer of polyester though but I am thinking I might just buy this one !?

www.diy.com/departments/coco-coir-bamboo-breathable-hypoallergenic-fibre-cot-bed-mattress-140-x-70-cm/5061046011776_BQ.prd?&&&&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20998096958&gbraid=0AAAAADt-XHn2Va0HDAZl2ImeSr9g6pjvR&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2YDQBhD_ARIsAE1qeSe_vDv58xqoBguVEWAS40CUfhgm2pY_4hnDvyNH_I4jlyFuyFgUQQ4aAowkEALw_wcB

@Nosejug quick question with you Baby box, did you get a tx or email prior to delivery with tracking/delivery information etc ? Thanks

@pastelheart oh happy day!!! Welcome to your maternity leave woohoop!! Funnily enough I just washed all our new baby clothes too! From baby box and gifts and donated stuff. It melts me to hang out the newborn baby grows :’) my neighbours have probably just watched me staring at them.

@AmberRose26 thanks for sharing! I’ll try at least get the Moses basket mattress today. And yeah, baby box sent me two texts, the second saying it would be posted in the next few weeks and a courier would be in touch, but then very shortly after the box just arrived without any further communication (that I can find). We thought it was an early baby present or something before opening!

Awh hanging out the baby clothes on the line 😍🥰 sounds lovely I’ll need to get round to mine in the next few weeks , my mum has knitted loads of wee cardigans and some shawls /blankets they are so lovely.

I got a mattress that came with my Moses basket but it seems really thin .. like only 2cm or something so I dunno wether to get another .. it does feel comfy enough when I lean on it though so might just leave it 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’ve just bought one for the Moses basket (as it’s a hand me down, even my 19 yo niece slept in it!) from John Lewis. I’ve spend a lot of yesterday and all this morning researching and buying things. It’s weirdly exhausting! A friend sent me a list of products sent to her by another friend of things that were actually useful and things that weren’t. The angelcare bath comes very highly recommended and so does welleda nipple cream for those intending to bf. I got a really nice second hand changing table (actually suits our mid century decor lol) for £20 on eBay. I’m kind of excited to see it. A brand called troll and an old model. Also finally found a decent skirting board and worked out how to fix it to the old lathe plaster struts, and need to chisel out some concrete hearth to make it fit has (in amongst shopping for nipple cream and dribble bibs). I better get cracking as being bent over is getting more and more difficult! And I need to hang lining paper on a couple of walls that can’t be directly painted. It’s like I’m back at work all of a sudden.

Awh you defo have a lot to keep you busy anyways !! Just think how nice it will be once it’s all done ! Well done you 💪🏽🥰..

@Nosejug Love the sound of the vintage dungarees and matching cardigan with one of yours 💕 all sounds like a very productive shop! I got some bits from vinted the other day that I can't wait to see.
You sound super busy with your house; the nesting energy must be used when it strikes!
I've mostly been cleaning, my husband remarked the other day that we don't usually clean quite like we have been but it feels so much better!
Changing table sounds great too, love a good quality bargain.
@pastelheart Yay to having started your maternity leave now and finding cute things to do to fill the time! Washing and sorting baby bits is something I've dreamed about for so long! Found some teeny white and blue socks from my son's first weeks that I've washed out. I just stare at them, smiling like a mad woman... 😂
@AmberRose26 That's lovely that your mum has made you those blankets. Definitely to treasure.
I had a midwife appt today and she gave me a pack to start collecting colostrum in from 36 weeks. Didn't do this with 1st son so must be a new practice. Are you all doing this? I found breastfeeding prob the only thing that was easy about 1st time motherhood so not sure about this. I'm 34 weeks today, can't believe it!
Have any of you been on the Neutrem Bear baby clothes site? I'm kind of wishing I'd not seen it as their stuff is so beautiful!
Happy nesting y'all! Xx

@Sara237 I have heard a few people who are collecting colostrum, I think the reasoning behind early collection is a precaution incase baby has to go in to SCBU and you have a supply ready to fed in a bottle? I might be wrong on that though ?!
I personally will opt out and just wait till baby is here as like you , with my 1st daughter I was lucky and she fed with no issues, and if she is early and need extra care I will hopefully express at that point and time, I think it’s a personal choice though and you have to do what you are comfortable with 🥰

On the topic of expressing… had anyone got a strong opinion on what machine works best? I’ll try just BF for the first wee while (absolutely love reading you were both lucky to have no issues first time!) but it’d be cool to give my partner a chance to bottle feed my milk once his current job ends.

and colostrum harvesting (great to know they give you a kit! I hope Scotland does that too) I think I will try it if only for curiosity/getting used to my boob as a food giver and also in the hopes that it would allow my milk to start smoothly? Also… had a scan today and consultant says she’s very suspicious that my cervix won’t actually dilate and so I’m glad we’ve now scrapped the induction plan and booked (!!) a cesarian. She said there’s no way my cervix would have held this long if it wasn’t intensely scarred so maybe I’ll actually make it to term hah! Anyway, that’s maybe another reason to try colostrum?

aw I missed the bit about your mum knitting you things @AmberRose26 thats sooo sweet! Feel free to share pictures of the things! I feel amazed at people’s knitting skills, I wish I could. Oh and @Sara237 im jealous of you getting your house in order! Ours is definitely the messiest it’s ever been rn (covered in plastic sheeting too to try minimise the construction dust spread 🫣) but you’re right! It’ll be sooo amazing once it’s done. And if cervix holds I’ll have loaaaads more time :) oh and happy 34!!!! I WONT have a look at the site you mentioned as I have spent so much on sheets and mattresses and whatever the last few days I need a shopping stop!! (But I will tab it for a later date hehe)

Yes I can add some pictures of the wee cardigans and shawl etc of the knitted wear.. I love wee hand knitted baby clothes🥰

The only thing I worry about with colostrum harvesting is the colostrum is super nutritious and important for baby’s gut /microbiome etc and if harvested baby needs that 1st so when they are first born they will need that from a bottle if it’s already harvested, then what if they find it hard to switch from bottle to then breast as they may get use to the bottle teat and refuse the breast/nipple ? Am not sure if this would happen as some babies can switch easier from bottle to boob but I personally think I’ll not take the chance and let baby get colostrum from the boob and try introducing a bottle later once fully established on boob 😅.. that’s my plan anyways but will see how things go .. I got a hand held pump, I had one before for my daughter and I found it good as could control the amount /pressure with each squeeze /express .. never tried the machine ones but I guess there will be settings on it to allow for change of pressure /strength? maybes a function to look out for when buying one of it has this ? 🤷🏼‍♀️

I have the Spectra S1 @nosejug.Hospital-grade for establishing supply and emptying breasts effectively as we have had a rocky start. Colostrum is fed through syringes not bottles @AmberRose26- is only small amounts you collect before birth and afterwards and then it transitions into milk for expressing.

@Nosejug how are you feeling about the CS? I had a great supply even with a CS and the NICU stress so I don't think it will impact too much. The lactation specialists in the hospital recommended spectra as an at home pump to people on discharge. I haven't bothered as I am not really pumping much anymore so just got a cheaper in bra one which serves the purpose but definitely isn't as powerful as the medela hospital grade one.

@AmberRose26 I think harvesting colostrum can maybe help your supply come in - but not 100% sure on that!? I don't think the hospital really use it if they don't need to though - they would try to get baby to latch and it is just a back up in case. And I think they syringe it in if they do give it to the baby as it is such tiny amounts those first few days and so thick, rather than a bottle - but might be different in different places! But I also totally think you're right not to do it if you're not sure - people have been breastfeeding for millenia and this seems a fairly new phenomenon!

@pastelheart how exciting you're officially on mat leave! Enjoy the nesting period.

@CloudyIvy55 @magpie234 huge congratulations to you both!! So happy for you ❤️

Ahh good points about colostrum and bottle feeding! So much to consider. And interesting, I am so clueless I didn’t even think of hand pumps, but I like the idea of control… I bet they’re less expensive too!

hey @FancyGoose !! How are you guys doing?? I feel good about CS, like relieved to have a plan I think! And from what you guys have said on here it can be a truly positive experience. Plus if I do it on the date booked it’ll be the consultant I’ve gotten to know over the last 20 weeks doing it. I guess my only qualm is recovery, but it’s so different to medical experiences I’ve had before, I can imagine it will feel better, and also, baby!!

@Nosejug ah bet that will feel quite special to have the consultant who has seen you through the pregnancy deliver them. ❤️ I honestly found the recovery okay, obviously in a bit of pain for a few days but nothing too major and all I had was paracetemol and aspirin (although I do think that is a bit ridiculous tbh considering it is major surgery - that's what I would take for a hangover 🤣).

And we are doing great thank you! Still under a lot of specialist care so we are well looked after but he is doing better with his weight gain now and started smiling at us which just melts my heart. He is 10 weeks old tomorrow, going so fast! I cry practically daily haha but happy tears, just feel so grateful and lucky to have him and to be home with him 🥹 he is currently snoozing away on my chest as we speak and I couldn't be happier despite the tiredness and the chaos 💞

Sorry, I've gone a bit silent - just feeling a bit emotional about it all atm. I'm glad everyone is doing ok - it's so lovely to think we have some babies and we're all well on the way to more! Will try to catch up properly later.

@FancyGoose awh that’s so lovely to hear .. 10 weeks already .. wow that’s gone super quick !! .. and the smiling .. bless that’s so amazing !

@Nosejug i am sure you are just excited now as you say you have your plan and a date .. its just a matter of waiting now ! And yes the hand pump is a lot cheaper .. I found it worked for me just fine last time so I re bought one this time round.

@SarahAndQuack hope you are ok, the 3rd trimester defo hits different I feel, it can be a real anxious time not knowing what to expect with the birth etc and it’s physically harder on the body / sleep etc which effects the metal side of things due to lack of sleep 😵‍💫 ..I just keep thinking only a few weeks left and baby will be here !

ah ok I didn’t realise it’s through syringe that the colostrum gets fed, yeh I would rather just start once baby is here I think . I read a really amazing and interesting article about how the beast milk can actually change to adapt to what baby needs , so sensing through the nipple from the bacteria etc from baby’s mouth and if the baby is lacking in or needing extra of fats /proteins or antibodies, the milk can change daily so suit baby, so my thinking is I would really hope to give baby the colostrum from the nipple from me from the start and when my milk comes in within the next few days it will be tailored to her immune system amd tummy more than missing that nutritious colostrum and the ability for it to adapt for her - if that makes sense, not sure if am explaining it very well 🙄.. buys yes it is 100 % a personal choice and if it feels right .. go for it .. there is no right or wrong, just like any choice around birth /labour or feeding .. everyone is different and wants to try /do things differently and that doesn’t make anyone right or wrong in their choice .. we are all and will be amazing mummies not matter how we choose 💛✨

I think the thing you’re missing here with colostrum is that it’s like liquid gold - people tend to mix it in with milk even if the baby is a bit older, to give them an immunity boost. You literally can’t have enough of it frozen. So the advice is to store as much as you can and not to waste a drop, as it definitely comes in handy even when the baby is bigger (not sure how long it’s safe to store frozen but I think it’s months!!!)

@AmberRose26 it’s been strange being on mat leave… even though I moaned about work during my pregnancy I actually love my job and I do love going to work so the first few days were weird. I wanted to log on my laptop each morning 😂 but I have kept myself busy and enjoyed my afternoon naps lol.

I am 37 weeks today! Had midwife yesterday and everything is looking good with baby and myself. I also have a breastfeeding clinic today at the hospital so I am looking forward to that ☺️ how are you? So I’m a bit weird with tv series… I really don’t like watching new series as if I get part way through and don’t like it I will stop watching it and feel like I have wasted my time… so I rewatch the same series that I love on repeat 😂 but series I love (and have watched about 60 times are)
law and order SVU
Homeland
grey anatomy (older seasons, up to season 18/19)
Game of Thrones
24
The Resident

@Nosejug yay for washing all babies clothes, I finished yesterday and honestly I had a great time lol awwwww at staring at them 🥹

@Sara237honestly I think it just hits different when you have waited for so long to be able to do these mundane things for your baby, I will never ever take any of it for granted 🩵 I dunno how my baby has ended up with so many pairs of socks, I swear I only bought 2 packs and now he’s got more socks than me lol
I am not going to be collecting colostrum either, as the way I see it, those first couple of days of feeding are important in setting up your supply so need baby feeding on you. If for any reason baby can’t feed, I will collect at that point so my body still thinks baby is feeding. And tbh I don’t want the stress of trying to collect it either!

@FancyGoosethank you! Now I have settled into mat leave I am enjoying it… I think lol my partner keeps walking around saying under his breath ‘can’t believe you have 9 months off’ so think he’s a bit jealous lol 😂 poor man

@SarahAndQuacki hope you are okay 🤍

was another thread made for once babies were here? I don’t want to miss it if it was as would miss chatting to you all! xx

Aw, yay for 37 weeks @pastelheart! Yes, I would also really like to keep chatting. I know I've been quiet lately but it's absolutely invaluable having other people who get what IVF is like. I know that will be less and less of an issue, but it does feel different.

With colostrum - I have a memory of my poor ex proudly getting a whole (tiny) bottle of it when DD was being tube fed (we did use bottles, but it was tiny bits in the bottom of these tiny bottles they have for tube feeds; you do usually use syringes!), and then she vomited up the lot! Absolutely gutting. I'm not going to try to express before birth because there are no indications like GD for me, but I've had some there for ages so if it comes easily, I'll pop some in the freezer. I think it's great to have but, like everything else, absolutely not worth the stress of worrying over if it doesn't work!

@Nosejug I love the sound of your preparations! It's a funny mix of lovely exciting preparing, and stress - I find! I have been washing DD's old clothes and folding up newborn onsies is very soothing, but I keep totally failing to buy stuff for my hospital bag in a kind of head-in-sand way. Which is daft given I'm 35 weeks tomorrow and really should accept it's going to happen now!

I'm going out to do a garden this morning and that will give me a good lift. I had a whole day off yesterday and it probably didn't help my mood to be sitting around. I'm just hitting the nerves about doing this on my own. My mum, who can be a bit of a pain, periodically gets all terribly sad it didn't work out with my gay mate and goes on about what a shame that is. It's absolutely nails on a blackboard for me because honestly, it was probably a good thing it didn't work out; he was lovely with my DD and would have been lovely with a baby, but really unkind about the IVF working. I don't think she gets that at all - she's very much of the mindset that she could have got pregnant at 40 no bother, and being upset about IVF failing is silly really because you wouldn't be upset about a few months when you didn't fall pregnant if you were TTC normally (not that she'd know, actually!). I do hate when people assume IVF makes you a real delicate flower. I don't think we are at all!

I just used the mattress that came with the basket and the baby slept in it fine. I did buy a proper mattress for the travel cot though for when she goes for sleepovers.

It’s great reading the thread and seeing you all getting closer to meeting your bundles of joy!

As for us we are doing great - 18 weeks today!! She is flying and I started her on solids last week. We had her christening and she got spoiled as always! Just getting her ready now to head to baby swim class.