November 2019 Moms
megmac2010
member
Expecting after Fertility Treatments
megmac2010
member
It seems like there are quite a few of us who are here thanks to IVF/IUI/medicated cycles. I know that I'm feeling a lot of conflicting things after this nutso process. I thought it would be nice to connect with fellow ART veterans!
Some questions to get the old juices flowing...
1. What protocol finally worked?
2. How much did you share with people? Who is in the loop on your cycle/success?
3. When is your first ultrasound?
4. Do you have a nickname for your embryo?
Some questions to get the old juices flowing...
1. What protocol finally worked?
2. How much did you share with people? Who is in the loop on your cycle/success?
3. When is your first ultrasound?
4. Do you have a nickname for your embryo?
Re: Expecting after Fertility Treatments
This cycle I did an endo scratch in the cycle prior. Then I did vaginal estradiol, vaginal viagra, estrogen patches, and handfuls of supplements. Transferred our last two embryos, a 3BB and a 5BB. Beta today (!!), 11dp5dt... 207!
2. How much did you share with people? Who is in the loop on your cycle/success? We didn't tell anybody this time around, because we've told our folks before and I was tired of being asked about it. I have a close friend who has also been through IVF in the last few years, so she was the only person I told. I'm bursting to tell people that it worked!
3. When is your first ultrasound? Our clinic does an 8-week ultrasound. My appointment is April 10!! (That's SO SOON!)
4. Do you have a nickname for your embryo? We started our just calling them "the Embies" but since one of my apps said it was the size of a poppyseed, I've been calling it "Poppy!"
My biggest beef about IVF is that it's robbed us of our ability to be optimistic. I feel like we're waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm not sure when I'll feel like it's actually happening and not going to be taken away. Know what I'm saying?
2. How much did you share with people? Who is in the loop on your cycle/success? I'm a bit of an ART/IF veteran (5+ years to finally get our son, 2+ years this time), so I'm super open with our friends and family about our journey. Both our immediate families, my boss and a small circle of friends already know about this pregnancy because of that.
3. When is your first ultrasound? Next Friday with my RE! I'll be 6 weeks exactly.
4. Do you have a nickname for your embryo? No
2. Pretty much everyone knows (immediate family, coworkers, friends). I’ve been very open about my struggles so didn’t feel the need to hide it. Everyone has been very supportive and they’re definitely rooting for me!
3. First ultrasound is on Monday, March 25th. I’ll be 7w2d. Definitely going crazy waiting, I’ve never had a positive experience with an early ultrasound so until that goes well I’m not willing to call this a success.
4. Before my transfer I named all my normal embryos after characters from Monsters Inc (it’s one of my favorite movies). The one we transfer was Mike (for Mike Wazowski). Hubby thought that was pretty fitting give his shape. Lol. Now I’m calling baby Squishy.
We started fertility treatments in September 2018. Did two IUIs Sept/October on letrozole and both failed.i couldn't get to my clinic for cycle monitoring after that, and just stayed on letrozole until January 2019, "trying naturally" with no luck. This last cycle, we started doing Gonal-F injections, and DH started taking Fertilpro Men supplements.. Third IUI and our very first BFP
When we were trying a few friends of mine knew we were trying for a while, but only my boss and and a few gfs knew I was doing treatments. I lost my BFF during this journey when she get pregnant and told me to get over it, and that I was a bad friend for not being there for her. Safe to say I stopped sharing my journey at that point.
Now, only one of my girlfriends know and that's it! So hard to keep it a secret but I'm too scared to tell anyone until we're more "safe" in the pregnancy
I'm considered 6 weeks today and already had three!! It's already been such a stressful pregnancy.. Lol they brought me in a little over a week ago because my hcg was slowing down so they did a scan to rule out ectopic. Then I went in on Monday to see if there had been growth, which there was but I was measuring at 5&2 when I should have been 5&6. Told me that it was pretty likely I would MC. Went back in yesterday, four days later, completely prepared to plan our MC or D&C when they tell us that it's now measuring at 5&6.. So still 4 days behind based on my LMP, but there has been 4 days worth of growth in 4 days. Go back in a week to see if we're able to see a heartbeat now. Completely shocked, happy for good news, but terrified it's going to get ripped away again
Baby Butt.
I've always nicknamed my husband "Butter" or "Butt" and it's kind of become a household inside joke and a name for everyone. "is someone being a Grumpy Butt today?" call our cat Lola, Lola Butt.. So it just kinda made sense this is our baby butt
@gumby22c I love that you got pregnant from the same batch of embroys that gave you your son! I would have loved to have gotten pregnant and had some leftover on ice. We used our last two embryos in this transfer, so if we want more kids down the line, it’ll be back for another retrieval! A 6-week ultrasound is so exciting!! Good luck!!!
@hchill0209 does that mean you have 4 PGS normals left? That’s amazing! I’m so happy it worked first try for you! I feel the same way about my ultrasound, like it’s not going to be real until I see it for myself! (Also, I’m dyyyying at your embryo nicknames.)
@motherofgauts I had to laugh at your quotes around “trying naturally.” Even after seven years of infertility, two months ago we were acting as though we had a shot of getting pregnant on our own, like a couple of suckers.
Three ultrasounds already! Sorry to hear about the stressful slow growth. I wonder if you just had implantation later than expected? It’s reassuring to know you’re still growing at a normal rate. But I totally get what you’re saying about expecting it to be ripped away. I don’t think my husband and I will ever feel like it’s actually happening until we have a real baby in our arms.
I completely agree about infertility robbing you of hope. Even now its a constant battle between feeling excited and wanting to plan for this baby, but also being terrified the other shoe could drop and something could still take this dream away.
Infertility kinda robs us of being able to have that excitement in those early weeks.
I know after my little scare, we were so happy to hear the good news, but just can't get excited or our hopes up until like what @megmac2010 said, till we're holding that baby in our arms
I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers for your u/s this coming week!
Also, I totally meant to say this earlier, but your former BFF sounds like the worst. Sorry that happened to you.
But, uncertainty be damned, I'm going out to buy something this afternoon! I don't know what, yet, but I want to start planning for this baby!
This has been almost 3 years of tears and struggling... We tried naturally for about 6 months and then I was diagnosed with PCOS. Tried 3 rounds of clomid and didn't even ovulate. Then they found uterine polyps and a thick lining so I had a D&C and polypectomy (there goes the first year). Year two consisted of three rounds of IUI with letrozole where I ovulated each time but none worked even though my husband's numbers were off the chart great. Then they brought up IVF and I was devastated. We did decide to go through it. This past year consisted of a failed egg retrieval after which I was horribly I'll from hyperstimulation (I had fluid in my abdomen, lungs, and above my heart). We did another retrieval and got 20 eggs, 10 of which fertilized and 6 progressed normally. We did a single FET a month later because I got hyperstimulation again. That failed. We did a biopsy for inflammation and it came back normal. We did a second FET and that failed. We decided to fork over the money for an ERA (the only thing that my insurance didn't cover other than egg freezing) and found out I need more progesterone exposure than the average woman...and they found inflammation that time so we had to postpone the third transfer for 6 months while they kept doing repeat biopsies and intense rounds of antibiotics, during which time my doctor called me a "headscratcher" (and my husband and I each lost a parent in the last three months so that was tragic while dealing with all of this). We did out third FET with 2 embryos (we still have 2 left) on 2/25/19 and we got out BFP. Finally. Still on minivell patches, POI, metformin, estradiol, Vitamin D3, and began a thyroid med.
2. How much did you share with people? Who is in the loop on your cycle/success?
We shared very little. We didn't want people asking constantly or knowing about every single visit. We told only a couple of friends whom we are with all the time so we couldn't hide my injections. We only told my mom after she was the only one available to bring me in for an emergent visit with my hyperstimulation.
3. When is your first ultrasound?
I had my first one at 5 weeks and 1 day on 3/14! I had one per week scheduled for the next 4 weeks too.
4. Do you have a nickname for your embryo?
Not yet. I've affectionately called it "the blob" because that's all it looks like this far. Our dogs each have like a dozen nicknames, so I'm sure we will come up with some for the embryo!
I let myself pull out my maternity clothes last weekend, even though it seems like it's way too early. I even have been wearing the mat jeans and shorts because my regular ones are just uncomfortable. Even this makes me feel I'm jumping the gun and might jinx myself/this pregnancy, since I haven't even had an u/s yet.
I also hate that this experience has taken all the fun and excitement out of the journey to parenthood. I’m so jealous of all my friends who have gotten pregnant easily and had uncomplicated pregnancies. I just keep telling myself that I’m going to appreciate my baby so much more because of how hard I had to try to have him/her.
Glad to see others in the same position as me and having the same fears/anxieties. It definitely helps make me feel less crazy!
@gumby22c I just went out and bought some bigger sports bras! Not yet at the mat clothes stage, but my Boobs are already squishing in my bras, so I'm considering it more of a need than jumping the gun and getting ahead of myself
2. How much did you share with people? Who is in the loop on your cycle/success? two old coworkers, a couple new co workers, husband, sister knows general info
3. When is your first ultrasound? not scheduled yet
4. Do you have a nickname for your embryo? not yet
@gumby22c I wear yoga pants every day, but I’m finding I have to roll the waist down because the seam feels terrible in my bloated belly. I fully support breaking out the maternity pants if you have them!!
@hchill0209 you are just as crazy as the rest of us! (But I’m not sure how reassuring that is!)
@alwayseloquent gotcha. PCOS sucks all around, doesn’t it?
2. How much did you share with people? Who is in the loop on your cycle/success?
I’m pretty open, shared a lot during my retrieval last year. I am full time at a new job though, and some of the people I work with here also work at my other job (I work in a hospital so we all bounce around, lol). Anyways my old friends know and kept asking and I share, didn’t really tell the people at my new job (which is in a huge hospital, so it’s all pretty anonymous, 200+ people in our department vs 30 in the other). Kept my mother in law and dad informed.
3. When is your first ultrasound?
Wednesday at 9!
4. Do you have a nickname for your embryo?
not really, we sort of just call it “the potential offspring, or child.” Or I call it the embryo.
I agree IVF/infertility sucks the fun out of the process. We talk about the “potential” kid and “if” it sticks around till birth.
On a side note on another board/forum there is a birth month club and the posts that are like “oh I went off birth control last month, and so i am joining this birth board because I plan to get pregnant with a November baby!” just make me want to roll my eyes and I internally am like “GTFO, you aren’t even preggo yet, get off the birth club board, I’ve waited 7 years to even read a birth club month board.” I know that sounds mean and isn’t my normal nature, but come on, you don’t even have a positive test yet lol! Sorry if that sounds snarky, but if anyone is going to get how I feel on that it is probably other infertility moms!
When do you guys plan to announce? We are oscillating between after ultrasound and after we find out gender. My husband and I are pretty open, so more likely after ultrasound but makes me nervous.
I made a lot of personal changes prior, just so I felt like I was doing everything I could (diet, activity, supplements, etc). I also did acupuncture regularly and am convinced it played a role. And then after transfer, I did every old wives tale I found online.
2. How much did you share with people? Who is in the loop on your cycle/success? My colleagues/boss know because I was in and out of the office so much + my surgery + my raging hormones. They are all guys but we are very close and they are immensely supportive. A couple very close friends also knew. Once we saw the heartbeat we told our immediate family but are waiting until 12/13 weeks to announce.
3. When is your first ultrasound? Last week when I was 6 weeks exactly. I have an appt tomorrow with a potential OB/midwife group and am nervous about another one.
4. Do you have a nickname for your embryo? Not yet
2. How much did you share with people? Who is in the loop on your cycle/success? Most of our family and close friends know we're going through IVF. After the loneliness of miscarraige, I wanted to be open about our infertility struggles. More people need to know about this struggle that so many couples face. I also have a close friend who went through 6 years of IVF struggle- now had 2 beautiful little IVF baby boys. She's been great to speak to about the experience.
That being said, following transfer we've only told our parents about the results. We've told everyone else that hopefully we'll have good news to share in a few months. Knowing that so much could go wrong, we'd rather hold off. Though I have a feeling my best friends know given that I wasn't drinking at brunch this weekend and got up 3 times to pee! Lol
3. When is your first ultrasound?
Had our first US at 5w3d and saw the GS and YS. Next US scheduled for tomorrow morning where we're hoping to hear a heartbeat FX.
4. Do you have a nickname for your embryo?
Called it an embaby before our first beta. Now calling it a sweet pea based on the app size estimate.
Feel you on the fear of hoping. It's so scary knowing full on what could go wrong. When we told our parents we had to stipulate that this was a small step and we still had so many to go. My mom is the kind that will get so excited she'll start planning and buying stuff. We just can't go there yet. I actually think DH is having an even harder time being hopeful than I am. He was there by my side when I had my MC naturally and saw the extreme pain I was in. It terrified him. We had a conversation last week and I told him that I promised myself I would allow us to enjoy each positive moment of this preganancy , even if something went wrong. Because what if everything goes right, and we didn't enjoy it? I think once we get past 10wk (when MC occurred last time), it will be easier.
Wishing everyone a happy healthy 9 months!
I am soo scared everytime I have to go into our clinic. Always so afraid of bad news.
We had unexpected good news a week ago that the embryo was progressing, but weren't able to see a heartbeat. But it was a small victory for us, and we were so happy we get to be pregnant for at least another week. We were happy for the weekend, but since Monday I've been dreading my next scan tomorrow. I go back in, hopefully to see more growth and a heartbeat, but I am just terrified!!
I keep trying to tell myself "not everyone miscarries, I don't have to miscarry, I can have a baby, etc.."
It's just so hard to believe that we could finally have a baby after so many cycles trying.. Ugh! First trimester for infertiles is way more stressful and terryifing..
There had been zero growth since last Friday and I've taken misoprostol to begin the process
Best of luck to all of you
Ive been a runner for years. I gave up running going into my FET, but my plan has always been to try easing back in for low mileage once I got an u/s and knew everything was ok. I've been walking the distances I normally run all through FET so I'm still in some sort of shape near my pre-preg level and just want to get myself to a walk/run combo. Nothing crazy.
I had my first u/s yesterday at 6w and we saw a heartbeat. I was so excited to try running yesterday (I only did .5 a mile and had walk breaks in there and I took it super easy), but after getting home I suddenly was so worried with all the "what ifs" of hurting the baby by running. It's so stupid, because I'm sure the baby is fine and plenty of women run during pregnancy. But I hate that infertility still is ruining parts of life and keeping me from fully enjoying this pregnancy to the fullest like I wish I could.
And you’ve lit a fire under my butt to get running again. I also stopped before my FET and am planning to get back out there when it warms up a bit!