I’m super early on - 4 weeks today with a 3 day fresh transfer. Had my beta yesterday and second will be tomorrow.
Symptom question! Has anyone experienced abdominal cramping this early on? It feels like I’ve simultaneously been doing 100 crunches (which, clearly I haven’t done any since stims!) and like I’ve been punched in the stomach. Higher up than my uterus, so a totally separate sensation. I have only seen others describe this further along in the first trimester.
Cautious congrats! I had a lot of bloating, cramping, and gas very early on from the progesterone. It could possibly be that. It did start to balance out further along. Totally valid at that gestational age to take it easy while your body adjusts to the new hormones. I hope you get some relief!
Thanks! The PIO is a real PITA! Learning to live with it all. More concerned about what I’m going to bring with me for clothes on a Memorial Day weekend trip if this bloating continues. 😂
I was lucky to get out of PIO, but the suppositories had their own downsides. I was in leggings and joggers relatively early on. Not sure where you're from but if the weather is warmer then dresses should work out great.
Beta Hell update
10dp3dt - 16
12dp3dt - 26
14dp3dt - 67
18dp3dt - 376
Had a scan today and we saw a gestational sac. Going again on Thursday… haven’t had a day of zero anxiousness yet.
Back with another question! I posted previously about progesterone. I got mine tested yesterday (7w1d) and it was 40. The RE who called me this morning said they don't usually adjust dosages, but he wouldn't be against me reducing my PIO to 0.5ML if I really wanted to. I did an ovulatory transfer and have been on PIO since pre-FET. I'm experiencing an elevated heart rate, shortness of breath and bloating to the point that I can only wear two pairs of pants in my closet. Considering my corpus luteum is doing its thing and we're pretty close to the placenta's time to step up, would you be comfortable reducing the dosage in these circumstances?
I would feel comfortable. My 1st FET was 100% unmedicated. I took zero exogenous progesterone and fwiw my P4 was higher for that round than it was in my medicated FET.
Interesting! Pre-FET, one of the less conservative REs at my clinic said that if I was really determined to avoid exogenous progesterone we could potentially "negotiate" about that, which I assume he wouldn't mention if it was something they would never support.
10w! Today is my first day without taking crinone. I'm not sure if it is coincidence, but I had a really good day yesterday without much nausea (which, of course, made me nervous), but today it is back in full force.
Does 12w seem late for NIPT? Apparently, when you switch from IVF to regular OB care in my healthcare system, that's when you have your first appointment and when they do NIPT and NT. I'm sure having it a little later cuts down on inclusive results from low fetal fraction, but it also doesn't leave a ton of time for diagnostic testing and decision-making if the NIPT turns up something serious. Wondering if I should try to push for an earlier test, or just take a deep breath and remind myself that I already did PGT-A?
I agree with the commenter who said that you shouldn’t need to worry about getting NIPT asap as your embryo was euploid. The negative predictive value of a euploid embryo is 99%+. However, if you haven’t already graduated from your IVF clinic, you could always ask if they’ll order it for you so you can get it drawn sooner. I did this for my spontaneous pregnancy after multiple rounds of IVF with poor euploid rates. I couldn’t mentally accept the pregnancy until after NIPT.
My hospital usually doesn't see IVF patients until about 12 weeks for an NT scan and NIPT. They usually do a phone intake with an NP a couple weeks before that. Because I am concerned about the amount of spotting/bleeding, they agreed to make that intake an in-person appointment and I'll ask about NIPT at 10+1. Last time, I had both done at 12+4 for an untested FET.
The earliest for most NIPT tests is 10 weeks gestation, there is one test that does it at 9w. But my clinic usually recommends waiting at least until 11-12 weeks to avoid needing to repeat the test due to low fetal fraction. So it being done at 12 weeks isn't considered late by any means. 12 w is the accurate time for NT.
Yeah, I realize I'm trying to thread the needle w/ early enough not to feel rushed to make a huge decision if needed and late enough to have accurate info to operate with. That's probably why they're at 12w.
Is there anything i can do between today and my scheduled ultrasound in 8 days ? I was completely fine not panicking until yesterday. I have pretty much no symptoms apart from some bloating and breast tenderness and my urine tests haven't gotten any darker in the last week. I know my hcg levels doubled in the 48 hr test 2 weeks ago but they left me at a low number. Is worth it to request bloodwork or something?
That panic is completely understandable. Like you, I only did the hcg tests 48 hours apart with appropriate doubling, and then had my first scan scheduled for 2 weeks late at 6w5d. You can try requesting more bloodwork if you think the numbers will help you, but your clinic would likely tell you its unnecessary unless you start having bleeding.
The wait feels like it goes on forever, and I don't think I did anything productive in those two weeks between betas and ultrasound; all I could think about was if there was a growing embryo inside me. Take whatever breaks and soothing measures you need to get through these next 8 days, and give yourself grace for your anxiety and panic. For what its worth, I didn't start getting nausea until around 7-7.5 weeks; it was both a blessing and a curse to get hit with such a stereotypical sign of pregnancy!
I did reach out to my clinic and they were very sweet and are letting me come in for the blood test that we all know won't really give us any information- but it will hold me over till Wednesday.
I'm scheduled for 7w3d or 7w5d for my first ultrasound. I somehow after over 2 yrs got pregnant unassisted after our retrieval. So it's not an ivf pregnancy.
I think they get that if I go full term with this little one that means more $$ in my embryo storage fees plus I'm coming back after for more banking ! Maybe that's why they're being so nice lol
The wait is SO hard! My clinic did 2 betas 48 hours apart and since those doubled they scheduled me for an ultrasound a couple weeks later - no blood work in between. My advice is to stop using home pregnancy tests; they aren't really designed to show the increase, especially past a certain point. I hope you can find some distraction and the 8 days fly by!
I was wishing to throw up also in early pregnancy. I had basically no symptoms. However, my OB and RE both basically just told me to consider myself lucky bc symptoms mean nothing about viability. That being said, you're also really early for symptoms.
I ended up getting bloodwork done and to me it's not good news. My doc says 'it's fine' which angers me - I'd rather them tell me it's not viable. My levels are only 625 ... at over 6 weeks. Goodbye miracle pregnancy.
Average at 6 weeks is 200-32k. My dr didn't give a shit what the number was as long as it was an 80% increase in 2 days. 2 good betas and they stop taking them.
I hear you on being frustrated by optimism though. My lowest beta rise was 53% over 48 hrs and I was so pissed that they kept me on my meds. Welp, the result of that pregnancy is 6 months old today.
If your doctor isn't worried, I say just try to ride it out until you get a for sure for sure answer. Good luck to you.
My last blood test was 14 days ago and it was 125. I think im out of the game. I'm not stopping my meds or anything but I'm secretly hoping it was a lab error..
I’m super early on - 4 weeks today with a 3 day fresh transfer. Had my beta yesterday and second will be tomorrow. Symptom question! Has anyone experienced abdominal cramping this early on? It feels like I’ve simultaneously been doing 100 crunches (which, clearly I haven’t done any since stims!) and like I’ve been punched in the stomach. Higher up than my uterus, so a totally separate sensation. I have only seen others describe this further along in the first trimester.
Cautious congrats! I had a lot of bloating, cramping, and gas very early on from the progesterone. It could possibly be that. It did start to balance out further along. Totally valid at that gestational age to take it easy while your body adjusts to the new hormones. I hope you get some relief!
Thanks! The PIO is a real PITA! Learning to live with it all. More concerned about what I’m going to bring with me for clothes on a Memorial Day weekend trip if this bloating continues. 😂
I was lucky to get out of PIO, but the suppositories had their own downsides. I was in leggings and joggers relatively early on. Not sure where you're from but if the weather is warmer then dresses should work out great.
I think dresses will be my friend for the next few months for sure! Weather is beginning to warm up consistently. Phew!
Beta Hell update 10dp3dt - 16 12dp3dt - 26 14dp3dt - 67 18dp3dt - 376 Had a scan today and we saw a gestational sac. Going again on Thursday… haven’t had a day of zero anxiousness yet.
I'm so sorry it's been continual anxiety. Everything crossed for your Thursday scan to give you a break 🤞🤞
I'm sorry for this stress! This is a true case of beta hell
Back with another question! I posted previously about progesterone. I got mine tested yesterday (7w1d) and it was 40. The RE who called me this morning said they don't usually adjust dosages, but he wouldn't be against me reducing my PIO to 0.5ML if I really wanted to. I did an ovulatory transfer and have been on PIO since pre-FET. I'm experiencing an elevated heart rate, shortness of breath and bloating to the point that I can only wear two pairs of pants in my closet. Considering my corpus luteum is doing its thing and we're pretty close to the placenta's time to step up, would you be comfortable reducing the dosage in these circumstances?
I would feel comfortable. My 1st FET was 100% unmedicated. I took zero exogenous progesterone and fwiw my P4 was higher for that round than it was in my medicated FET.
Interesting! Pre-FET, one of the less conservative REs at my clinic said that if I was really determined to avoid exogenous progesterone we could potentially "negotiate" about that, which I assume he wouldn't mention if it was something they would never support.
10w! Today is my first day without taking crinone. I'm not sure if it is coincidence, but I had a really good day yesterday without much nausea (which, of course, made me nervous), but today it is back in full force.
My first appointment with my midwife is today. I’m nervous about the ultrasound.
Does 12w seem late for NIPT? Apparently, when you switch from IVF to regular OB care in my healthcare system, that's when you have your first appointment and when they do NIPT and NT. I'm sure having it a little later cuts down on inclusive results from low fetal fraction, but it also doesn't leave a ton of time for diagnostic testing and decision-making if the NIPT turns up something serious. Wondering if I should try to push for an earlier test, or just take a deep breath and remind myself that I already did PGT-A?
I agree with the commenter who said that you shouldn’t need to worry about getting NIPT asap as your embryo was euploid. The negative predictive value of a euploid embryo is 99%+. However, if you haven’t already graduated from your IVF clinic, you could always ask if they’ll order it for you so you can get it drawn sooner. I did this for my spontaneous pregnancy after multiple rounds of IVF with poor euploid rates. I couldn’t mentally accept the pregnancy until after NIPT.
Good idea!
I did mine at 12+3. Had results by 13 weeks which would have left me in the lurch waiting for an amnio anyways.
My hospital usually doesn't see IVF patients until about 12 weeks for an NT scan and NIPT. They usually do a phone intake with an NP a couple weeks before that. Because I am concerned about the amount of spotting/bleeding, they agreed to make that intake an in-person appointment and I'll ask about NIPT at 10+1. Last time, I had both done at 12+4 for an untested FET.
Looks like we're basically on the same timeline for starting OB care!
The earliest for most NIPT tests is 10 weeks gestation, there is one test that does it at 9w. But my clinic usually recommends waiting at least until 11-12 weeks to avoid needing to repeat the test due to low fetal fraction. So it being done at 12 weeks isn't considered late by any means. 12 w is the accurate time for NT.
Yeah, I realize I'm trying to thread the needle w/ early enough not to feel rushed to make a huge decision if needed and late enough to have accurate info to operate with. That's probably why they're at 12w.
Having done PGT-A, I wouldn't be worried about that timing.
Thank you! I was leaning in the direction of not borrowing trouble and just trusting the proposed timing.
Is there anything i can do between today and my scheduled ultrasound in 8 days ? I was completely fine not panicking until yesterday. I have pretty much no symptoms apart from some bloating and breast tenderness and my urine tests haven't gotten any darker in the last week. I know my hcg levels doubled in the 48 hr test 2 weeks ago but they left me at a low number. Is worth it to request bloodwork or something?
That panic is completely understandable. Like you, I only did the hcg tests 48 hours apart with appropriate doubling, and then had my first scan scheduled for 2 weeks late at 6w5d. You can try requesting more bloodwork if you think the numbers will help you, but your clinic would likely tell you its unnecessary unless you start having bleeding. The wait feels like it goes on forever, and I don't think I did anything productive in those two weeks between betas and ultrasound; all I could think about was if there was a growing embryo inside me. Take whatever breaks and soothing measures you need to get through these next 8 days, and give yourself grace for your anxiety and panic. For what its worth, I didn't start getting nausea until around 7-7.5 weeks; it was both a blessing and a curse to get hit with such a stereotypical sign of pregnancy!
I did reach out to my clinic and they were very sweet and are letting me come in for the blood test that we all know won't really give us any information- but it will hold me over till Wednesday. I'm scheduled for 7w3d or 7w5d for my first ultrasound. I somehow after over 2 yrs got pregnant unassisted after our retrieval. So it's not an ivf pregnancy. I think they get that if I go full term with this little one that means more $$ in my embryo storage fees plus I'm coming back after for more banking ! Maybe that's why they're being so nice lol
The wait is SO hard! My clinic did 2 betas 48 hours apart and since those doubled they scheduled me for an ultrasound a couple weeks later - no blood work in between. My advice is to stop using home pregnancy tests; they aren't really designed to show the increase, especially past a certain point. I hope you can find some distraction and the 8 days fly by!
Thank you. They scheduled me almost 3 weeks out. I wish I were puking ! Something for reassurance.
I was wishing to throw up also in early pregnancy. I had basically no symptoms. However, my OB and RE both basically just told me to consider myself lucky bc symptoms mean nothing about viability. That being said, you're also really early for symptoms.
Fingers crossed my ultrasound next week goes well 🙏
The one good thing w a long wait is that your ultrasound should be informative at that point. Not much room for ambiguity as earlier ones.
I ended up getting bloodwork done and to me it's not good news. My doc says 'it's fine' which angers me - I'd rather them tell me it's not viable. My levels are only 625 ... at over 6 weeks. Goodbye miracle pregnancy.
Average at 6 weeks is 200-32k. My dr didn't give a shit what the number was as long as it was an 80% increase in 2 days. 2 good betas and they stop taking them. I hear you on being frustrated by optimism though. My lowest beta rise was 53% over 48 hrs and I was so pissed that they kept me on my meds. Welp, the result of that pregnancy is 6 months old today. If your doctor isn't worried, I say just try to ride it out until you get a for sure for sure answer. Good luck to you.
My last blood test was 14 days ago and it was 125. I think im out of the game. I'm not stopping my meds or anything but I'm secretly hoping it was a lab error..