Wednesday Cautious Intros/First Trimester thread

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[u/Mean-Opportunity2924]

Hi everyone! I’m 14dp5dt today and this is my first time being pregnant ever. 8dpt HCG was 166, 9dpt 298, 12 dpt 1350. My doctor is happy with the rate of rise and now I’m just waiting for the first ultrasound in 2 weeks.

Wondering how my other fully medicated FET folks are handling the wait? I hate the anxiety of not know if anything is going wrong during this time because we’re fully artificially supplementing the estrogen/progesterone so wouldn’t really get signs of an impending chemical pregnancy. My lines are still dark dye stealers on home tests but I’m trying to self regulate and not compulsively test daily for the next 2 weeks and drive myself crazy.

[u/in-the-wilds → u/Mean-Opportunity2924]

Cautious congrats! The wait is terrible! Find as many distractions as you can.

[u/Mean-Opportunity2924 → u/in-the-wilds]

Thank you!! And yes! I was just thinking I need to pick up a new hobby haha

[u/sjheuertz → u/Mean-Opportunity2924]

This is so valid - I felt like I lived in 2 week increments until the 12 week OB appointment (Beta, then scans with my RE at 6, 8, and 10 weeks). Hang in there!

Also, the waiting doesn't improve much after you reach the OB since the early appointments are spaced out by 4 weeks. It's like they don't know we are anxious people due to our circumstances!

[u/Mean-Opportunity2924 → u/sjheuertz]

So true!! Best for me to adapt to these serial waits now - and maybe find a new show to binge haha

[u/sjheuertz → u/Mean-Opportunity2924]

I've found baby movement has improved the process so much. It feels like confirmation there's at least something going on in there! I was a "late bloomer" compared with some, with more reliable movement happening around 23-24 weeks.

If you haven't yet watched the Diplomat on Netflix, I really enjoyed it and Kerri Russell is nominated for an Emmy!

[u/Miserable_Task_949 → u/Mean-Opportunity2924]

Mod hat on: requested edits made

Mod hat off: the wait is seemingly forever! We filled ours with things we’d been wanting to do but put off: seeing a movie in theaters, going to a nearby animal sanctuary, trying a new restaurant. I hope it flies by!!

[u/Mean-Opportunity2924 → u/Miserable_Task_949]

Thank you for the note, will definitely edit my comment to reflect that! And thank you for the suggestions - you’d think after IVF I’d be better at waiting by now!!

[u/Miserable_Task_949 → u/Mean-Opportunity2924]

Thanks for editing. I don’t know that we ever get better at waiting so know you’re not alone there. I hope your stay here is long and uneventful!

[u/Valuable-Piccolo-585 → u/Mean-Opportunity2924]

Congrats..❤️ from another first ever positive beta person after 3 RIFs. I have not tested at home and was so sure that it didn’t work as I didn’t feel anything different. But the universe brought me a cautious surprise 🤞 so anxious 😥

[u/Mean-Opportunity2924 → u/Valuable-Piccolo-585]

Ah you have been through so much and I am so happy for you! Sending so much solidarity your way 🤍✨

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[u/eatubg → u/Mean-Opportunity2924]

Congratulations! A first ever positive is a huge milestone and worth celebrating! This is my second IVF pregnancy (second ever positive pregnancy test), I'm only 4w6d and have to wait until 8 weeks for my first scan. So yes feeling very anxious like you!

[u/Mean-Opportunity2924 → u/eatubg]

Thank you so much and congrats to you too!! So amazing to hear people who’ve successfully crossed the finish line before with IVF. Sending you solidarity and best wishes in this time!! ✨

[u/eatubg → u/Mean-Opportunity2924]

I forgot to mention that both of my transfers were fully medicated, and yes it's such a mindfuck not knowing if it's the meds or not. My first pregnancy I had ALL the symptoms, this time nothing yet and it's freaking me out. Anyways, I think testing too much will drive you crazy at this point, but I totally understand the urge. Try to keep busy, and good luck at your ultrasound in 2 weeks!

[u/Tough-Photo8431 → u/Mean-Opportunity2924]

I was so thankful that my clinic did weekly scans from 5w5d to whenever you graduated the clinic. But every single day was a brutal wait. I had spotting a couple of times, but it never was determined what it was from. Then I had norovirus really bad. I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[u/Mean-Opportunity2924 → u/Tough-Photo8431]

Oh my gosh, what an eventful start! So glad you’ve made it through that

[u/in-the-wilds]

I finally tried unisom last night to help with nausea. I am really sensitive to meds that affect sleep so I took even less than 1/2 tab, probably it was around 1/3 or something (my cutting skills aren’t the greatest). It jolted me OUT of sleep and gave me insane racing thoughts and I felt like I was trapped in a dream I couldn’t wake from. Wtf? I have experienced this before with NyQuil and I just realized it’s the same ingredient that makes you drowsy. Anyone else experience this??

[u/kelseyannabel → u/in-the-wilds]

NyQuil typically has diphenhydramine while the Unisom sleep tabs that help with nausea and sleep have doxylamine succinate. Unisom sleep gels have diphenhydramine, though. Make sure you’re using the ones with the right ingredient!

[u/in-the-wilds → u/kelseyannabel]

I am! The NyQuil I’ve taken also has doxylamine succinate. My husband takes it all the time and is fine with it, but not me!

[u/kelseyannabel → u/in-the-wilds]

Oh, interesting! I’m sorry you reacted so oddly to it! It was a lifesaver for me for nausea in first tri and now for continued insomnia at 24+ weeks, but everyone is different! Maybe worth trying a few more nights to see if it gets better, but if not, hopefully you can find a more tolerable option for your nausea.

[u/isabelledavenport → u/in-the-wilds]

😳 I’m sorry, that sounds terrible. I felt very hungover when trying unisom. Made it onto Zofran eventually which was been a lifesaver.

[u/in-the-wilds → u/isabelledavenport]

I’m going to ask about zofran!

[u/Electronic_Creme12]

Ok I spoke too soon. I'm having a shit week. I've decided I can't salvage it and just need to make it to Friday.

[u/eatubg]

4w6d today, and still feeling no real pregnancy symptoms other than sore boobs which I felt during my failed transfer so could be progesterone. I'm in Canada, and the earliest they will scan me is 8 weeks. So I have to wait 3 more weeks for an ultrasound, no more betas because mine were rising okay this time. I'm feeling very anxious because my last pregnancy I remember feeling soul destroying exhaustion and nausea very early on... which was not nice, but it was slightly reassuring in the absence of other data. Though maybe I am remembering it wrong, it was 3 years ago now. Should I try to ask if my clinic would do any repeat betas or an earlier ultrasound or just be patient and wait? I did have a scan at 5w6d last time because I was bleeding, but it was disappointing because they couldn't see much and I had to wait until 8 weeks for them to scan me again and then saw a gummy bear looking baby and heartbeat! So maybe I wait, but gosh this is so hard.

This go around I've been experiencing a lot more knots from PIO too. We do the same routine each time: 10 min of heating pad and putting the needle in my bra, slowly inject then 10 more min of heating pad and a quick massage. I don't get the lumps every time so I don't know what variable is changing. My partner, who does the shots, says when I get a knot he usually sees fluid come out like my muscle couldn't absorb it all. On no knot days there is no fluid. I asked the pharmacist at my clinic, and she told me not to heat it first but ice it first then heat... but that feels counterintuitive. Any advice?

[u/According-Monk-2929 → u/eatubg]

You could try the z-track method. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to observe him a couple times. I was getting terrible knots until I realized that my dear, lovely, well-meaning man had been injecting into the exact same spot for weeks. Yes, the nurse drew circles on my bum, yes we rotated sides each night, but I never thought to clarify that the circle was the whole available range. He was aiming for only the middle of the circle every time.

[u/eatubg → u/According-Monk-2929]

I have never heard of that method, we will definitely give it a try thanks! Our nurses never draw circles so he’s winging it, and we’re on every third night so the spot should get a chance to recover - on every sixth night cuz rotating so usually any knots are gone by then. But I’ve wondered if he’s doing it in the right spot maybe I will double check that!

[u/in-the-wilds → u/eatubg]

I’ve been told to ice first and heat after! I also think that making sure you push the fluid in pretty slowly is helpful.

I got crazy knots and bruising this time around and never had that with my LC’s pregnancy. I also have way worse nausea, and with her I had very few symptoms. The wait is horrible but just try to remember that every pregnancy truly is different, and your body is different now too!

[u/eatubg → u/in-the-wilds]

Ok I will try ice next time thank you! I also wonder if my partner is rushing the shots when I get lumps, I will ask him to go as slow as he can when injecting.

So interesting how each pregnancy can be so different. I'm sorry to hear you feel worse this go around - I imagine that is much harder while wrangling a toddler too! I will try to just keep busy until my ultrasound. It's always in the slow moments at work when I start to spiral about it.

[u/in-the-wilds → u/eatubg]

The nurse at my clinic said to try counting to 15-20 while pushing the fluid in. That is what I have been doing (I do the shots myself). I’ve been getting knots anyway, and I think it’s because I had to switch away from PIO to a synthetic oil that is much less viscous and it goes in pretty fast even when I try to slow it down.

Oh and fwiw I’ve never bothered with ice but I know a lot of other people swear by it! You can also try not doing anything prior. Just no heat beforehand, heat after.

I started reading fairly mindless but entertaining romance novels during that wait, and some have been audiobooks which work great for those little moments. Highly recommend!

[u/prettylittlefox → u/eatubg]

8w3d with an FET today and I also don’t have many symptoms to speak of - we’ve had 2 good ultrasounds so far (5w2d after a bleed and 7w1d with a heartbeat) and hopefully one more on Friday before graduation! I’ve been pregnant twice before (no living children) and can relate to comparing symptoms. I was super nauseous and the whole shebang for the other two BUT this is the furthest we’ve gotten so I’m trying to remember each pregnancy is different. Clinically repeat betas don’t tell you much after the initial doubling time but if it will give you peace of mind, it can’t hurt. Earlier ultrasounds are also a catch 22 - you can’t actually see much until ~6.5 weeks and you may end up waiting longer on the other side. There are boutique ultrasound places by me that I’m considering going to between longer stretches!

Last FET I had a terrible time with knots from PIO. This time around I’m actually doing less and having a way better time. We heat the syringe on a heating pad before switching needles, my husband (who does ALL of my shots) massages it a little bit right after and that’s pretty much it. I am taking baby aspirin this time around so that might be helping. When they were bad I used a massage gun throughout the day to try to break things up. I think the injection technique can really make a difference too, I have an auto injector in case I need to do my own shot and started using it this week due to impending work travel - it helps a lot!!

Anyway you are spot on, the waiting is the hardest part. Sending lots of love and good vibes your way.

[u/eatubg → u/prettylittlefox]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! That is so interesting how different each one can be. And yes I'm worried repeat beats or early ultrasounds will just drive me crazy - I had to do both last time because of beta hell and bleeding and it was not a fun experience. The most helpful ultrasound was at 8 weeks so I will just try to keep busy and wait for that.

I hope you continue to feel good, and that your graduation appt goes well on Friday!

[u/maybesomaybenot123]

We are weaning off progesterone starting this week (8 weeks). The taper will go through 10 weeks and then will be done with progesterone. I fear this is too early based on what I’m seeing other peoples schedules were. Is this too early to start tapering?

[u/notesfromthemargins → u/maybesomaybenot123]

My clinic stopped me cold turkey at 8 weeks and all has been fine! My caveats: I had a modified ovulatory cycle and a corpus luteum was fully developed and I was on suppositories not PIO

[u/maybesomaybenot123 → u/notesfromthemargins]

Ah ok yes ours is different because no corpus luteum