First Timer looking for others in the first tri to chat

[Ask4joy]

FX for you fostermom! I hope those tests darken up! What kind of tests are you using?

 

[co_fostermom]

I've been using EPT and kroger brand +- tests. I know people say not to trust those but there's just no solid evidence suggesting that they are so evil.

I've also used FRERs and only one has come back strong positive as of yet, but to that, I took it out of its casing right around the 3 minute mark because I thought I saw something, then put it in a drawer (backside up) and was gone for several hours. Came back to a super strong positive. Obviously I knew better than to trust it, but it certainly piqued my curiosity and made me start questioning somethings. I've just never ever seen an evap line be solid pink. I've attached a picture of the questionable FRER (I took it on 12 or 13dpo) as well as that test with other FRERs I took in which I KNOW those are classic evap lines. You can clearly tell the difference.

That being said, the rest of my FRERs since then have been negative. I took a CB +- SMU on Tuesday and got a faint positive within 3 minutes. Took a Kroger brand +- blue dye on Wednesday, SMU and got a faint positive within 3 minutes. Took an EPT today SMU and got another faint positive, though my husband and sister-in-law both agree that today's test was decidedly darker than the others.

Does that help? What do you think? Considering that the blue dye tests are all different brands, and they all gave me these faint positives, I really don't think they could all be evaps.

 

[AngelaALA]

Co fostermom I really hope this is your BFP, if the tests are correct then if you keep taking a test using FMU every other day then the lines should get darker and darker as your HCG levels increase if they dont then you need to go Drs to get it checked out get bloods drawn as they are your best bet to find out for sure xx

 

[Ask4joy]

^^ Agree with Angela. The tests should get slightly darker every day or at least every other day. A blood test will give you a quantitative answer. I always got faint evap lines on blue dye tests, I must say, so I stopped using them. I got a nasty evap on a FRER (curved handle) once too - I think they’ve recently stopped selling the curved ones. I know how maddening those faint lines can be! I hope you find out good news soon!

 

[AngelaALA]

Well Im officially 6wks along today half way through the first Trimester MS hasnt really hit at all and apart from my boobs growing, feeling hungry alot and belly bloating I havent really got any symptoms which has got me a little worried xx the closer my scan date comes the more I get anxious as I just hope everything is okay. It feels wierd right now due to lying to everyone, none of my family really knowing and no real symptoms it doesnt feel real, does anyone else feel like that.

Im hoping going for the scan will give me the reassurance Im looking for and make everything feel real to me xx

How is everyone doing xx

 

[co_fostermom]

Angela...yes I get the feeling that it’s not real, as do tons of other women on this site.

Congrats!

 

[Ask4joy]

Some women never get MS! I hope I’m one of them! I’m only 4w5d though, so anything could happen! My only symptoms are extreme tiredness, sore breasts and feeling extra cranky. The hunger has subsided a bit. I don’t feel nauseous but a lot of food is not appealing to me right now.

Fostermom - were you able to get a blood test done?

 

[co_fostermom]

Okay so here’s a question for peeps: I’m still in the guessing game but I honestly can’t deny how I feel.

Anyone else feel this weird fluttering/ bubbles/ I honestly don’t know how to describe it feeling in their lower abs (kind of midway between the pelvic bone and belly button?

It doesn’t hurt, but it’s the strangest feeling. I’ve read that it’s the uterus pushing on the intestines and making air pockets. It sort of feels like bubbles popping inside me.

I notice it the most when I’m sitting.

No blood test as of yet. Temps still high...AF nowhere to be seen. Symptoms come and go. I’m only a couple days “late” and that doesn’t even really count with me because my cycles are irregular, so I’m waiting a few more days to see what happens.

Considering that I’ve learned so much about baby making in the last six years of trying, this time is totally different. I do know that stress really does a number on me and I’ve noticed with my faint positives that when I’m relaxed, the tests make sense per my symptoms, but when I’m freaking out about it or obsessing the tests don’t make sense. Don’t know if cortisol can have an impact on that, but considering what it’s done to me in the past, I wouldn’t be surprised.

I’ll certainly keep everyone posted!

 

[AngelaALA]

Fostermom are you still taking tests as you should be seeing some sort of progression with the lines getting darker maybe you should try a pregnancy test thread until your BFP is truly confirmed as they will be in the same boat as you, you are welcome to stay here but they might give you better advice hun xx

Well I had my first midwife appt yesterday she wanted to see me sooner rather than later due to my fertility issues and if I didnt see her today then she wouldnt get to see me till after the new year. It took 2 hours going through everything, she asked me a huge list of questions, took height, weight, bmi, blood pressure, blood and urine and yep its now officially confirmed that Im pregnant lol xx

She has also booked my early dating scan for 30th Jan at 10:30 and she has put me down as high risk due to my fertility issues my mums diabetes and my dads DVT but apart from that she said my BP was good and so was my BMI. Its now starting to feel more real.

She also mentioned screening for downsyndrome what are your take on that ladies she said the screening doesnt give an actual answer but can say if your low or high risk would you have it done guys xx Ive heard horror stories that it caused unnecessary worry for people during pregnancy xx

 

[Starlight32]

I didn't do the NT scan with my first but I might this time. I haven't decided yet.

 

[Ask4joy]

Fostermom - I had some feelings like that after my transfer. It was this tingly pinchy feeling below my belly button. Given the fact that I know when the embryo was transferred and when I started getting a bfp, I think it was implantation. If an embryo has implanted and is causing symptoms, your tests will get a bit darker each day as hcg naturally doubles every 48-72 hours. I’ve had a few chemical pregnancies before doing IVF and got a faint positive for 2-3 days that then turned negative and AF showed (was able to confirm one of them with a blood test - was getting faint positives on every test I took and my blood hcg was only 7! Anything over a 5 is pregnant and when I’m not pregnant my hcg is almost 0 but that low is usually a chemical unless it was just caught super early. My tests weren’t getting darker which was my big clue.)

Angela - that’s great that you are set-up with your midwife. I’m not sure if I should get one? Or if we can afford one after $20,000 in IVF fees!

Regarding the testing, I don’t think we will do it since we did PGS on our embryos and were told it is 98% accurate, so we already know the embryo we transferred is chromosomally normal. If we hadn’t done that I may do the testing. Not necessary for Down syndrome because I wouldn’t abort a DS baby but for life threatening abnormalities that would make the baby incompatible with life after birth. Even then, it’s a tough decision.

No news from me really. Took anothe test for peace of mind yesterday and it was super dark / way darker than control line so this reassured me hcg is still rising!

 

[co_fostermom]

Ask4joy thanks for your insight. I have been worried about a chemical pregnancy. I'm also a believer and we've had a lot of people praying for us which is interesting. DH is still convinced that I'm pregnant, and he doesn't just say things like that or get excited easily like me lol.

That being said, this weekend, I had nothing but negatives so I thought I'm either a) crazy, b) one of those women who can't test until a week after their period is late or c) having a chemical pregnancy.

Today, however, I had three faint positives! Two of them were pink dye, though the first was a dollar store test and it was so faint that I decided to go ahead and use a CB+-. It came out with a much clearer line, though still faint. I waited about an hour and took a FRER and it too had a very faint line. That can't be a coincidence.

Anyhow, I do realize that this could be a chemical. I have also been concerned about an ectopic but I haven't had anything but mild cramping and back pain, though I'm still keeping an "eye" on it nevertheless.

For now, I'm going to relax and wait until Thursday to test again. I think it's a good sign that the positives came back today and that I had three and not just one, despite being faint.

I woke up with sore bbs and some mild cramping this morning. Other than the weird fluttering that is the most consistent thing going on, I feel "normal."

Thanks for everyone's support so far. You ladies are awesome!\

Angela - thanks for your thoughts. I am on a testing thread as well, but a week ago I was convinced that my faint positives would get darker when they didn't, so I've been asking them for their input as well. That being said, I have a lot of symptoms in common with confirmed pregnant women here, and while I don't put a lot of stock in that, there's just something making me hold on to that hope. After so many years of TTCing, I have developed a very healthy skepticism. As for your question about screening, I'm not sure I would want to, though I also don't know if I'd have much of a choice because no matter what, with a unicornuate uterus, my pregnancy is high risk. That being said, I wouldn't abort a DS baby either.

Ask4joy that's great about a reassurance test, and also really exciting!

 

[AngelaALA]

Ask4joy thats amazing progress I havent done another test as I refuse to buy anymore the midwife did a test yesterday so thats enough till my scan Im not doing anymore as I know I get crazy with it I did six tests in total within the first 2 wks of finding out lol

Also Ive got time to decide if I do want the test as it wont be until my dating scan on 30th Ive just heard horror stories of people being put in the high risk category and nurse starts discussing abortions due to how high the risk is a colleague said it really screwed him and his misses up he used to hear her crying upstairs which would make him break down in tears too as he felt helpless but when there daughter was born she was perfectly fine nothing wrong with her. He also said that due to all that stress for nothing she got postnatel depression and he highly recommended not to have it xx Im on the fence so far xx

Co foster I know what your going through Im LTTTC too and it does take its toll on you physically and mentally I really do think you need to book in to see your Dr get the blood work done hun thats the best thing you can do xx

 

[Ask4joy]

I can imagine the stress that test could cause. I’m not sure how old you are Angela but if you are under 35 your risk is lower for DS. Since we did PGS we saw what was wrong with each embryo that was abnormal. The geneticist said none of them would result in a live birth and most wouldn’t even result in a positive pregnancy test with the exception of the monosomy X (which results in live birth only 2% of the time). So chances are that you have a healthy pregnancy. We did not have any trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) embryos - that is another abnormality that obviously can result in live birth.

TMI alert - has anyone been getting random gushes of watery but kinda creamy CM? Hoping it’s normal!

 

[AngelaALA]

Ask4joy all our embryos were graded grade A which is really good quality so Im hoping thats a good sign, Im 34 but turn 35 next April so Im not far off the dreaded 35 year mark xx

And snap about the CM I have had loads midwife said its perfectly normal all signs are good signs xx

 

[Ask4joy]

Ok good to know I’m not alone!

Unfortunately some of our best graded embryos were abnormal and our mid graded ones were normal! Embryo morphology is not indicative of chromosome normality. Sorry, not trying to be a downer, just sharing what I know!

 

[co_fostermom]

Ask4joy I have TOTALLY had loads of watery/ creamy cm. I keep thinking I'm getting AF but it doesn't feel quite the same. Knowing my situation though, I'm not sure that's reassuring to you lol! More reassuring to me.

 

[Alligator]

Ladies I did like...15 (or more) tests with this BFP so clearly I was starting to go a little unhinged hahaha. Take as many as you like!

I forget who said (sorry baby brain and not wanting to scroll back because I'm lazy, I think Angela?) but I will do the NT scan mostly because I want to see baby again before we announce. Barring anything truly catastrophic, it won't change our choice either way - so we will go through with it

 

[AngelaALA]

Aligator your nearly past the first tri how are you feeling are you showing at all yet have you told anyone xx

Also just for discussion what are peoples thoughts about finding out the sex xx

 

[Alligator]

Thank you angela. Still feeling quite ill...week 10 has been the worst for me so far, although (touch wood) today is not bad. I don't feel great mind you but a little better than yesterday!

I don't think I'm starting to show exactly, at the end of the day my bloat gets a little extreme and I can definitely feel my tummy a little more if I lay on it or something (also getting out of the tub seems harder, I don't feel like I have as much range of motion and just notice my belly seems to get in the way more). I'm not a huge girl, I was pretty fit/active before sickness and pregnancy but I was by no means teeny, but I wore size small/size 6, and I'm only 5'3. So we'll see how soon I start to show. I've put on some weight from snacking all the time (to ward off nausea) and just being sedentary when my body is used to activity at a high intensity 5-6 times a week.

I'm hoping that in a few weeks I get a little bump so it stops looking like I just gained holiday weight lol. My pants no longer close comfortably (or some at all) so I'm living the leggings life currently!