Is anyone else pregnant for the first time after IVF?

[dmama]

Just dropping by to say I hope everyone is well!!!
I am sure we are all a bit sleep deprived......but it is worth it!!!!!

Caseys - I am trying to bf but also not sure I am loving it and might consider pumping and bottle feeding...I'll have to go back to work so will be doing that anyway....can I ask what wasn't working for you?

 

[Miss Lemon]

Congrats Dmama! Fantastic news.
Sleep deprived doesn't describe it - I'm still breastfeeding every 3 hours, and it takes an hour and half, so getting sleep in hour and half chunks. Not good. It still really painful a lot of the time, so I'm going to breastfeeding drop in session again next thursday and if still can't sort it, going to swap to formula. I find myself getting angry at them at 4am as they shred my nipples! Not good.

Hope you all ok.

 

[davecr033]

Congrats dmama! Welcome to motherhood - sleepless nights and sore nipples and all. But isn't it still amazing!

I ended up with bad sore nipples the first week. Medela cooling pads helped. The two weeks later ended up with nipple blisters. Incredibly painful. Doc recommended a lactation consultant who was worth ever penny. In hindsight I should have gone to a group session or something sooner. She recommended football position and feeding 15min on each breast (I was feeding on one side and then the other at the next feeding). She also recommended Mother's love nipple cream. I also started feeding one to two bottles of breast milk at night and pumping after each feeding. The lady said pumping after each feeding will bring more milk in and it will be less suction work for the baby.

Hope this helps you ladies. I am now getting enough milk to begin freezing too to prepare for returning to work.

I am thoroughly enjoying time at home with her though the days seem to run away pretty fast. Some days I have to make an effort to get out of the PJs

Wishing all if you well. Oh and Casey's I was finally able to shave as well. Felt so good to feel semi normal.

 

[Caseys]

Sorry about my lack of responses lately, I somehow killed my computer and everything had to be reinstalled. I was able to save the pics of Max at least though, phew!

I switched to pumping and bottle feeding after about a week and a half because Max and I were fighting each other and I felt it got in the way of our bonding because when I was done feeding him I didn't want to cuddle him, I just wanted to be done with him. Switching to pumping was so much less stressful for both of us and I like knowing how much he's getting - he's gained a lot of weight and my husband and I can switch off feeding him when we're both home so it's a win-win situation, though exclusively pumping is time consuming and still a lot of work as well.

I am also a cow, I pump at least 40oz a day, though I am trying to wean myself off pumping and eventually switch to formula. I don't want to have to pump at work so am now only pumping 3x a day and will see if I can drop down to 2x a day by the time I go back to work. If I have to I will self-express at work to relieve pressure, just don't trust myself to remember to always bring my pump with me as well so I think my plan will work, we'll see.

I go back to work in 3 weeks, boo! I am ready for it though, I think... I will miss Max but my husband is staying home with him for 3 weeks once I go back so it will help with the transition. He doesn't go into daycare until the day after Memorial Day.

How is everyone else doing?

 

[dmama]

Oh thank you ladies for saying what you did....

I also find myself at 4am getting upset with the baby about how long she feeds....OMG, my nipples get so sore....I am gonna see if I can get a lactation consult or go to the latch clinic....I just feel sometimes that I just can not take it...What do people in the jungle do? I am sure their nipples hurt too and they don't have formula or pumping...?
Anyway, I might try too bottle at night trick...that seems to be the worst of it for us. I was pumping a lot te first two weeks because my milk was slow to come in, so I had a lot of milk supply...I only pump additionally once a day or so now in addition to bf every 2-3 hours, but I might increase it to have some to freeze for when I go back to work...we will see...I hope not to switch to formula, but this child eats a lot and my nipps just can only take so much....I can not imagine twins!!!!!!!!!!

other than that, things are fine...she is a ppretty good baby and doesn't do too much crying...sleeps a lot during the day and then looks at me with wide open eyes at 5am!!!! If she wasn't so cute, I don't know what I would do! HA HA! I am loving it all still the same though....it is amazing how that works!

 

[davecr033]

Hello ladies,

Good to hear from some of you and how things are going with the babies. The lactation consultant and feeding from bottle at night made a huge difference for me. My little one also sleeps almost 4 hrs sessions at night too which helps me to have energy for the feeding. Once I got past the sore nips I was able to handle the 4am feelings so much better. I am also Lucky to have a great hubby who will get up and burb and put her to sleep after feelings.

Caseys-wow on the amount youre pumping. That is awesome. I am now able to pump almost 6 ozs early in the morning while hubby feeds her from the bottle. And she is starting to drink almost 4 ozs. She is finally starting to get chubby

Dmama - you're right I can't I aging with twins. I have a friend who did have twins thru ivf and she is lucky and has enough milk for both and does both bf and bottle but breast milk exclusively.

Hope all of you are doing well. I am thoroughly enjoying being a mom. Life is amazing with this little girl. She gives us these beautiful big smiles that just makes all the aches and sleepless nights all worth it. Going back to work in another month for me and I am not looking forward to it but there are days when I sometimes think it will be nice to ba around adults again - is that wrong.

 

[dmama]

Hello ladies,

Going back to work in another month for me and I am not looking forward to it but there are days when I sometimes think it will be nice to ba around adults again - is that wrong.

I am going to try to feed from the bottle at night to see what will happen, but that means pumping a bit more during the day because I also need to have a stash for when I go back to work...Hard to figure it out...I am calling lactation consultant tomorow for some help...

But Davecr033, I don't think it is wrong at all to want to be around adults....I tried to have some time with my friend today, but baby was not having it and my social time got cut short....so...I do feel like sometimes we need some time with big people...It does not mean one bit that we don't love our little ones....I am sort of looking forward to it when she can talk...but now she seems like she is recognizing more that I am at least the milk supply if not her mother, and wanting to cuddle more and more which melts my heart.....But I agree, I miss hanging out with big girls a bit...

 

[manuiti]

:wave: Would it be ok if I join this thread? It looks like most of you on here have already had your babies though. I'm 37 and am at 11dp3dt and got my first ever bfp 2 days ago. This was my first IVF/ ICSI cycle. I'm over the moon! I know it could all change so easily, but I'm just going to enjoy every moment while I can.

Congratulations to you all by the way!

 

[Caseys]

:wave: Would it be ok if I join this thread? It looks like most of you on here have already had your babies though. I'm 37 and am at 11dp3dt and got my first ever bfp 2 days ago. This was my first IVF/ ICSI cycle. I'm over the moon! I know it could all change so easily, but I'm just going to enjoy every moment while I can.

Congratulations to you all by the way!

Welcome and congrats!! How exciting!! Yes, please join, it would be great if this thread got going again with some newbies.

Please ask us as many questions as you want/need, as we've all struggled through the process and those that got pregnant naturally just don't get it.

Yay, I am so happy for you.

 

[manuiti]

Thanks so much Caseys!

 

[manuiti]

:wave: ladies! Hope you're all doing ok.

I'm just back from my first beta test. And now I've got to wait until 6pm tomorrow to get my results! It's like a cruel form of torture. lol

 

[dmama]

:wave: Would it be ok if I join this thread? It looks like most of you on here have already had your babies though. I'm 37 and am at 11dp3dt and got my first ever bfp 2 days ago. This was my first IVF/ ICSI cycle. I'm over the moon! I know it could all change so easily, but I'm just going to enjoy every moment while I can.

Congratulations to you all by the way!

welcome! i think that is faulous to have success on trial number one!!! especially with that fsh...fabulous indeed! keep us posted!

 

[manuiti]

Got my hCG beta result back from yesterday's test - 755 mIU/ml. I assume that's ok??? Just waiting for the clinic to call me now so that I can tell them and I can find out what happens next.

 

[Caseys]

Got my hCG beta result back from yesterday's test - 755 mIU/ml. I assume that's ok??? Just waiting for the clinic to call me now so that I can tell them and I can find out what happens next.

That sounds really good but I don't remember mine, not sure I got one when I was that far along. Let us know what the clinic says.

 

[manuiti]

I got my call and they're happy with the results, no need for another one. Now I'm to make an appointment for a scan in two weeks time. But it's never easy. My RE is the one who does the scans. He gets back from holiday the day before I head off on holiday for 3 weeks and doesn't attend at the clinic until half an hour before my flight which is obviously not going to work out. So the midwife is going to talk to him about it and will call me back tomorrow to see what he suggests. It's never simple with me!

 

[manuiti]

The midwife called me back today and I'm going to have to make a special trip for my scan, which is going to be on May 4th and should make me 6 weeks + 1. Might juuuuuust be lucky enough to catch a heartbeat, but if not, I know it's still too early to worry. But fingers crossed. And fingers crossed that there's something there!

So I'll be flying in in the afternoon, taxi to the clinic, hang around for an hour or so, have my scan, taxi back to the airport and last flight back home. And that'll be me $438 lighter before I've even paid for the scan.

At some point I suppose I'll need to decide if I'm going to carry on with my RE who also happens to be an ob/gyn and do these flights but have access to the best/ latest equipment etc or find someone locally. And I've also now decided what health insurance to get so need to take that out soon. Thankfully here there's a law where they can't hammer you for pre-existing conditions and everything simply kicks in the month after you take out the policy.

 

[dmama]

The midwife called me back today and I'm going to have to make a special trip for my scan, which is going to be on May 4th and should make me 6 weeks + 1. Might juuuuuust be lucky enough to catch a heartbeat, but if not, I know it's still too early to worry. But fingers crossed. And fingers crossed that there's something there!

So I'll be flying in in the afternoon, taxi to the clinic, hang around for an hour or so, have my scan, taxi back to the airport and last flight back home. And that'll be me $438 lighter before I've even paid for the scan.

At some point I suppose I'll need to decide if I'm going to carry on with my RE who also happens to be an ob/gyn and do these flights but have access to the best/ latest equipment etc or find someone locally. And I've also now decided what health insurance to get so need to take that out soon. Thankfully here there's a law where they can't hammer you for pre-existing conditions and everything simply kicks in the month after you take out the policy.

That's a great beta....althoough I also didn't have one that far along, so let's see whether one or both of your embies implanted!!!! I guess I don't understand where you are actually....Do you have to take a flight to get to your OB visits? Is that sustainable for the duration of the pregnancy and when you get further along, will it be okay to fly that often? Anyway, just questions, I am sure you are sorted out there......Glad that insurance isn't an issue....Keep us posted! It is nice having another pregnant lady on here.....

How is everyone else...Caseys, I see you here...how it going?

I am doing okay with my daughter now...she is 5 weeks and I can't believe it....breastfeeding got much better and just in the nick of time because I was about to give in....my nips just were about to fall off, but I guess she got the hang of it finally, or the nips got stronger! LOL!! Just trying to get used to doing things much more slowly and getting less done each day...I figure it will just be the way it is....If I were at work, nothing gets done around the house anyway, so trying not to stress, but seems like if I am home, I should be doing something...so gotta get that out of my head, becasue I can do very little now that she is getting to learn that mommy's chest is a nice place to rest her head! ha ha....but I am loving it really....

Hope everyone is well.....

 

[davecr033]

Hello ladies

Welcome manutius and congrats! We are very excited for you and looking forward to hearing your progress.

Good to hear you are doing well dmamabwith feeding. I am loving it now especially since the little girl is more connected with me when eating. Looking at you with her big pretty eyes. It's amazing the connection. She is now returning smiles too and so I am loving time with her.

Good to hear from you Caseys. How are you doing? When do you return to work? I return in 2 weeks and am not looking forward to it. I am now pumping almost 7 ozs especially early morning hours. Ive been storing away like crazy for when I go back to work. I am lucky that hubby has decided to stay at home with our little girl. But still going to be hard to not be around her all day and see her growing up and learning all the new things.

Hope you are doing well miss lemon. It will be good to hear how you are doing with the twins.

 

[manuiti]

I had a major panic today. I realised that I only had enough progesterone support to last me until Monday night. That was okay until I phoned up to order more (no - you can't get it where I live, it has to be couriered) but the courier company doesn't work on a Sunday and then Tuesday is a holiday here. And because the progesterone needs to be refrigerated, they won't send it if it's going to be sat around in a warehouse somewhere for a day, so they won't send it until Wednesday and won't arrive here until Thursday. So then major hormonal panic ensued thinking I'd just ruined everything and I would lose the baby on Tuesday since I wouldn't have any progesterone left and my body won't be making enough on its own yet. Finally logic crept in after sobbing my eyes out, and I sent the midwife a text. She called me back immediately, asked me if I was okay and I blubbed down the phone to her that I was 'a bit worried'. lol She laughed and told me not to worry, there was another form of progesterone (it's a pill I shove up my foo foo instead of a gel) that I could take once I run out, every 8 hours, until the new stuff arrives. And breathe...

 

[dmama]

I had a major panic today. I realised that I only had enough progesterone support to last me until Monday night. That was okay until I phoned up to order more (no - you can't get it where I live, it has to be couriered) but the courier company doesn't work on a Sunday and then Tuesday is a holiday here. And because the progesterone needs to be refrigerated, they won't send it if it's going to be sat around in a warehouse somewhere for a day, so they won't send it until Wednesday and won't arrive here until Thursday. So then major hormonal panic ensued thinking I'd just ruined everything and I would lose the baby on Tuesday since I wouldn't have any progesterone left and my body won't be making enough on its own yet. Finally logic crept in after sobbing my eyes out, and I sent the midwife a text. She called me back immediately, asked me if I was okay and I blubbed down the phone to her that I was 'a bit worried'. lol She laughed and told me not to worry, there was another form of progesterone (it's a pill I shove up my foo foo instead of a gel) that I could take once I run out, every 8 hours, until the new stuff arrives. And breathe...

Ahhh yes....the hormones will make you crazy!!! Glad that your midwife got you the other form....Actually, that is what I took...the pill form....Are you having any pregnancy symptoms?