{"id":2229,"date":"2020-11-10T09:44:02","date_gmt":"2020-11-10T09:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/?p=2229"},"modified":"2020-11-27T11:38:06","modified_gmt":"2020-11-27T11:38:06","slug":"two-week-wait-cope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/two-week-wait-cope\/","title":{"rendered":"How to cope with the two-week wait<\/strong> after IVF"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SO FAR, I'VE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL OF SEVEN TWO-WEEK WAITS AFTER FERTILITY TREATMENT<\/strong>. The first six resulted in BFNs that were as big and fat and negative as they come. The seventh began as a small, thin, puny positive \u2013 and it gradually beefed up into a line that undeniably, unmistakably meant \u201cpregnant\u201d. Thirty-six pregnancy tests later, I started to believe it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about the 14 days prior<\/em> to the pregnancy test? For many women, the two-week wait between \u201cembryo transfer day\u201d and \u201cpregnancy test day\u201d consists of wracked nerves, compulsive googling, fervent avoidance of soft cheese, chewed lips and anxious tears. It\u2019s a bit of a shitty experience, to put it very Britishly, and often more distressing than the preceding months of consultations and treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But does it have<\/em> to be this way? NO! Plenty of coping strategies can help you deal with the dreaded Fortnight of Fertility Fear; you just need to know what they are and how to use them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feel free to pick and mix from any of the suggestions below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try not to obsess over symptoms <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your body will feel different after embryo transfer \u2013 particularly if you\u2019ve had a fresh (rather than a frozen) transfer, because it hasn\u2019t had a chance to calm down from all the stimulation drugs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re unlucky enough to experience even a milld case of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS<\/a>) after egg retrieval, you'll feel even more “odd\u201d: you'll be bloated from the build-up of fluid in your abdomen, and you'll experience nausea, ovary pain (from “stretched” ovaries) and mild weight gain caused by the build-up of fluid. These symptoms of OHSS typically don't kick in until a few days after egg retrieval, which means you'll experience them around the same time as your fresh embryo transfer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nausea, ovary pain, mild weight gain\u2026? Sounds like a classic case of pregnancy to you and me. In fact, it\u2019s just a classic example of how life is sometimes totally ironic in a totally crappy way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t get OHSS or you\u2019re having a frozen embryo transfer, you may still feel twinges\/cramping, bloating, breast tenderness and tiredness during the two-week wait \u2013 and you may also be more emotional\/moody than normal. Unfortunately, what looks and feels like pregnancy could actually be the side effects of the extra progesterone you\u2019re taking as part of your treatment\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your own body will have been producing progesterone during stimulation, but doctors often prescribe extra \u2013 just to be sure. Most IVF patients are told to start using progesterone pessaries and\/or injections about a week before embryo transfer, and then to continue taking them (in decreasing doses) until around the tenth week of pregnancy. Why is progesterone so important? Because it helps to keep the uterus lining thick and cushy for the embryo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The side effects of progesterone supplementation (the aforementioned bloat, cramps, breast tenderness, tiredness and moodiness) are simply another example of crappy IVF irony, and they\u2019re another reason not to trust any symptoms during the two-week wait. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try not to obsess over not<\/em> having symptoms<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plenty of women won\u2019t have a single symptom during the two-week wait \u2013 including me (until Week 6, when all hell broke loose on my gag reflex). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the two-week wait, there\u2019s no need to worry if you have no symptoms \u2013 and the same goes for the rest of your pregnancy (if you get the good news that you\u2019re pregnant). The only time to worry is if \u2013 once you know you\u2019re definitely pregnant \u2013 your previously strong symptoms have suddenly disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that many women get pregnant and have no idea for the first few months because they have no symptoms or easy-to-miss symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feel reassured that an embryo really can\u2019t fall out once it\u2019s been transferred<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No amount of sneezing, weeing, coughing or jumping will \u201cdislodge\u201d your embryo and cause it to fall out. In an effort to convince you, here are quotes from a couple of authoritative sources: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce the embryo is placed in the womb there is no chance for the embryo to fell down as it is safely tucked between the two walls of the womb..\u201d \u2013Homerton NHS hospital <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany patients call their nurse after transfer, worried that their embryo may fall out, possibly while going to the bathroom. We assure you that this is not possible, as the embryo is in a much smaller space than you may realize. As one physician said, \u2018It\u2019s like a grain of sand in a peanut butter sandwich.\u2019\u201d \u2013Shady Grove Fertility<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An embryo might not implant<\/em> once it\u2019s in the uterus, of course, but that\u2019s a totally different situation \u2013 and again, a failure to implant has nothing to do with sneezing, weeing, coughing or jumping either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cliche alert: try meditating (or other relaxation techniques)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I know, I know: \u201cmeditation\u201d is pretty much considered filler content these days \u2013 i.e. an easy way to increase the word count. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used to think the same\u2026 until I tried meditation. Admittedly, I only started meditating after<\/em> the birth of my son rather than during IVF or the two-week wait, but I\u2019m pretty sure it would have helped massively if I\u2019d been aware of it while undergoing my daily scans and blood tests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve fallen off the meditation wagon recently, but writing this article has reminded me how helpful it was during a particularly difficult time in my life \u2013 and how I need to start again. I can\u2019t describe how it works; all I know is that ten minutes a day of meditation enabled me to both feel clearheaded and stop having unhelpful imaginary conversations or self-flagellating thoughts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If meditation isn\u2019t your thing, there are tons of other tried-and-tested relaxation techniques \u2013 from simple in-and-out deep breathing to yoga, tai chi, long walks and self-massage. Google \u201crelaxation techniques\u201d for some inspiration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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