Pregnancy after OHSS

[Nikkiireney]

Hi everyone

I was hoping to hear from some other ladies who have experienced severe OHSS (including being hospitalised and having the drain put in) and who then went on to have a full pregnancy.

It's my first pregnancy and I had severe OHSS and I'm not sure if certain symptoms are worse due to the OHSS.

Main issues are:

1. Huge belly at 16weeks. I still look 6months pregnant, the swelling isn't really going down. Is this normal post OHSS?

2. Stomach pains. This is beyond the round ligament pain I'm reading about. I'm worried I damaged muscles in my stomach due to the rapid swelling of my stomach during the OHSS. Now the actual baby is growing, I don't feel that my stomach can support my uterus. I'm getting very bad back ache which I think is as a result.

Have asked GP and midwife's about the above but they dont know anything about OHSS and keep saying 'just put it behind you'. Mentally I think I'm over it but am concerned physically I'm not...

Anyone else experienced something similar?

Thanks! X

[Laura3101]

Hi

I have no experience myself with ohss as Im about to start my first ivf cycle but my friend had this in her latest pregnancy through ivf including being hospitalised as at one point she was unresponsive and couldn't breath by herself and she is due her baby in less than 4 weeks with all going to plan. She was only about 8 weeks pregnant when she was hospitalised so keep going and remain postive xx

[gillybean78]

Hi

I had bad OHSS I just avoided being hospitalised but I looked around 6 months pregnant just after egg transer it was horrible as I had to try and hide it as didn't want people to think I was pregnant as I didn't even know if I was yet. I felt very sick and had bad stomach pains. Mine did eventually go away and my tummy wasn't as swollen. I was lucky to get a BFP and went onto have a perfectly fine and heathly pregnancy. I now have a beautiful baby boy who was born 4 months ago and he is absolutely perfect. I was like you very nervous and stressed but please try and relax and enjoy it xx

[Medeine]

Hi there, I too had OHSS and it was horrible! I swelled up very quickly and was hospitalised for 3 days so they could monitor my fluids. This was at 4 weeks so we could just about do a pregancy test which showed a BFP. My liver was also being damaged due to the pressure exerted on it by all the fluid, and while I was released from hospital I had to go back every few days for blood tests and I think there was evidence of liver damage for nearly 2 months.

I was huge too. All the while I spent week after week at home like a beached whale on the sofa... my belly felt like it was going to explode, my back ached - esp when I sat upright for a longer period of time, I got a sharp pains on one side of my spine. I also had a bunch of other weird symptoms such as temperature spikes and diarrhea. But I think the worst of it was not knowing when it will end! Google mentioned 2-3 weeks as average, but the nurse on this site got it almost right as she warned me that it can take up to 3 months. In the end it started clearing up after about 2.5 months! All the while I was being reassured that the baby was fine and that might have been the true, but I cetainly was not fine. My health deteriorated, I lost weight (everywhere by the swollen belly!), I couldn't exercise as I usually did... and I'm sure that didn't help the baby. Once I was mobile enough to go back to work, I got really bad colds which I am sure were made worse by my OHSS weakened body.

But to end on a happy note, we had our 20 week scan yesterday and found out we are having a boy! I feel like I can finally start enjoying my pregancy and just when many women start looking bigger, I feel better and look thinner than I have done for months!!

How long have you now had OHSS? Regarding stomach and back pains, have you invesigated those pregancy belts to support your tummy? I got one with velcro and found that it helped a little when I was up right...

My thoughts and sympathies are with you as I really know how miserable OHSS is! wishing you all the best and that the swelling comes down soon!!!

X

[Juliatom]

I had OHSS and no embryo transfer. Day 6 blastocyst ,12 embryo stop growing.

Than IVF specialist blame on OHSS.

[Nikkiireney]

Thanks for all the comments. I got OHSS on week 4, after my transfer, as they had collected 33 eggs.

I'm glad they went ahead with the transfer as my pregnancy luckily has progressed well.

I had a 16week GP appt this week and they heard the heartbeat immediately so all good. All the way through my OHSS I was told it has no impact on the baby/ embryo and I think it's just lucky that that baby made it through.

I'm finding it hard as all the antenatal specialists I've met post my IVF team are very dismissive of OHSS and any impact it is having. I can't tell if they are trying to get me to move on or if they just don't know enough about the condition.

Either way things are getting easier, I've started yoga which feels like at least I'm trying to strengthen up my muscles.

I'm also loosing weight not gaining it which is a bit weird but am starting to feel much more positive about the baby which is a relief.

I think a lot of the stress is normal for a first time IVF baby... You can't go from Infertile to Pregnant overnight!

Good luck to all you OHSS sufferers, thanks for your comments it's nice to not be alone! XOX