no fetal pole at 7 weeks

[Leesalou]

hi everyone

I've been hovering in the background for sometime, but was just after so feed back if anyone been through the same,

I think I'm potentially going through a miscarriage,

I had a successful transfer in 2018 my son is now 5,

as we had 3 Frosties we thought we would try for a sibling.

we had a failed fet last October and then got a positive on 6th feb from my 2nd fet week later I had brown spotting and a tiny bit of pink blood when wiping, clinic said it's normal not to worry unless heavy bleed and fill a pad with in an hour. Few day on from that i had more brown blood, and period cramps,

Got to my 7 week viability scan on 23/02 to find a pregnancy sac nothing else, they referred me to epu , that evening after the scan I had brown blood and also more on the applicator from pessaries. And to continue with medication until epu scan! So had to buy more

Lucky epu got me in Saturday morning they found single gestation sac containing the yolk sac but again no fetal pole, they say it doesn't look hopeful but they can't treat it as a miscarriage as I've not heavly bled and it also hadn't been a week since my viability scan,

So I've got to have another scan this Friday all whilst carrying on taking all of my medications,

My head is a complete mess, they said as my dates are so accurate they should have seen something but have to rescan just incase.

I'm 99% sure it's over as after the 2nd brown bleed I lost my symptoms was only sore boobs and constantly weeing, but literally have nothing at all.

After scan on Friday if still nothing there then I'm being sent up to the doctor to discuss further options, unless the miscarriage happens before then I guess,

constantly knicker watching and dreading going to the toilet incase the worst happens,

it's such a horrible place to be in and the fact I've got to carry on with my meds I just wish I knew either way now not having to wait even longer.

Just wondering if anyone else been through this if so what was the outcome ,

I'm meant to be 7 + 4,

thanks for reading

[minnesota_girl]

Hi Leesalou, I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this - it is a position I've been in before - with the transfer prior to this one.

Can I ask, did they give you any detail at the viability scan around the size of the yolk sac and pregnancy sac? Many times they can tell you a bit more - for example, I was told that since the yolk sac was quite big (e.g. over 7mm) it was indicative of a potential miscarriage and non-viable - and that the baby was measuring over 2 weeks behind, so for them it was the combination of those two things that made it very unlikely - and it was definitive enough that my IVF doctors allowed me to stop meds.

I've just had another scan for this current transfer and while it's technically a twin pregnancy one of the babies is the same as last time - e.g. too big yolk sac and baby measuring behind, and I got the same message - to expect that one not to be viable.

I'm so sorry, the halfway and waiting (and buying more medicine) is so difficult. I hope you get answers soon - and give yourself what you need to get to Friday (I called in sick for a few days last time).

[Leesalou in reply to minnesota_girl]

they said on the viability what it should be,

And then epu 17.0mm G sac & 6.9mm yolk sac, they said truthful it doesn't look hopeful and I'm sure they are correct,

Sorry that you have been through it too, I'm sure the meds are prolonging the worst but they said it's not the case, but sure it is,

Hope you're next scan goes well, congratulations on you're pregnancy,

On the previous one did you have to have a d&c ?

X

[minnesota_girl]

the other thing to say is that it took about week after stopping meds to have a proper bleed with the miscarriage, as I know you said that you were worried about that and when/how things might happen - but I hadn't had any bleeding prior to that point. With another miscarriage, I had light bleeding for several weeks but it was never more than that.

thinking of you x

[Leesalou in reply to minnesota_girl]

see I've not had any red blood Just a little pink the Wednesday week after my bfp, I've really not wanted to carry on but then said it's best too just in case,

[DreamingOfTwo79]

Hello Leesalou, I am so very sorry you are going throught this. They detected an empty gestational sack (i.e. no fetal pole) in one of my pregnancies at 7w+0, I know how heart-wrenching and devastating this feels. I don't want to give you any false hope, I am so sorry, lovely. At the time I went deep into the google rabbit hole searching for just a flicker of hope but, realistically, if at 7 weeks there is no heart beat detected in an IVF pregnancy, where they do know the dates, then the pregnancy is most likely not viable. Having to continue the meds and wait another week or two for a repeat scan is complete agony and mental torture. I always opted for natural management with my miscarriages but after I had retained placental tissue after my most recent one which then left me no other option but to have a D&C, I would probably opt for a D&C in the first instance if I am ever faced with this kind of trauma again. It is considered to be a safe procedure, I found all the nurses and doctors extremely sensitive to the situation on the day and I felt a sense of closure in the physical sense after such a prolonged period of waiting for the pregnancy to come away naturally. At last I could focus on coming to terms with my loss on an emotional level which was almost impossible when I still saw two lines on the test every day even though I knew most of the tissue had already left my body. I am so sorry this is happening to you, sending you hugs and I hope you have good support around you. Be gentle with yourself and take all the time you need to process this, with every loss we lose so much of ourselves and the hopes we had for a life with our baby. Take good care XX

[Leesalou in reply to DreamingOfTwo79]

thank you so much for replying. Sorry you've been through it also, it's horrible situation to be in, I've not lost any clots yet or had any red or heavy bleeding, which I do believe is down to the medication, I have my miracle son which gets me through, I've not told anyone apart from my husbands parents who helped fund our cycles, and 2 of my friends, just feel lost as I'm 99% sure it's gone but having to wait till Friday to have it all confirmed, while still taking all my medication,

I've been Googling since the day of spotting driven my self mad, I've tried to stay off it as it's not good, I thought I'd post on here today just in the hope that someone unfortunately has been through this too how they coped and what happen,

When I got my bfn In October although very upsetting I got over it, and crazily gave it another go as we had the embryo, what's more upsetting this time is that I got the bfp had symptoms to have it all taken away,

X

[DreamingOfTwo79 in reply to Leesalou]

It's so cruel, my heart breaks for you, lovely. We are both so blessed that we have a living child already, that does not take away from the heartache you are feeling now. Everything you feel is absolutely valid. Especially when we go through so much on this IVF journey only to have our dearest dream and everything that goes with it snatched from us again! We feel the loss not just for ourselves but we grieve the life our baby never had, we grieve the sibling our child never gets to cuddle. I am currently waiting eagerly for our first FET and in my head I've already got my birth plan sorted, talk about taking things one day at a time... After all the devastation of the past few years I completely indulge myself in allowing myself to get excited at having another chance. We need to live in hope and expect the best, how else are we supposed to get through this IVF rollercoaster ride intact? The long wait for certainty is the worst, you just want to know where you stand so you can allow yourself to start to process what's happening and eventually move forward when the time feels right. You will know what you need in order to get through the next few weeks and months when it will feel most acute. Try and lean on support where you can. I always found I couldn't allow myself the luxury to properly grieve the loss of my babies as I also need to be a functioning Mummy to my toddler but it is so important that you process what's happening in your way, there is no right or wrong way. Give yourself all the space and time. If you can afford to, perhaps take some time off work or find something to distract you a little until your next scan. You are strong, you will get through this experience, we are all here to listen if you want to offload and share the burden a little. XX

[Leesalou in reply to DreamingOfTwo79]

thank you, I currently only work 1 day a week as I'm my sons career he has cerebral palsy we didn't find out till he was 18 months old (you can follow his page on Fb if you wish Vincent's Fundraising)

Yes definitely always forever grateful for Vincent, and if we hadn't the Frosties we wouldn't of worried, and we thought long and hard about what to do took 5 years to decide, we discussed the all the negatives, and main reason for trying for sibling was that my son would hopefully always have someone to watch him always, as I'm no spring chicken anymore lol

Life is cruel really is, i do still have one left but I'm not sure I can go through it again, it's mentally exhausting, plus there is the funds,

I always try to not let myself get too excited incase it doesn't work,

Good luck ok you're up coming cyle xx

[DreamingOfTwo79 in reply to Leesalou]

Oh Leesalou, I had a look on your FB page, Vincent is adorable, such a happy and brave little fighter, you and your family are an inspiration to me, thank you for sharing this very personal side of your family story. I'm sat here in tears at the injustice and unkindness of life sometimes. It is so difficult in the darker moments to keep focussing on the things that you still have on your side like the one frozen embryo still waiting for you, that is great news and hopefully it can be some comfort to you eventually. Have you had any testing done prior to your transfers? When I went through my empty gestational sack experience, my recurrent miscarriage clinic consultant suggested that it was bad luck and most likely due to a chromosomal abnormality in the baby but that it was a numbers' game and to just keep trying. It would be risky to PGT-A test your remaining frozen embryo but perhaps worth discussing with your consultant? If I read your profile correctly, your frozen embryos were created when you were 34? That would give you a higher likelihood of the embryos being euploid so hopefully this third out of your remaining three is the one that you will get to take home and cuddle and who will be the loving sibling for your Vincent. I had success falling pregnant in the past so not an immediate candidate for implantation issues but my consultant still recommended to do the Endo Trio or Endo Quartet (ERA, ALICE, EMMA and Natural Killer Cells) just to exclude any uterine factors that potentially hamper an ongoing pregnancy. Please feel free to PM me if you would like to chat more, I'm happy to share my experience with these investigations. Thinking of you, stay strong and may the time go quickly until your next scan on Friday! xx

[Leesalou in reply to DreamingOfTwo79]

thanks for reply,

Yes was 34 when I had my successful transfer and had 3 Frosties, I'm now 40 well soon couple of weeks to go,

We was a bit worried about my age with the fet but they said my embryos was from when I was 34 so they had all good chance as my successful one that was transferred,

I've not had any tests done on them and I doubt they would test the last frozen one, and not sure what I will do yet, so far it's going super slow