Hi All, I’m 16 weeks, pregnant via IVF. 12week scan was fine, but my bump seems to have gotten smaller.
Could this be due to ovaries enlarged after IVF finally calming down? After so much attention and scans through IVF etc, 20 week scan seems ages away. I know I’m probably just being over cautious but when it’s taken so many years to get this far I can’t stop worrying.
I’ve also had two friends loose after 20 weeks, although rare it’s not helping calm me! Looking for any advice or that I’m not alone in being terrified until this baby arrives safely! Thank you ladies xxx
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Congratulations on your bfp after IVF(!) We have just had a successful cycle finally and are 5 weeks and the torture before scan is insane.
Fully understand how nervous you feel at any changes
I would think your IVF meds are completely out of your system. Even if you took pessaries and meds up until 12 weeks they would be flushed out about 10 days later. I don't think the ovaries would swell at this stage either
It could be that you are noticing the change in your body as a loss of those hormones (often pessaries etc can cause a lot of bloating) so you may just be losing some water weight /retention and noticing it as a smaller bump now that you've come.off them.
If you weren't on extra meds until 12 weeks it could just be that at 16 weeks where the baby's mass increases a lot the baby is just hungry and your weight is going down as it's growing. The amniotic fluid in the womb can change slightly
Have you checked your actual weight? Is there a marked difference to a few weeks ago?
I guesswhat I'm trying to say is it could be number of benign reasons and maybe you've even got it wrong and it's not smaller (!) Weight going up or staying same would be a good sign
I would check it and call your midwife and let her know.
My very last suspicion might be that you could be suffering from gestational diabetes now in your second trimester ? They normally check at 20 weeks plus but worth mentioning especially if you have history of diabetes in family, pcos yourself or high BMI usually.
The body can start to burn fat and hence losing weight is a first sign (along with increased thirst and urination which is easily confused with pregnancy symptoms )
I lost half a stone during my tww even though I was on bedrest and eating welll. My blood sugar's were high due to the steroids I'm on.
Thank you and Congratulations to you also! Some great advice. I have the diabetes test booked in at 20 weeks. Am sure it’s simple reasons and I feel calmer with everyone advice, things I hadn’t really even thought about!
Baby could have turned more in towards your back bump shapes change all the time I wouldn’t worry
I think after a long road it’s only natural to worry, I’m 22 weeks and still an anxious mess.
I felt like my bump was getting smaller but I think it was where the first 12 weeks the pessaries add to the bloat which makes you think it’s got bigger quicker if that makes sense.
My bump is now pretty noticeable and all has been fine so far with the baby. Maybe you could book a private scan or speak to your midwife as she’d be able to have a listen in to baby’s heartbeat now which might help re assure you x
I’m 21 weeks pregnant from ivf too.
My bump changed size all the time- always bigger at night in the morning sometimes nothing and then bang last week it grew in the afternoon after lots of stretching pains!
Thank you so much ladies, you have reassured me! I don’t want to be one of those worriers but it seems I am! The husband thinks if we pay for a scan it will be the start of checking every month. All your advice is really helpful, yes it could have turned - I hadn’t thought that, and also how big it would be yet to affect that! Also I am eating a lot less Bread and Pasta in the second trimester than the first. So maybe it’s just that I hope. Thank you for all the kind words x
It could be that you’re just getting used to it. Some days I look at mine and think it’s smaller, but I’ve measured it a few times and it is growing.
When’s your next midwife appointment? If you’ve not had your 16 weeks appointment then you might get to hear the heartbeat and that will reassure you too. X
Sometimes when the baby changes position the bump looks different.
The further on, the more you’ll notice.
I don’t have much fat on me, but in the last pregnancy i was so bloated - I looked pregnant before I should show (4-5 weeks) and that ended in mc.
With my son, after 20+ weeks bump changed shape lots of times so I wouldn’t worry your far enough gone now to feel a difference and within the next month or so you’ll feel the first flutters xx
You could book a private scan to put your mind at rest? I did after failed ivf and 2 miscarriages I was anxious during the first well probably 24w and having private scans just put my mind at rest x
My bump seems to change size, shape and direction all the time. Sometimes it’s all over to one side and recently it seems to have gone from being high and prominent to lower and flatter. All the scans and tests show baby is fine, I think it’s just because he’s moving around in there-feels like he’s rearranging heavy furniture sometimes! I think it’s just normal for the bump to change appearance, but doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong x
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