For all of the peeps out there that have made it to their first ultrasound, when did it take place? Specifically how long after TRANSFER?
The reason I ask (instead of google) is because I'm a little confused on how they calculate pregnancy. Apparently they now calculate "how far along you are" based on the date of your last menstrual period (LMP). When I went to use an IVF due date calculator last night (don't judge), it gave us a due date in October, but then also displayed that we were considered 4 weeks and 3 days pregnant. This is different than how they calculated it 20+ years ago, and I'm not ashamed to say, offends my logical sensibilities. Whatever. I still don't know if people are talking about the ultrasound being at 6 weeks based on after implant date OR based on "how far along you are" date.
I'd call my clinic and ask but a.) my favorite nurse isn't there today and b.) I have a cube and still have to keep things hush-hush. Since I always have to wait for them to call me back, I can't exactly time my privacy.
My husband has only told his Dad so far, because our previous fails have been hard on his family. Particularly his mother as his parents are much older (he's the baby of 6) and not always in the best health. He is itching to tell them, but is also wants to wait until the first ultrasound. He couldn't help but tell his father when he made his normal weekly call last Sunday.
Our breath is holding for our next beta on Saturday. Then we will hold it until the ultrasound. Once we hit that point, we will exhale, fill our lungs, and hold again. Rinse and Repeat.
Update:
my main question is:
Specifically how long after TRANSFER did the ultrasound take place.
They calculated my due date based on the time of fertilization (day of retrieval) plus 2 weeks. So if retrieval was 2 weeks ago, add 2 weeks and you are actually considered 4 weeks along. You can't see the heartbeat until you are about 6.5 weeks along. As hard as that wait was for the first ultrasound, I don't recommend doing it sooner. We went in at 6 weeks, 3 days and it ended up being a little too early to see/hear the heartbeat. It was awful to have to wait a whole extra week to know if their was a heartbeat or not.
ReplyDeleteI understand how to calculate it, I just don't know if for the first ultrasound they mean 6.5 weeks after transfer or 6.5 weeks pregnancy time. Essentially I'm trying to figure out if we have 2 weeks to wait or 4.
DeleteIt is all so confusing isn't it? I had trouble understanding it too. It should all be based in pregnancy time, so you should only be waiting about 2 weeks which really seems like 2 months!! It's just another 2 week wait.
DeleteYea, it's a pain. I look at hCg dates and assume they mean from day of transfer, but then I see that some clinics base it from day of trigger shot. And some seem to mean day of retrieval (which when you think about it, makes the most sense.)
DeleteThanks for the clarification. They really should standardize and label this stuff better. LOL.
At 5 weeks to see the sac ( check for one to two) and fetal pole and 6.5 weeks for the heart beat . Then 8 weeks and 10 weeks to check for growth an discharge to OB.
ReplyDeleteCongrats - prayers for a smooth pregnancy
5 weeks post transfer or 5 weeks in pregnancy?
Delete5 weeks pregnant - ( next week for you ) . But the pregnancy wheel from the App Store . Put in your retrieval date as conception and you'll be able to follow along. It will show you all the important milestones and testing.
DeleteI am so thrilled for you !!
Ditto what the others have said.. At 6w5d my SIL had the 1st u/s and we got to see the baby's hb but not hear it (110bpm) and he looked like a tadpole :) she was released to her OB at that time.. Her OB is old school and doesn't do lots of u/s so we didn't get another one until 11w5d for NT scan, but from what I read of others, this is not the norm, most others have 2-3 ultrasounds before being released! So you have another 2ww for u/s but it's so worth it!
ReplyDelete6w5d post transfer or for the pregnancy as a whole?
Delete6w5d from egg retrieval... Like you said, she was already considered pregnant prior too. Our egg retrieval was 3/2 ultrasound was April 4th, HTHs! You have approx 2 more weeks to wait
DeleteCheck this out, it was a Godsend! Enter retrieval date and you can always know where you stand! http://www.ivf.ca/duedate.php
DeleteAnd as Emily said transfer doesnt matter, only egg retrieval!
Ok, you confused me for a second. LOL. 6w5d isn't from egg retrival, from what the rest you said, it sounds like it starts from LMP.
DeleteThat is good calculator! Saw something similar the other day, but it didn't help me trying to figure out this question (now I know though).
DeleteI think I phrased it poorly, but now I understand. Thanks!
The calculation is based upon the total pregnancy count, basically your LMP. Whenever CD1 was in your cycle is considered the first day of pregnancy, even though conception is impossible without an egg. You will also find calculators on the internet that base your due date on your ovulation day. Either way, the weeks you hear about are total pregnancy weeks from CD1, not weeks post-transfer, so if you are 17dpo (4w3d) then you will probably get scanned around 6-7 weeks to see the HB (so in another 2-2.5 weeks). Some will scan in the 5th week (next week) to see the sac (too early for HB). I hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense - I just didn't know if they were saying total pregnancy count or 6 weeks from transfer. I will still thinking in 2ww terms.
DeleteWhen you are 6.5 weeks pregnant, it means you are 6.5 weeks past the day of your lmp. So, in your case and all IVF pregnancies, take your retrieval date and count backwards 14 days. This will give you the "fake" date of your LMP. The calculation is totally based on the fallacy that all women ovulate 14 days after the first day of their last period. You didn't have a period, so you have to take the retrieval date (which is the ovulation date) in IVF and count backwards 14 days. I am due March 5, but tell every doctor that asks that the date of my LMP is May 29th. In actuality, I haven't had a period since April, but they all want this fake date. So, you are currently, 4w3d (or whatever it is) and that is from that fake date. You will have your first ultrasound when you are 6-7 weeks, or in a couple of weeks. From now on, use that fake date to calculate how far along you are. And congrats!
ReplyDeleteYes, I understand how it's calculated, I just didn't know if it was 6.5 weeks pregnant or 6.5 weeks from date of transfer.
DeleteThanks!
ALso, the transfer date doesn't really get counted into any calculations. Only the retrieval date and 14 days before that.
ReplyDeleteI was confused because I had just come off the 2ww and that is based on transfer date. Thanks for the clarification though. Now I know going forward that it will always be based on the fake date.
DeleteWhen I called my doctor scared I was miscarrying, she said they don't do ultrasounds before 6 weeks pregnancy time (I was right at 4 weeks then). So I think it's probable they mean pregnancy time. Sometimes after the first ultrasound or if you have documented really long cycles they will change your pregnancy time if it doesn't match up with LMP.
ReplyDeleteYea, that's what I'm understanding. If they did a more logical based system (like they used to) then you would have less confusion.
DeleteFrom what I understand, assuming it takes, you're technically considered 2 weeks and 3 days (assuming the embyros grew to 3 days) pregnant on the day of transfer. So if you do an beta test after the 2WW, you're at over 4 weeks already. In our case, we then had the heartbeat scan at 5 weeks and then the first ultrasound to actually show the sac or sacs at a little over 6 weeks. This was through SCI, but I assume it's near the same wherever. Hope that helps add to the confusion!
ReplyDeleteEmily's comment about using the retrieval date makes a lot of sense, but at least as far as scheduling with SCI went, it was based on the day of transfer.
The USA didn't used to do it this way. Is it just me or is it completely illogical to count days before the sperm meets the egg?
DeleteIt is completely illogical bc your " pregnant " before you even ovulate !
Delete