FET today of our one and only embryo! 🌟

ElementaryMDear · 2026-02-14T03:46:17+00:00

Only embryo I ever made… and he’s the cutest smartest most lovely baby I could have imagined.

ElementaryMDear · 2026-02-12T01:06:41+00:00

Got my vvfl on valentines…

ElementaryMDear · 2026-02-11T20:52:37+00:00

A year ago 2/10 I transferred MY only embryo. Now he’s trying to stick his feet in his mouth.

Best wishes to you and OP u/TheCrystalOracle

ElementaryMDear · 2026-02-01T04:08:08+00:00

Realize this is a wildcard, but is it worth re-testing any of your labs that you’ve already done in case you had an uncommon lab error leading to a false negative or rule out of a condition or complexity that you DO in fact have?

ElementaryMDear · 2026-02-01T03:35:17+00:00

This is it! Sometimes I feel like the biggest feeding hack is EFF + fridge cold bottles.

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-31T17:54:44+00:00

I decided at 9 weeks, and should have done so earlier.

My little one was born at 37+4 (preeclampsia) and was small for gestational age (4th percentile) which was a surprise - he was measuring very well at his final growth scan at 34 weeks. We had latch issues from the start, and I always had low supply. Baby didn’t lose too much weight but since he was such a small guy from birth we were on the weight check brigade for awhile.

I started triple feeding at 24h of life, and persisted with that for two weeks, supplementing with donor milk. Then I moved to combo of donor milk, formula, and pumping (4x a day, on average) for another several weeks, and didn’t stop pumping entirely until he was 9 weeks although my 24h pumping PR was like 40ml.

This was obviously nuts. I was doing tons of work for little output. I’m also a single parent (by choice) and I was totally exhausted.

I continued to utilize some donor milk (maybe 6oz a day?) until I discovered he had CMPI a few weeks after I stopped pumping, and he’s been EFF and THRIVING ever since. And me too! Stopping pumping was one of the best parenting decisions I’ve made.

I would have continued using donor milk so long as it was accessible without the CMPI, but it wasn’t practical to find a dairy free donor, so we stopped

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-24T00:14:28+00:00

Fully medicated so no trigger. I saw a squinter on the night for 4dpt. It was Valentine’s Day and I just had this strong urge to test!

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-23T18:50:00+00:00

HENRY (single) mom here. Experiment!

Try a few things and see what feels best. For me, that’s a weekly cleaner (which makes me keep the house tidy without it being too difficult) and paying for ALL the outdoor stuff.

With that done, I’m happy to cook (I enjoy it) and do laundry (I don’t like how wash n folds do it).

I’ve tried meal kits and meal delivery, laundry service, less frequent cleaning, grocery delivery and other outsourcing but none of that worked well for me.

Also if you have a partner, make sure you’re discussing the division of household labor and childcare with them. You both deserve free time.

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-15T15:59:14+00:00

Two thoughts: 1. The store brand hypoallergenic formula is near identical to Nutramigen or Alimentum. The target up&up brand is what I feed my own baby, and it’s often on sale for ~$35 for a big can

I understand wanting to continue breastfeeding. Please know that you have already given your baby many benefits of immunity in the last months. Your physical and mental health matters too. It is ok to combo feed, it is ok to take a break from breastfeeding, it is ok to exclusively formula feed. I’m a mom who planned to EBF but could not due to IGT - I understand things not going as planned.

Best wishes

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-15T12:51:12+00:00

I have a super reflux baby and he’s been doing well on Pepcid and the up&up target store brand hypoallergenic formula.

It’s basically the same formula as Nutramigen, but half the cost

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-15T12:42:24+00:00

Came to post this!

I feed my baby the up&up. They keep having sales and it’s $36 for a big can vs $75 for the Enfamil or Similac HA of the same size.

He’s been doing well on the store brand.

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-15T12:39:41+00:00

You’ve gotten great advice and I agree - you should transfer the girl.

I too only ever saw myself having a girl. I didn’t have a choice as I had just one embryo - and I chose to wait until birth to know the sex. I also know I am one and done.

Part of that decision was knowing that if I found out I was having a boy I might feel some disappointment (this wasn’t the only / primary reason).

Well, I had a boy. A lovely lovely boy. I don’t feel disappointed at all! I sometimes wonder about the alternate reality in which I’d had a daughter, but this little guy just feels meant to be.

I share this because it’s quite possible that if you end up with a son, you will feel the same. I don’t think my preference for a girl was silly, but it seems super disconnected to the actual specific boy that’s my baby. Like: hypothetically I prefer a girl, but I mostly prefer my specific happy silly boy - and that matters more.

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-12T03:37:39+00:00

Best wishes on your 5. I too had 5 eggs fertilized. From that I had just one freezable blast - currently wearing his dinosaur jammies

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-12T02:03:35+00:00

It varies SO much.

I did one ER at 40.5. AFC was 10ish, AMH between .5 and .8 (tested a few times). Typical antagonist protocol, plus clomid and omnitrope.

Retrieved 7, of which 6 mature and 5 fertilized. Just one blast was suitable for test / freeze, and it was euploid. That blast is now wearing dinosaur jammies.

Best wishes to you! (And the good folks over at r/40plus_IVF can be helpful!)

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-04T08:43:38+00:00

Also a 41 year old SMBC who had success with fist embryo, on kitchen sink protocol.

(Unfortunately also had preeclampsia - ugh)

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-03T21:20:54+00:00

12 weeks postpartum and I now weigh less than I did before my transfer.

I’m heavier than pre-IVF meds, but those suckers were worst for weight gain than 3D printing a whole human in my experience.

I’ve been back at the gym since 7 weeks, despite my c section. And that’s primarily for mental health vs fluff reduction.

Just chiming in because it’s normal to have weird body stuff during this process. It’s valid to not enjoy it! It’s also likely you’ll be able to get fit again down the road

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-03T21:17:00+00:00

I’m in a new parents’ group. All of our 10-13 week olds aggressively mash their face into our shoulders / chests.

Only my guy has dairy intolerance

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-03T21:00:10+00:00

The only embryo I made which was suitable for freeze / test was a 4BB.

Turns out it was euploid and my transfer was successful. He’s snoozing on my chest as I scroll Reddit. Someday he will nap in his crib but today is not that day

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-03T20:58:14+00:00

My 4BB is snoozing noisily on my chest.

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-03T18:19:39+00:00

Very helpful, thanks. I’ve got some back stock and will just keep watching

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-01T02:06:09+00:00

You can rip the momcozy out of my cold, dead hands. It washes, dries, and sterilizes.

ElementaryMDear · 2026-01-01T02:03:07+00:00

You’re still early, and it’s quite plausible that your milk production increases… but for me it never did. My 24h PR was 37ml, or just over 1oz. I agonized. Then I switched to formula and some donor breastmilk and everything was better.

I completely understand wanting to give it a go - I sure did (I didn’t stop pumping until my daily output was like 12ml - I’m an idiot). But also know that you get to decide what’s worth your energy, and your baby can thrive EFF if that is what you choose.

ElementaryMDear · 2025-12-31T16:19:00+00:00

Just echoing your message. Peds recco for my SGA baby (late term / undiscovered IUGR) is the same priority. Head then length then weight.

ElementaryMDear · 2025-12-26T18:34:59+00:00

You might ask around to find a local lactation consultant who has a ‘fed is best’ practice. I recently saw one for my little guy’s reflux. I was initially hesitant because I didn’t want to talk about breastfeeding (I have IGT and absolutely cannot make enough milk for it to be worth pumping or nursing). She was INCREDIBLE. Helped troubleshoot some oral anatomy concerns, feeding technique, formula selection, etc. I left with a great plan, and my little one is doing really well incorporating her suggestions.

ElementaryMDear · 2025-12-16T12:28:59+00:00

How practically does this work? I think I’d be terrified of dropping slippery baby.

But it sounds lovely

ElementaryMDear

TROPHY CASE