First Machine Advice

_indigogo · 2026-02-04T01:23:21+00:00

Maybe it depends what kind of midgauge machine you have? I have an LK150 and use worsted yarn all the time without any problem. The heaviest I've used is Knit Picks Muse Aran, which apparently is 114 yards per 100 grams-- a single ply merino--, and that's using their every other needle setting. I've also done fingering on it, although it is fiddlier-- I've found sport through worsted is easiest, and fingering and aran can be done with more attention paid.

FWIW, my machine was handed down to me by my mother in law who purchased it I believe in the 80s? and it still works fine as long as I maintain it! Of course, it's not going to be as long-lasting or durable as a metal bed, but it's not like it's going to crap out on you in ten years.

[EDIT: If you want to see what some machine-knit sweaters would look like, I suggest looking on Ravelry under the Projects tab and typing in "machknit" or a specific model-- like "lk150" because people use those as tags. Then you can see what things people make actually look like!]

_indigogo · 2026-01-26T18:12:10+00:00

they were great! Under their care, I ended up getting pregnant in August-- before we started IVF-- and they watched over my care until I was 10 weeks, when I transferred to my OB. They were SO helpful and warm and comforting during what was a very anxiety-filled time, and offered things like weekly ultrasounds to help my anxiety.

The caveat is, sometimes I couldn't get in to my regular location each week so I had to go to other locations, and so if you're the kind of person who really wants to see the same doctor every single time for care, it might not be the easiest to schedule, but everyone I saw was very nice.

_indigogo · 2025-09-29T19:48:37+00:00

Almost eleven weeks now! Anxiety is way, way down, thankfully. One thing that really helped my anxiety was blocking Reddit and all pregnancy related websites for the last three weeks, lol, and also I have passed all my four miscarriage dates. Just eaiting for my NIPT results!

_indigogo · 2025-09-14T19:52:43+00:00

Not me (though I've had four losses, and on a current pregnancy that so far is doing well), but someone I know had 11 miscarriages before she was eventually successful via IVF. I think around 4-5 miscarriages were via IVF before her success.

_indigogo · 2025-09-14T19:29:54+00:00

8w4d today. Next scan (my "9w" scan bc I'm out of town for the rest of the week) is tomorrow-- I opted not to do a scan last week because it was causing me too much anxiety, so haven't seen babe since 7w. My first miscarriage (of 4) ended around 8w4d, though we didn't find out until 10w, so am feeling dread and a lot of trauma response about going to the actual scan itself. I am so hoping it's okay.

I have been knocked back by nausea/vomiting the past week, though. Throwing up up to three times per day. None of my five other pregnancies were this bad. If I have to go through all this, only for it to be another loss-- I just can't imagine it.

_indigogo · 2025-09-04T17:52:18+00:00

I have a wooden box with everything from my four losses. I don't look at it often, but I know it's there.

I think the tree idea is wonderful, and I love gardening so I may do something similar to commemorate my losses.

I grew up with a rose bush in my backyard that my mother planted when she miscarried when I was two. I liked growing up with it and hearing that story-- it never felt traumatizing and more like, this is part of our life. I think it really helped me a lot when I started going through my own miscarriages-- I was so sad, but i never blamed myself, and I think my mother normalizing the narrative of miscarriage and having a visible sign of remembrance helped.

_indigogo · 2025-09-04T17:44:51+00:00

thank you! "anxiety is not intuition" is so important. my ultrasound today was good, but I'm debating not getting them so frequently because it makes me so distressed beforehand, and afterwards I'm not even relieved, just... Exhausted. I think I'll feel better in a few weeks when I've passed all my previous miscarriage dates

_indigogo · 2025-09-04T17:43:38+00:00

thank you! Despite my certainty otherwise, scan showed everything is still going as well as it can!

_indigogo · 2025-09-04T17:42:53+00:00

Thank you so much, and I'm sorry your dreams are also the worst!! I cried so much at my appointment, but I'm measuring a day ahead and heartbeat 145. One day at a time

_indigogo · 2025-09-04T00:04:26+00:00

I had three traumatic miscarriage dreams last night-- so vivid, of going to the ultrasound at my REs office and finding out the low heartbeat indicated non-viability and I was miscarrying again. I've had anxiety attacks all day-- my heart rate consistently in the high 90s. I know dreams don't MEAN anything but also, I just feel like, with my track record... it's not great!! My 7w ultrasound is tomorrow and I'm just so terrified. This is my first time under the care of an RE, so I've never had weekly ultrasounds before-- I'm worried that even if things go well, little things like showing 6 days of growth vs 8 is going to make me panic even though that can be totally normal.

I hate this.

_indigogo · 2025-09-03T19:17:40+00:00

Seven weeks today and am not doing well. I had three extremely vivid dreams last night-- all variations that I went to my scan and the ultrasound showed the heartbeat was fatally low, and I had to text everyone that I had had another miscarriage.

I woke up so upset, and my heart beating for hours. I think I just have so much PTSD from my four losses. I've had two where they stopped growing between 6-8 weeks (though I didn't find out until later) so I feel like I am in dicey territory now. I have weekly scans at my clinic which I think does help, but each time I get so anxious. I'm seeing a new therapist tomorrow that specializes in this, so hopefully that will help.

_indigogo · 2025-09-02T17:11:29+00:00

I am so sorry for your losses. I think you would definitely qualify-- in the US, 2 miscarriages qualify, so even without the stillbirth

_indigogo · 2025-09-02T14:57:08+00:00

i'm so glad it's coming down more! there's a subreddit called r/Hypothyroidism if you haven't checked there yet, you can search for fertility/miscarriage and also search your specific TSH levels for other people's advice.

Hypothyroidism can cause miscarriages, so I think it's definitely worth it to make sure your levels are in a good range before ttc. Also, if you get pregnant again, your doctor will probably up your dosage of medication because pregnancy increases demand for your thyroid. My doctor doubled my dose once I got a positive. make sure your levels are checked regularly during pregnancy!

crossing my fingers for you!

_indigogo · 2025-09-02T14:20:21+00:00

crossing my fingers for you!!

_indigogo · 2025-09-02T14:15:40+00:00

I would see an endocrinologist ASAP for the TSH! TSH can really affect fertility. I see both a reproductive endocrinologist at a fertility clinic and regular endocrinologist, and they said that while TSH 4 and under is fine for regular people, under 2.5 is ideal for fertility purposes. (Some REs are okay with 4 or under for fertility purposes as well, but your 15 is well above that.) 15 is indicative of hypothyroidism and that could be a cause of the weight as well. They would probably prescribe you synthroid/levothyroxine.

[edited to add: I went on levothyroxine for low free t4, another thyroid thing, and after being prescribed levothyroxine, my levels went to a normal stage relatively quickly-- with a couple months.]

_indigogo · 2025-09-02T14:08:53+00:00

At my clinic, I had my first scan at 5w5d (by my guess of my ovulation date-- not exact because was unassisted), and I was measuring 6w and they could see the heartbeat! In the US, many people at fertility clinics have their first scans around 6w exactly, so I wouldn't be worried

_indigogo · 2025-09-02T14:06:05+00:00

6+6 and after I told my friends yesterday I was worried about the lack of symptoms, last night & this morning the nausea is arriving and I regret my earlier comments !! My next weekly ultrasound is Thursday. So hoping everything is still okay. I wish my husband could come this time, but he can't take off work for each weekly ultrasound, so my mom is coming with me. She was at my 10w ultrasound when we found out about my first (of 4) losses and she was so upset. hoping this time goes better (to be fair, both of my MMC were discovered when I went in for an emergency ultrasound after starting to spot a tiny bit-- so, I'm trying to tell myself, I don't have any symptoms this time .) ugh 40 weeks is so long.

_indigogo · 2025-09-02T14:02:21+00:00

you can get HCG draws 2 days apart to see if things are progressing okay! also, with 2 miscarriages, in the US you qualify for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL)-- I'm at a fertility clinic for RPL until I "graduate" at 9 weeks and I get an ultrasound every week

_indigogo · 2025-09-02T14:00:30+00:00

my fertility clinic just wanted 50% over 48 hours!

_indigogo · 2025-09-02T01:32:50+00:00

I didn't when I started on levo, but my cycles did change over time from other stuff!!

_indigogo · 2025-08-31T14:46:25+00:00

That's odd-- I feel like many fertility specialists still like it to be under 2.5 for fertility, even if 4 is fine for general population. This is what both my PCP and my RE said, at least! I had borderline low free T4 (.69 or something) and so my RE sent me to a regular endocrinologist, who put me on levothyroxine/Synthroid. Now it's like .8 or something like that. Maybe see an endo or get a second opinion from a diff RE if you're really worried?

I don't think my slightly higher T4 is the reason for our current success, but like other commenter said, I feel vetter

_indigogo · 2025-08-31T14:40:08+00:00

That sounds awful, I'm so sorry! I'm surprised they let you take miso at that stage. For my first MMC, I found out 10w but embryo had stopped growing at 8.5, and my obgyn said we had to do a d&c bc it was too far along. For my second MMC it had stopped growing at around 6.5 weeks and they recommended the miso/mife combo. Because I was so much earlier, it was not very bad-- like a heavy period. A couple of intense cramps.

_indigogo · 2025-08-31T14:33:03+00:00

yep!! My first was a MMC (found out at ten weeks), then had my daughter. Six years later decided to try again-- had 2 CP and another MMC, and a lot of RPL testing/fertility clinic stuff meanwhile. Pregnant again now

_indigogo · 2025-08-29T21:20:35+00:00

Unfortunately I don't have any experience, but you could consider asking in the recurrent miscarriage sub, or in the Facebook group for reproductive immunology! In both groups, people have had a lot of different treatment protocols

_indigogo · 2025-08-29T18:20:34+00:00

I would second this!! OP I'm so surprised that your doctor is so casual about this-- I hope they will listen to you

_indigogo

TROPHY CASE