IVF Journey: 23w6d pregnant

This is my IVF diary. My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for four years now, and have a diagnosis of 'unexplained infertility'. We have finally reached the top of the waiting list for IVF - a form of assisted conception. I'm blogging about what happens as it happens, as a kind of therapy for me and as an awareness raising exercise of what IVF is all about.

You’ll recall I’m on an NHS research trial for home blood pressure monitoring during pregnancy. I have to test my blood pressure and do a urine dip once a week.

Last night when I took my weekly blood pressure readings they all came out really high – five consecutive readings of around 150 / 95. Too high. I did the readings around 8pm and I wondered if I ought to seek medical advice immediately, but upon looking on the internet I was assured that I ought to worry if I had a headache or swelling in my hands and feet. I didn’t. And there was no protein in my urine. I decided it would be OK to wait until the midwife called me for my phone consultation the next morning.

Next morning though, it was no surprise when the midwife asked me to come up to the hospital for a check and to see if I needed blood pressure medication.

This basically took up my whole day – I was out of the house 11.30am until 5.30pm.

Good job I was ahead with my work and could easily take the time off.

So I got the bus up to the hospital and went along to obstetric triage, then waited in the waiting room for an hour and 45 minutes. Dull dull dull.

I was then taken into a ward and put onto a bed and hooked up to a blood pressure monitor. This monitored me periodically for an hour. My readings ranged between 156 / 86 and 128 / 76. At the end of the hour I was told there was nothing to worry about and I wouldn’t need any further medication or tests.

The nurse also measured my bump with a measuring tape (first time) and said the growth was appropriate for 24 weeks, and she listened to the baby’s heartrate and said it was fine.

That was it. I was released back home.

Can’t work out how I feel about this all really. In some ways it was reassuring – a blood pressure spike was picked up before I felt ill with it and I was seen within a day. I didn’t feel anxious at any point. On the other hand I don’t appear to actually have high blood pressure just now and if I hadn’t tested yesterday I might never have known and it wouldn’t have mattered – saving me yet another (self funded) day off sick.

I bet that’s not the last time I’ll be in hospital for this.

Well I’m glad I’m alright. Better safe than sorry. Etc etc.