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Trying in NH,
I too got pregnant on my first try and like you have suffered from ovarian hyperstimulation. It is tough.....very tough. When I went for my first sonogram at 6 weeks the doctor estimated I had 20 lbs of fluid. I was told by my doctor that it could last until I was about 12 weeks. He made me immediately stop drinking water...only gatorade and powerade from that point on, also V8 juice and eat salty foods. The sodium pulls the fluid out by forcing your kidneys to flush it. Don't go crazy with the salt. After the first week I had lost 6 pounds in one week and it has continued to come off slowly but surely. Eat small meals frequently, you probably feel full all the time like I did and still do. I found out that it is b/c our HCG levels remain elevated throughout the first trimester which in turn stimulates the ovaries....after the first trimester they level off somewhat. I hope this helps......

Take care,
Sylvia

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I too hyperstimulated.

I gained 10 pounds over night! I had to inject myself 2 times per day with a blood thinner so as to prevent blood clots and I also had to go for frequent blood work as my kidney and liver functions were wacko. I did enjoy eating french fries and drinking soda though until it went away - that is my kind of diet!!!

Anyway, the most difficult thing was that I was not yet ready to go public with the pregnancy in case it did not work out. However, it is pretty difficult to hide it when you go from a size 5 pants to a size 10 overnight. Rumors were flying at work!

Anyway, I do not remember how long it lasted - I think about 8 weeks - at one point, it was so bad, I begged the Doc to tap the fluid out, but she said it would only provide temporary relief and just come back in a matter of hours.

Now, at 34 weeks with twins, I can tell you it is a distant memory. Seems like it was nothing! It is so worth it.

Hang in there.

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Trying in NH. I'm 11 weeks pg now but I have a big belly and it's not from the pregnancy yet but still from the IVF and the overstimulation! I havent' worn regular clothes since I did the treatment in January! I so sick of my stretchy pants!!! But at the same time, i"m still too small for maternity clothes. Gaterade was also recommended to me and I drunk quite a bit of that. Still do , once in a while.
As long as you can breath OK. I reached a point when I couldn't any more and I was rushed to the doc. It was because there was too much water in my belly and it was pushing against my lungs, not giving me enough room to breath.
So keep an eye (or an ear !) on your breathing. That's important.
Hang in there. Hope you'll feel better soon and Congrats on your BFP!!!!!!
Fiso

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I didn't get hyperstimulated like that. That doesn't sound fun. I was bloated and all, but have nothing to complain about compared to you ladies! I hope all is well soon!
Justme

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Thanks for all your responses. I am a little discouraged that the belly will probably last until the baby moves into the bloated area, I was kind of hoping that it would go away in the next week or two. Wishful thinking on my part. I seriously look 6 months pregnant. I too have been out of my regular clothes since stims, but I actually fit into maternity now. I find it kind of embarassing, what do you say to people that ask you how far along are you??? We are going to Disney next month and I will have to be in mostly maternity then. I already feel stupid telling people that we are 5 weeks pregnant, when I looked full term.

Does anyone know if being hyperstimulated has an effect on whether you will be more prone to gestational diabetic and preeclamsia??

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My hyperstim was pretty bad - I am glad that it did not result in hospitalization (I read that it could if not controled). My Doc's kept very close tabs on me - I had to weigh myself daily, get the labs daily, measure my urine output daily, etc... So, it was bad -

But to answer your question, I am now having a perfectly normal pregnancy. No further medical problems.

I wish the same to you!

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Trying in NH,
Just tell the stupid people the truth. When people would ask me how far along I was I would tell them and I would explain that I had a medical condition that made me retain fluids and that it would go away within a few weeks.
I am not sure about the predisposition to preeclampsia or gestational diabetes, that might be aa good question for Dr. Jacobs.
I hope you feel better soon and be very careful. One thing my Dr. told me was that if I were to end up in the ER b/c of the OHSS not to allow anyone other than an OB/GYN touch me. He said that the hyperstimulation sometimes gets misdiagnosed by other Dr's who have never dealt with it before. Only doctor's who know what we've gone through to get pregnant can truly take the best care of us.
It will get better.

take Care,
Sylvia

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I agree with Sylvia. The other doc can give you something that would not be good for you and your condition.
Don't feel stupid or anything else, it's just the way it is. Just like Sylvia said, tell them that you are retaining water. If they were polite, they would mind their own business and not ask questions!
I know how you feel about your clothes, but as long as you are comfortable, who cares! Your well-being and health come first, especially now that you are PG!!!!
I have one pair of "going-out" strechy pants, and I try to wear dressy tops with it to distract people from the fact that I'm not wearing regular pants.
Hey, all those people are not in our shoes!

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Thanks Everybody! I am actually starting to feel better and I am coming out of my pity party. My belly is still really distended but the pain and discomfort are pretty much gone, which to me (and I am sure everyone else) was the worst part.

I have an HCG question for those having twins/triplets. My first HCG was 237 2 days later we were at 566 now a week later (yesterday) we were 6414!!!! I know having a high HCG doesn't guarentee that you are having twins, but does anyone remember what their numbers were 23 days DPO and are you having multiples?? Our u/s isn't until April 4 and I am getting very anxious

Thanks

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I don't remember my exact numbers - but they were not that high!! Plus with the hyperstimulation, mine were not doubling every other day like they expect them to. They chalked that up to the hormone being diluted from all of the fluid I was carrying.

Can't wait to hear how many you are having!!!! We only put 2 embryos in, so I knew we were either having one or two.

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