Immune/NK issues - aka Pred Thread no.20!

Hello ladies - mind if I join?
Had three mc since we started trying for dc2. Hypothyroid too. Unexpectedly during a break from ttc got pg and though had a lot of bleeding i thought was af turns out I was 7weeks gone but had lost a twin. I have a subchorionic haematoma and have lost over 1/2 pint of blood in the past two weeks
Epu put me on knicker watch as lots of
Clots hanging about ready to pop.

Went to the recurrent miscarriage clinic for a hello appt 2 months ago, was scanned on cd 7 (( early July) was actually 4 weeks already and had bloods but showed nothing and no one clocked I was already pg.

Rmc follow up appt last week at 8 weeks coincidentally and they immediately put me on 20mg pred and progesterone pessaries. !
Phew.

So day 4 of the meds....no one explained side effects or risks... am I in for a journey? What should I expect

Hope the bean sticks -booking in tomorrow!

I totally have the dungarees image with huge bump in mind too! But sitting cross legged on the floor with a paint brush? The woman is me, though, and has been for many years!

Thanks, DrTTC. It is very disappointing every month, had a slight sob this morning in private, but encouraged to know that it's the progesterone causing my rogue symptoms. The few months I was convinced I was pregnant and then terrified when I started spotting that it was a chemical or super early miscarriage. So that's one less thing to worry about. Very encouraging that you haven't had any bad signs up until now but normally would. You could just as easily go in there on Saturday and see a healthy bean. I am sure your relative lack of anxiety up until yesterday has helped no end and has certainly shielded you from some of the stress to date. Possibly a self protective response kicking in?

JustLa I can imagine the wrecking ball costume now and I love it! What fun. Halloween is really not that far away now.

When I finally get to 12 weeks, I don't think I will do the FB reveal even though I've fantasised about how it would go. I will tell my mum and best friend early and DP will probably tell his parents after a few weeks. Then I imagine we will tell his kids and his ex (his kids' mum) at 12 weeks and then anyone else who needs to know. Would be lovely to have people stop speculating. DP was asked if I was pregnant on Saturday because I wasn't drinking. People are so nosy!

Luna, LOVE the idea of the frosty morning stealth reveal with dog and snuggly clothes! I will endeavour to do something along those lines, if there is anyone left to tell!

Just a few gems in there - wobblers 😂😂 and wrecking ball 😝😝😝

drttc hang in there babe, we're counting the days with you 🤞💝

Harriet it's a classic look! Tried it myself when preg with DS but my giant tree trunk legs heaving under the weight ruined a bit of the 80s cool...

Thanks so much for all the kind thoughts everyone :) I'm actually comfortably smiling again thanks to you all, this is a recent record!!

Harriet I can't believe it! I'm positive I watched an 80's movie with a heavily preg lady decorating a nursery in blue denim dungarees with hair up all scruffy and I want that so bad! I was looking on boohoo and they have some lovely ones 😊 How cute it is that we had such a similar vision?!

Luna, thanks so much. We were too scared to look at the scan again lol... hubby wants to connect at 12 weeks so I'll wait for him :)
I did take a look at 9 weeks and baby looked like a baby, wiggled for me too.

Poppy thanks, I think there's just something about women, they just seem to understand more.
I've been thinking about how I will tell.
My mum and dad know as I need there support, my sis and two old friends know too.
I want to do some clever FB reveal just for fun, but if I do I'll wait until 13-14 weeks and I'm thinking about adding that I'm high risk in there, in case anyone hiding their issues wants someone to talk to? Idk yet... not a fan of putting emo stuff on yucky social media lol.
I'm telling other halfs family at 12.5 weeks when I come back from vaca in the West Country I think. Mother in law got a bit stressed out trying to hide it last time sold to want her to feel pressure this time.

Drttc, thanks so much! I like the rise in odds 😊 . You are so right about the first trimester, good lawd it's rough! I'm so sorry you had a crappy time yesterday, I'm so familiar with those feelings now, a really bad day like you've just had must have been hell.
5 days, that's not long!! Is that this Saturday? If you feel like wobbling out on a group of wobblers, we are here xx

On the daydreaming about a bump subject, I can't help thinking about Halloween outfits! Lol... I'm Halloween obsessed and keep randomly seeing wrecking balls etc... trying not to look too far forward but eeeeek

Xxx

Thanks Harriet! How are you feeling?

CONGRATS SNOOPY!!! What wonderful news!! So happy to hear things have gone smoothly and hope you're recovering well. Take care of yourself too, momma!

Seeking- well done on the hen do. Argh the first trimester for people with our history resembles hell on earth. I'm sure many of us on this thread have been known to wish we could just be knocked out and wake up in the next trimester! Hope your scan on the 16th brings you more reassurance.

Poppy- Sorry things are looking like a bfn :-( Symptoms play such mind games with us. When I was just pregnant with DS I had no symptoms and was convinced it was a BFN. Whereas there'd been a month I had every symptom in the book and then got a BFN. I remember feeling like I'd fallen in to a black hole I was so upset...!

Justla- congrats on your scan! This is such a big milestone with the odds thoroughly in your favor now! Enjoy pregnant lady- that bump is growing!

As for me, I had a major wobble yesterday. I've been quite calm so far. But yesterday I was really stressed and sleep deprived and become convinced it was over (because I'm not able to treat my body well). I realized then just how invested I've become as every day passes. Quite often at this stage I'd have had bleeding, or a rubbish hcg result to signal it's over. But I have no idea what's going on in there and I hate that it could be an absolute flop like one of my other pregnancy scans before DS. To see NOTHING in there when you've waited weeks to see something is kind of humiliating... argh! Anyways! I actually am feeling a bit better now, but certainly more anxious than last week. Scan is in 5 days....

Cute Just - lovely and bubbly preggo cuteness 🤰 - I remember my 10 week scan with DS was my fave of all the scans as he suddenly looked like a baby, and was dancing about ❤️

Getting on the train - choo-choo - got to be super sweet and sexy for next 2 weeks in order to ensure I get the good stuff from DH on demand, in between toddler, work & puppy mayhem 😏

I'm curious about everybody's Big Reveal - will you do the classic FB scan photo? Or just tell your closest and let the world find out as you get bigger?

I did the big scan announcement for DS... and I loved every kind sweet comment left by my friends... but I won't do that this time... I might post a casual-posed/not-posed photo of myself in a cute jumper dress and (c)ankle boots walking the dog on a frosty morning... etc. And then await the acknowledgements to pour in 😂😂

You're right poppy, let's dress for the bumps we want, not for the bumps we have 😝💝

JustLa this is wonderful news! I'm so happy for you. Less than two weeks til 12 weeks and your second trimester! Totally time to be thinking about buying outfits, etc. You will have a certified bump very soon! Do you know when will start announcing, or is that all a bit much at the moment?

So glad you're in good hands for the scans. Some of the NHS midwives and sonographers are just lovely. I have to say I am not normally bothered about the gender of doctors (my endo is a lovely man) but there is something about some of the NHS midwives that is so old school sisterly/matronly that really feels so safe and knowing. And they don't get half the credit they deserve for their experience.

Yikes, sorry about the typos! Harriet I meant you survived the spotting not the spitting! Ugh lol... also typed NSH instead of NHS, doh

Just wanted to update you all that scan went well 😊 It's always so emotional and I feel so privileged to have found such an amazing sonographer in the NHS. She spends so much time looking around, I have to say she is much more thorough and informative than a certain expensive specialist has been, but hey, I'm where I am today because of those meds so can't complain! HB 150bpm and measuring 10+1 😊

Poppy I love that you share your daydreams about clothes with us. It gave me a huge smile, we should be able to think fondly about these things... in fact I'm going to go ahead and order the blue denim maternity dungarees that I've always wanted to show off my big belly in... eeeek don't want to be presumptuous but sod it. I think it's a good idea to not temp and just roll with it, could the monitoring make you feel more tense or anxious? Just DTD a few times when you ovulate should do the trick soon especially with your fab hormone results ❤️

Seeking, I have so many days where I feel nothing in my uterus and cervix and get so worried. Then a few days later, I'll have tenderness, stretching and pressure and feel so worried about that lol. I hope you're able to relax, it must be difficult to recall how you felt with Tallulah, it's such a long journey!

Harriet it was NHS and great. The woman I see has booked me in for another scan at 15 weeks and is very keen to see me personally, her and her assistant seem like they really care about me and my journey which is a huge comfort. I hope you find someone equally as good if you go for NSH scans 😊2 weeks is a long way when you're constantly thinking about it but it will be here before you know it and you've already conquered two big hurdles- getting pregnant and surviving the spitting! Go you 🙌🏼

Luna will you be TTC in around two weeks from now? I know you're a bit bummed about all the meds but are you excited to be getting on the train? 🚂 Hope the 1st month pressure doesn't stress you out too much.

Just in case it helps comfort anyone, it's getting mentally easier with every scan I have. I'm still so aware and totally prep for the worst every time but I'm not a complete 'losing my marbles' wreck ... just a normal wreck now so that's progress and hope it gives you a little comfort.

xxx

Thanks, Harriet! Yes holiday sex is great however it's the kind of holiday where DP's while family inc kids will be there, so more likely snatched moments! We always manage though and after five weeks apart I'm sure we will manage ever better!

I've gone over and over in mind whether clothes wise it's best to be pregnancy bloated and heavily pregnant in summer or winter! Floaty dresses or snuggly jumpers? Flat sandals or flat winter boots? I think summer is probably easily clothes wise but much harder on your body due to the heat.

Seeking, you seem to be doing so well holding it all together. I hope you can take a little comfort in knowing that if you were going by the NHS scan alone, you wouldn't even be in this position. Still highly suspect the machines are different. There is lots online about this sort of thing but I imagine you're tired of looking things up now, as is the compulsion.

Next scan is on 16th Harriet. So just over a week. I feel very normal. Not in the slightest bit pregnant. But I'm pretty sure I felt the same with Tallulah.
Had a weird kind of hungover sickly feeling yesterday which considering alcohol wasn't touched feels a bit like I've been cheated lol! But that could be preggo related. I don't know. I'm trying not to think about it too much.
Time goes so slowly during the first trimester....

Pred is def a bitch when it comes to weight gain! I'm constantly hungry!

JustLa, just saw yours. Thank you!

Yes it's possible I BFP could still come my way but I'm definitely ready for disappointment now. Sadly I may not get to see DP til mid September now, but this will depend on the travel schedule. Then we have a couple of weeks together on holiday and I should be Oing towards the end of that. It's going to be this way until early October, unfortunately, but it's the nature of his work. He has been deeply apologetic about it and said his greatest worry is the impact it has on me. I know he's doing his best.

Agree I'm too afraid not to take the meds the doc recommends! I just have this feeling it's worth it even for keeping me calmer. Pred has an astonishing impact on MC rates for women with my endocrine conditions; 6% down from 26% normally. I won't sniff at that!

Also, isn't it incredible how much weight we can put on in early pregnancy? Makes all this about when you start "showing at 12-16 weeks" seem kind of laughable when we're bloated since ovulation with massive boobs and people are already guessing we're pregnant way before we announce! I was huge at five weeks!

You're right Just, and I'm happy to take anything and everything once I'm pregnant - just scared now I'll skip ovulation - feel immense pressure to conceive first pop; even more than usual... as I'm sure the ladies about to start this rollercoaster feel 😬😬😬

AF in 2 days.... then let the games begin (would rather be a contestant in the Hunger Games than the baby games tho 😝)

poppy, the fat lady hasn't sung yet... 🤞❤️
Seeking, well done for going to the hen - very tough for regular early preg lady let alone one filled with terror ☺️😘

Thanks Luna and Tee4me. I think next cycle I'm going to forget temping and all the apps because realistically all I need to know is when I ovulate. I had an email back from my endocrinologist today which was very encouraging. He said please be reassured my progesterone level (which was measured to assess the quality of my ovulation) is an excellent result; the higher the better despite what the lab here said about my level looking surprisingly high. This basically shows I am ovulating properly and like clockwork again, which is a huge relief. So I don't think super ovulation would be the solution for me. I have had regular ovulation but irregular bleeds for a long time. My big problem seems to be spotting; I get it early in my luteal phase and I get it shortly before I MC. But this is not a progesterone issue, so it's a bit of a mystery. In fact, the specialist is very happy with all my hormone levels and so far none of my bloodwork has ever provided any kind of indication of a problem, apart from that we know that in my 2nd pregnancy, my HCG plummeted from tens of thousands down to about 450 pretty much overnight for no apparent reason. I guess I just have to keep trying and take comfort in the latest reassurance from doc, which has cheered me up I must admit!

Seeking, feeling for you in limbo land. Well done on the hen weekend and I reckon telling some of the girls was the right thing to do. Girl friends really do come up trumps at times like this, don't they? Glad you managed to let your hair down for a bit. I do hope you get some good news soon.

Seeking, bravo for your alco free efforts! 🙌🏼
I feel like it's going to be terrible news every time I get a scan so I think we may have to say goodbye to our intuition on this one?
I can't wait to to get to the stage where I don't have to keep it a secret anymore, a couple of friends know but that's it. I just cba with people getting excited when I feel so on edge, you know?

Xxx

Oh Poppy how annoying for you. Wish this was more straight forward for you, especially after the effort you made going overseas to TTC.
You're working with 2nd grade tests in a different country. Diet, sleep patterns and climate can randomly effect things so there may still be a BFP yet, sorry you didn't get one when you were around DP though.
Will he be back for your next cycle if this one doesn't work out?

Tee, good to hear your treatment is making you feel better! How are you getting along with things?

I agree Luna, it's scary what we have to be on, but I find it scarier not to be on it at this stage. Just have to see it as us protecting pregnancies from our confused little bodies!
(Or not so little, I'm so bloated I look 5 months preg! Lol)

Xxx

I feel the same Luna, the one thing I could at least always rely on, if nothing else, was clockwork ovulation. Will be gutted if that goes awry on this plan. I currently take 10 tablets per day, will be 16 in the 2ww 🙈

Congratulations Snoopy!! Another pred baby! Hope you're feeling ok after such a quick Labour! My sister said her second which was really quick was FAR worse than her slower one with her first! So gets some rest and enjoy the snuggles. I'm sure Edie will be a fabulous big sister in a a few days!

Sorry it looks like you might be out poppy. Progesterone has a nasty knack of simulating preg symptoms. Hopefully next cycle will be the magic one!

I've just managed to survive a hens weekend alcohol free! Told a few of the girls just to make things a bit easier. But I still had a wonderful time!
Still feeling very meh about being in limbo and absolutely convinced it's going to be bad news next week. But I'll try to just let the days tick by without thinking about it too much

I see Poppy... I'm worried about the Pred messing with my very tidy ovulation pattern too... what is this 'superovulation' thing everyone talks about - maybe IF this one doesn't work, then you can have that? How can Dr S not have mentioned that Pred messes with or stops ovulation!?? Hhhmmmmm hate all this shit we are shovelling into ourselves 😩😩😩

Sorry to hear things aren't crystal clear at this stage Poppy. I suppose it's just impossible to judge anything on symptoms within the 2ww on this plan. The pred will mask pregnancy symptoms and the cyclogest will mimic them. Having said that I know it won't stop me analysing everything when I'm at that point.