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

I missed a load of messages for some reason! Must have not refreshed...

Seeking this is FANTASTIC news! I'm so pleased for you! You handled the wait so well and it turned out to be ok...you should be proud of yourself for holding it together, it bodes well for the months ahead of your due date. Phew!

Lovely pup, Luna!

Hear you all on the doc/scan trauma!

AMAAAAAAAAAZING!
Wow... let's keep adding babies ladies!
By the power of our moonfaces we will succeed! 🌝🌝🌝

JustLa, strong heartbeat sounds encouraging either way! This is all looking great. I'm glad you're looking into possible PTSD, it's so common to struggle after MCs and you have been terrified throughout your pregnancy. Such a shame we can't just enjoy the journey now!

Harriet, I love that your DH reacted like that! How sweet. Great idea with the card.

Luna, symptoms start very minor, I have had brief palpitations and headaches but nothing to warrant cancelling something you want to do. They can get worse as the weeks proceed, but nothing unmanageable.

5dpo today and still have creamy cm, tender breasts, elevated temp and occasional cramps (not the AF kind). They are all things that either appeared in my earlier pregnancies or which are bona fide symptoms according to Fertility Friend. Only thing is, with most of them, at 5dpo it's unlikely that pregnancy is the cause so it might be coincidence! Having said that, I do remember getting side breast twinges at about this time in my last pregnancy, got a BFN at what turned out to be 7dpo (was unsure of O day cos I'd never got a positive opk that month) then a BFP at 13 dpo.

Morning ladies,
Thanks for all your well wishes! We had good news!! A baby measuring 6+6 with a heartbeat!! I was absolutely gobsmacked when she said do you want to see your baby!! I was utterly convinced it was going to be bad news!!
So I'm off to see Mr S tomorrow for his scan... then intralipids on 16th, providing all continues to go well.

I also had very few symptoms with pred and pretty much carried on as usual.

I also did as DRTTC did and waited until 10 weeks to have my booking appointment with midwife... bad experience here too. Hated having to keep telling them I'd miscarried.
I think I'll possibly call them in the next week or so this time.

Mine's a girl too Drttc My toddler loves her so much! She rides in the pram when she's tired!

I have GP trauma too... this one particular guy couldn't have been more insensitive! Plus I had to keep cancelling the booking in appointments and these private early reassurance scans... So I get it... what will be will be at the end of the day - and avoiding triggers or morons are best!

Luna- no I'd had bad associations with telling the GP about pregnancy in the past as obviously I kept having to say I miscarried and they insisted it was just bad luck and never ever tried to help.

Hehe we got our dog 2 days before finding out we were pregnant with DS (thought it was a BFN)! She's our beautiful baby girl!

Aww Harriet that's so sweet about DH! I think it's a really good idea to book in the scan so that you can both have some time together no matter what happens.

Luna- I also didn't experience side effects from pred, except for terrible acne (common with prolonged steroid use) and moon face :-( I had pretty bad nausea all the way up to about 19/20 weeks which I imagine would have been even worse if pred hadn't helped mask symptoms earlier on. Once I came off the pred my acne/moon face went away thank goodness!

Thanks JustLa & Harriet on the advice! And I'm really sorry you are suffering with such trauma JustLa :( I'm trying to enjoy these last 2 weeks where I'm not 'trying to get or stay pregnant... of course I'm worrying about the worrying to come,

Good idea to get a scan earlier Harriet, although I'm sure 6 weeks is just about ok to get some reassurance - I'll be waiting outside the sonographers room at 5+7 :)

Never did any charting at all [yet] poppy... but these tips you're getting are good! Plus the tips re the intralipids!!

Did you not fancy getting the docs/midwifes involved early on Drttc?

I actually did buy a puppy, 3 weeks ago... to make myself feel better! And she's certainly taking my mind off all this as she shits all over the house 😂😱

Thanks again ladies! I think I'll (annoyingly) need to tell my GP around 5 weeks - only because with DS I held off until 10 weeks and they couldn't get me a nuchal scan (so I had to pay £200 for a private one).

Justla- so glad to hear about your good scan!! Heart rate can vary so much, such as if mum is nervous (which I'm sure you were).

Hi Luna,

Yes I saw midwife at around 8 weeks and she has referred me to obstetrician who will hopefully be in contact with me soon.
I don't remember side effects really kicking in. I was on holiday on my first lot of pred and had a whale of a time (apart from not drinking lol) I went on a massive hike, loads of ocean swimming and snorkelling, I got a little tired and shivery when I came off them after thinking I wasn't pregnant but that was it xx

Star- it's been so lovely chatting to you on here, I understand why you need a break from thinking about these things all the time. Please pop back when you're ready and let us know how you're getting on. Dog sounds fab either way! I hear so many stories of people who have fertility struggles and end up getting a puppy instead, then out of nowhere -hey presto- bun in the oven! I have a cockapoo and recommend totally. No hair shedding, mine doesn't smell of greasy dog either, very practical! All the best xx

Seeking- I'm guessing you're feeling quite nervous (I'm terrible before scans), my thoughts are with you and really hoping for a good outcome for you 🤞🏻

DrTtc- that's what matters the most, you have to do what feels right for you. Your mental health is what's most important here, so do what you feel comfortable and confident doing

Thanks Harriett and Poppy, I made it through my 9 week scan. The Hb seemed high at 190 but Mr S didn't seem worried. Intralipids went perfectly this time, my veins behaved!
Harriet I'm so excited for you! Have you done any more tests? Drink plenty of water leading up to intralipids (just as precaution) it was very rare but my veins collapsed on first go at 5 weeks and couldn't take the whole thing. This time I drank loads and was perfect. I always get chatting to the other girls in the room which is nice. I'm guessing your first scan will be at around 6.5-7 weeks? So you've carried on with the pred, taking cyclogest too now? And obvs folic, vit D, omega 3? 😊

Poppy- I'm so sorry I don't have any knowledge of temping, I'm no help at all I'm afraid! Luckily it looks like seeking has you covered there :) 6 days until you can test! I so hope we see another little line 😊

Luna- it's really not bad at all. Some odd little side effects, but nothing we can't handle! My worst symptom is worrying, so the drugs are nothing really in comparison 😊 Lol

I have to call my midwife clinic today, one or the lovely ladies at Mr S's clinic is pretty sure I'm suffering from PTSD style symptoms, I think she's right- how annoying! But hopefully this means I can find a way to stop going through all the emotions of thinking I'm losing almost every day... exhausting!

Xxx

🤞🙌🙌❤️ Seeking!!
And I agree Drttc - I'm always tempted to have another natural go...

For our ever growing pregnant gang - I assume you'll go ahead with a regular 'booking in' appointment with your midwives at 8/9 weeks? My GP said it's vital to do as you'll be referred to an NHS consultant who will take over your care after we leave DrS @ 16-weeks (and in general they'll keep a second eye on you from now)...

For those who started the steroids, how many days after you started did you feel any symptoms? I have an optional work sailing day on day 5 after I start and I'm wondering if I should make my excuses and say I can't go?

Thinking of you today Seeking xxx

Thanks for the support, ladies. It seems like an odd choice to make, but I just know it's right for us.

Thanks, Seeking! Really useful info ☺️ I will continue with it this cycle and then decide whether it works for me or whether it is just encouraging further analysis, of which there is already too much!

Will be thinking of you tomorrow with my fingers crossed.

Thanks Harriet, any further updates on symptoms or doctor feedback, etc?

Poppy I used to temp. A few points to remember-
1.You must only take your temp as soon as you wake up. Your general movement after that will affect your BBT so your chart may not be accurate.
2.Get a specific Bbt thermometer- more accurate.
3.You won't be able to tell much until just before you're due on. An ovulatory chart will show a significant rise the day after ovulation, it should then stay up. It will dip normally the day before af arrives.

1. So at 4dpo a good rise just means you've ovulated, it won't indicate pregnancy yet. But obviously it is possible that you have indeed conceived.

Hi ladies!

Lush news Harriet!! I've been taking a break - was getting v scared about what's in store as starting my complex treatment in next 2 weeks...

Anyway, head out of the sand...

Got to drive home from work now, but look forward to reading back to see what everyone is up to

Hi all, how are you doing?

DrTTC I've been thinking about your predicament and have to admit my endocrinologist did say Pred from BFP could be too late to change anything, although to be fair my endocrine condition (mild, non classical CAH) is different to most of the issues other women are taking it for. No one knows exactly why women with my condition MC more often, just that Pred reduces the risk significantly. If it was me I would probably opt for a low dose anyway (I'm currently on 2.5mg twice a day) but I see your point.

Harriet, this is all very exciting! I bet the breast tenderness is related, it can happen very early!

JustLa, congrats on 9 weeks! Big milestone.

How many of you know about temping? I just started this cycle and made the mistake of 1. Not starting in the morning and 2. Not getting a specialist BBT thermometer.

Full disclosure; I am 4dpo and nuts if I think I can deduce anything but still furiously symptom spotting. What I can say, though, is that mid morning on O day my temp was 36.5, I have had mixed measurements over the past few days, generally 36.4-36.5 in the mornings and 36.6-36.9 in the afternoons. Today I woke up with 36.7 (highest morning temp so far) and now it's 37.1! Is there something wrong with my thermometer or is this a good sign? On Fertility Friend my chart does look like a mix of pregnancy and ovulatory charts. I have creamy cm today and crampy legs yesterday. I've had tender breasts and cramps since O day and at 1-2 dpo the breast pain was very pronounced . I do this every month but this is all a lot more pronounced. I'm getting a progesterone measurement taken at 6dpo in an ex pat clinic to see if the docs back home can work out what's going on with my luteal phase. Any thoughts?!

Completely understand star, this world of end and immune issues can become very overwhelming and all consuming. A break away from the stringent routine of things will probably do you the work of good. I hope we see you back soon with some good news. Wishing you lots of love and luck as you continue.

Drttc- I think you're doing the right thing for your family right now. I pray that your little bean is a strong and sticky one. Sending lots of positivity your way Hun.

Harriet I'm glad your line is darker. Try not to worry about how dark it is. My advice would now be to stop testing. It only brings more anxiety. Today you are pregnant. Book your intralipids and take each day as it comes. Each day that passes your little one is getting stronger and your chances of mc are going down.

Starshine, your message sounds very measured and accepting. I wonder if that is really the case or whether you are (understandably) putting on a brave face, to an extent. Either way, I admire the way you put things across so matter of factly and always with that bit of underlying humour. Perhaps there is something to be said for taking a break from the monthly anxiety, heartache and disappointment. It could be that if you do, and accept the situation as it appears, you find you get pregnant again in time anyway. Flipping this on its head, women are still advised that if they are not seeking pregnancy they should use contraception until menopause. I wouldn't be surprised if you "admit defeat" and find that things fall to place when you're in a different head space and it's a welcome surprise. And worse case scenario you're a lovely family of three (this is uber fashionable in the suburbs of London, btw 😉) with a lovely dog. Anyway, lots of love to you, and thank you, it's been great interacting and I still have faith in your prospects of having a DC2. Glad you will be checking in x