TTC/ pregnancy on Prednisolone or similar part 2

[Arianrhod]

Starting up part 2 of this thread since the old one closed at 1000 posts!

iggi lots of luck for today, hope it's nothing - I know it doesn't help but I know lots of women have spotting and/or bleeding in pregnancy and it still goes ok. Definitely call the EPU, get scanned - it's worth it, honestly, at least you will know one way or another. Virtual hugs coming your way.

free I also started AF properly this morning, so looks like we may be both importuning a friendly witch for a good fertility spell on Hallowe'en? I know exactly what you mean about the scary stuff ... a small part of me was actually sort of relieved when I didn't get a BFP purely because it means I don't have to go through the whole worrying about miscarrying all over again. Bizarre, but there it is.

She said that the letter should go to my GP electronically on Monday so he will have it by midweek, which is in just enough time as I ovulate around the 18th.

BFN for me today, although I'm still not sure about how many DPO I am. I got my smiley face on 1st and 2nd Nov(also got peak on CBFM on 2nd), so could be about 8 or 9 DPO?
free thanks for the threading advice, I'm planning to get fully threaded ASAP. Interesting that you mentioned about not getting colds\flu.. I always thought that my immune system was poor as I seemed to catch every germ that was available and always had at least 3 bouts every winter. This carried on after the birth of my DD last year.. in fact, when she started nursery early this year I was constantly off sick from work suffering from all the bugs she brought home... this has changed since the 2 failed pregnancies 5\6 months ago, I've had nothing- not even a sniffly nose or sore throat- even though DD has been poorly with something or other a few times. She's suffering from a really bad cold at the moment so I'm wondering whether I'll be next because of the pred, I'm kinda hoping I'll catch it just to prove that those NK's are being zapped!
I'm interested to know what my levels are now, but would hate to hear that they are even higher than the sooper-dooper results last time!

Good luck to everyone testing in the next few days, surely at least one of us should get a BFP

Hello everyone,

BFN for me too. Am 12 dpo so it would have shown up by now :( I felt really sad this morning but I feel better now. I have had acupucnture tonight and feel more positive.

free I did email louise today to ask about being seen and she emailed back saying Mr S would see me this cycle and discuss super ovulation. So I am going to book tomorrow xx

Hope everyone is ok - there must be one bfp surely???

A raft of BFN's it seems. Although it is too early for most of us still!

I had a bit of a wobble earlier. I've been unexpectedly teary this evening, which is odd as there is nothing really wrong (well, nothing except having a killer womb and having lost 2 babies this year and the potential of a third ) so I am guessing it must be the hormones and the Pred. My wobble was suddenly: I really don't want to be pregnant! Gulp. Must be lack of sleep, the Fear, the drugs, the hormones, The Fear again. I relating to the starting to wonder what I have got myself into notion Snoopy.

Louise is totally ignoring me btw battery so good to hear she has got back to you and others, I first sent an email on Sunday asking for an intralipids prescription just in case I needed one when I was away and re-sent it yesterday and still no response.

Interesting that everyone seems to be backing up our getting no colds theory.

So that's myself, iggi and Puree who have had mcs on the first Pred cycle? Get that one down Duggs!

Kittens - cloak and dagger? Intriguing!

That's interesting about the colds. I used to get every cold going (12 in 11 weeks was my record at university....) but over the last couple of years from time to time I feel like I am fighting something off (you know when you get the feeling like you are "coming down with something") but it rarely comes out. Hmmm.

Scan was tentatively good news, they managed to do an external scan thank goodness and little bean is measuring okay for dates with a little heartbeat. So allowing myself a very small and whispery hooray for today.

kittens I have found the 40mg not too different from the 25mg so if they do raise your dose don't worry, it could just feel the same and no worse. Make sure they do give you the omeprazole prescription though, the doc I saw was pretty convinced I should take it twice a day. I carry it round with me just in case I am suddenly paralysed with side effects but so far (touchwood) haven't used it.

Sorry for the BFN's this month. If it's a consolation, I wonder whether the monthly pred has a cumulative effect and it's better for the NK's to be hit for a few months before a pregnancy. I am one of those strange people whose NK's went up in my first two weeks on the pred and then got a BFP, sometimes it occurs to me that it was all a bit too soon, this pregnancy certainly didn't have the best start.

free understand your wobbles about going through it all again, it's a horrible stage when you are waiting and testing but still not sure and can't rule it out. I definitely went backwards and forwards wanting a BFP and then absolutely not wanting one! Agonising sort of limboland... only a few days to go hang in there.

battery and cherry I had no sign of a positive til 14dpo so may still be early yet.

Symptom spotters I should add that mine were really on/off and even now pred is definitely masking what I'd usually be feeling.

digi hope all your announcing goes well with NCt and you can enjoy people getting excited for you now. Centre parcs sounds lovely, hope you have a great break.

snoopy I had an intralipids timing question I emailed to Annabella and although she wasn't the right person she has forwarded it on for me. I get seen by Healthcare at Home and not at NLC though.

Hmm, the housework theory. I did LOADs of housework this morning in preparation for a pampered chef evening tonight... interesting that a good scan should follow! Also the 'roids have been making me crave protein, am reaching for roast beef straight out of the packet like a crazy woman, so maybe there's something in that theory too, who knows!

The colds thing I am confused by. I never suffered with them (even as a teacher) before my son, afterwards for a while still no illness then between miscarriages I lost my voice, had a few horrendous colds, viral conjunctivitis lasting three weeks then tonsilitis three times in August. After which my NK cells rocketed again (I only called up to check because I was convinced they would be low!!) Not really fitting the mould here, anomaly alert!!! Sorry :-(

Amazing news scooter- you are flying the flag for us ladies. I don't really get either. Interestingly enough my first mc last march 10 was 9 weeks mmc only sac seen. Second pregnancy wasn't until last dec and rarely for me i was ill for xmas with thr cold everyone had ( I had been boozing my merry way through the festivities and night nursing like smarties) was late AF and for a bfp after boxing day. I had ok 8 wk scan and got to 12 wk scan had photos all lovely baby moving arms and legs etc sonographer couldn't get last measurement as baby moved but wrong way. Told me to go for a tea and a custard cream and come back in 30 mins. We called DH folks who were in Sydney all merry happy times. Went back 30 min later and she couldn't find heartbeat. She freaked as she had never seen that in her 30 yr experience as was strong heartbeat. Was just rubbish timing but I couldnt believe it. I had to wait 5 days for d and c. Anyway testing showed trisomy 13 on her so better it ended but dr s says maybe because I was ill when I conceived the cells didn't kick in ?? And it was bad luck?
I got of again in June from one random shag (with DH) and 7 wk scan showed only sac and 2mm pole no heartbeat. So probably nk cells. Thought it was interesting about the illness thing. Louise at NLC said cancer research r v interested in people like us.

Anyway I find it fascinating. Wish it made a bit more sense. My auntie - not blood related- told me (now 70) she had 4 mc, 2 still birth and 3 children - not in that order. I didn't like to ask how old she started trying but judging by 9 pregnancies and 3 of them live births she mustve been pretty young to fit it all in. Back then they said to wait 6 mths in between after a mc.

Had nice spa tonight with my mum.
Good night ladies. Hopefully one BFP for the chart? X

Looks like I will be getting a BFN this month too as my temp has dropped. I was hoping I would be getting my BFP but I am 12DPO today so it doesn't look likely.

Battery - I also feel sad about it today but I guess we have to focus on next month now. Just want the AF to arrive to get it out of the way! It's strange as I have previously conceived straight away with all my other pregnancies so now worried I will find it hard to get pregnant.

Scooter - well done on your scan. I have not been ill since having my daughter 3 years ago too either but since starting the preds I am trying to fight off a cold. I have a constant cough and feel a bit rough.
I also wondered if it was better to build up a few months on the preds before getting pregnant seeing as they have a cumulative effect. I have def had more side effects this month on them.

Duggs - your 12 week scan must have been awful to have had the jubilation of seeing the baby moving and then the awful news it had died. I have never heard of that before either, its terrible. I thought my one last Xmas was bad enough when we saw the heartbeat at 8 weeks and then the baby died a few days later. I think its worse if you are given a glimpse of hope and then it is all dashed.

Digi - it will be lovely to tell all your NCT friends. I can't wait to get to that stage!

Free - I bet you get a BFP seeing as you are having 2nd thoughts!!!

Morning all, sorry another question: I am worried I missed OV. Yesterday from morning onwards I did cheap Onestep OV test 4 times throughout day. first one very faint positive line, rest later on - nothing. Along with that done about 4 CB digi test and not one smiley face yet. Had ewcm yesterday a little bit and more today. what's going on? new at ov testing and it's so confusing. Plus CB sticks cost a fortune!
good luck to any testers today x

Bfn for me too today at 10dpo. Will test again at the weekend. Bit early yet I guess to get too despondent.

I've been much more resistant to colds since my first mc 2 years ago as well... V interested in the fact several of us have the same experience. Feel like I'm holding something off after a week or so of Pred each month. Sleeping badly now, woke up with brain running round in circles at 4ish today.

Waiting is horrible :(

Morning everyone, sorry to hear of the BFNs and general gloom to go along with the gloomy weather.

duggs so sorry to hear your story, that is such an awful trauma to go through.

free I too have major panic moments sometimes, I fluctuate between "oh lord, I really don't want to go through this all again" and "well let's just see what happens". And then I feel a tinge of guilt wondering if my negative thoughts have an impact on my body in any way - I'm sure (rationally) they don't, but my mind doesn't always play the rational game unfortunately. I'm back to being in a "see what happens" frame of mind at the moment.

scooter fabulous news about the scan, totally understand the caution though, so a cautiously celebratory woohoo! for you :)

snoopy what CD are you now, and when do you "usually" OV? I'm a veteran of the OPK (unfortunately), although I don't trust anything other than my reliable CB digi OPK, smilies FTW! :) And what time of day do you test - received wisdom says don't test until after 3pm as "most" ladies' surges occur after that time. I don't know how that can be, but it certainly holds true for me. I always try to test after 5pm, and always after having not been to the toilet for 4 hours (I read that somewhere). Finally bear in mind that pred does seem to have the potential to delay OV, mine was 3 days late this month.

Here's a question for you all, and sorry if TMI ... is anyone else getting intestinal cramps/wind from the pred? I understand it can mess up the whole digestive system, but I didn't get this last month, just chronic heartburn around day 9 of taking the pred. I'm 7DPO today, which means day 8 of the pred, no signs of heartburn yet but growling cramps - but they don't feel like AF-type pains, as previous implantation cramps have done, they feel definitely intestinal. I know it's nothing I've eaten, so I can only assume the pred, and just wondered if anyone else has found this?

/waves to everyone, it's almost the weekend, yippee! :)

ari this is CD9, which is when I got some faint lines on cheap sticks last month and ewcm. Erm..I tested from 6.30am this morning today! 1st cycle on treatment so haven't taken any pred yet.

Sorry for all the BFNs. Even when you're convinced you're not going to get one it's still a crushing disappointment looking at that white empty space where you were hoping to see even the faintest glimmer of a line.

snoopy, I've not used CBFM, I only use the cheap sticks which I use every day from day 8 or so. On them, quite often you will see a feint line and then it fades and then a few days later it comes back much stronger. What CD are you on?

duggs re your comment about Louise saying Cancer Research was interested in people like us - did you see my link the other day? A story about a girl who had taken part in a medical trial by donating her NK Cells to her mum who had quite advanced Leukemia. Her mum went into remission for quite a while. The story did make me consider trying to find out if any trials like this were available in France but on further Googling, and looking on the Cancer Research site this trial was purely for those with this form on Leukemia and people with other types of cancer were not accepted on the trial. Also, it was required that the donor would have to agree to take reliable contraception, which isn't really on the cards for me. If it had've been a case of putting things off for another couple of months I would've given it more thought. I get the impression it's certainly a very strong potential treatment for cancer, but in the future, when they have raised enough money to do the necessary research. The irony that my mum's NK Cells are failing her and I'm trying to suppress mine is, unfortunately, not lost on me. Perhaps, once I have finished on this TTC road, however it turns out, I will contact Cancer Research and volunteer to be an NK Cell Donor if I can help with future research.

Snoopy you seem to be going a bit mad with the ov sticks! If you're seeing ewcm then you may ov now or in a day or two. I use cb digital ones, always first thing, and have always had a smiley face at some point.
Duggs I'm so sorry for your experience. It reminds me how precarious our position is, even at the end of the first trimester. Dreading my next scan, but yet really wanting to get past it.
Free, you asked about my last mc - you rememebered correctly, I already had the bfp before I started the roids. I think it was probably chromosomal though.

Ok snoopy, you may get faint lines all month long since we have a small amount of LH in our bodies all the time. CD9 is quite early, unless you OV early in the month? My advice, FWIW, is keep testing, try to test at the same time each day, and for all I've read on the subject, if you can try to test after 3pm (of course, if that doesn't suit you, then test when it's best!). My personal experience, back when I was first trying these OPKs out, I tested twice a day - something around 11am I think, and then again around 5pm. I always found the first one in the day was negative, any surge I got was only ever picked up on the 5pm one (once I got the smiley face I didn't bother carrying on testing, it may be that it would have still shown up the next morning).

Also bear in mind the concentration of your urine makes a difference, hence why you're supposed to go 4 hours without going to the toilet before testing. Don't drink too much in those 4 hours either, otherwise you may dilute the concentration too much - having said that, "too much" could be more than you'd comfortably bear waiting for 4 hours for anyway! I usually drink at least two mugs of tea in that time.

Just my tuppence worth, YMMV :)

Thanks ladies..yes reading my post back I do seem a bit possessed by the whole poas thingey! ari are you a teacher? The way you said OK Snoopy, I have visions of you glaring down at me wagging your finger! he he. Sorry Miss, it's only gonna get worse!
Oh well better get at it anyway with DH later. He thinks all his Christmasses have come at once! Discussing it with him last night he really wants to prolong DTD for as many days as poss as he doesn't want to miss anything either! yeah right...

ROFL! No, no teacher here snoopy and definitely no finger wagging, I'm an IT bod. It was more of a "right, then here's the next step in the diagnosis" sort of "ok" :) And hey, you're talking to the person who tracks OV by p*ing on two different methods of stick a day, talk about obsession :)

GL with the DTD :)

Are you temping too Snoopy? That's the next step in obsession terms.
I feel really sick and tired today, we haven't even left the house yet.

Put your feet up iggi, the weather's yuck so don't bother about leaving the house if you don't have to :)

Just been out and the gloom is descending here, hope weekend is brighter.

No not temping iggi I know I should be but ..well I have no excuse especially as have the kit. I never really understood that though wouldn't your body temp be raised anyway from being in bed under a duvet all night or am I being dim.
Sick and tired sounds perfect with your bun in oven x

I'm a temper. I used to use the ov sticks but after using them for a couple of months alongside temping I felt I had got to know my cycle well enough to leave them alone.

It's odd but your temperature doesn't seem to vary by how hot you are in bed and in any case you are in the same bed every day so you are temping under the same conditions. But even when I am travelling and varying the time zone and place (and thickness of duvet) those factors are not enough to prevent me from seeing an overall pattern. My charting page is linked below. You can see that although the pattern varies a bit, there is a clearly two weeks of low temps followed by just under two weeks of high temps. And I travel for work or pleasure probably on average twice a month so my temps are not taken under consistent conditions in any one of those charts. I recommend temping. It's easy and cheap. I just leave my thermometer next to the snooze button for my alarm clock and grab it as soon as the alarm goes. Take my temp, see what it is and then doze for another 10 mins. If you press the on button my thermometer will show you the last reading for a couple of seconds- useful if you forget it in your half asleep state!

www.fertilityfriend.com/home/343af6

I think I must enter into the realms of being obsessed as this time I have been temping, using CBFM in the morning and also used the CB digital OPK in the afternoon once the CBFM went to peak. Sadly, my AF arrived this afternoon even with all the effort I put in so my temping was right this morning when it showed my temperature dropped. It's the first time I have used all 3 so will try again next month!
Just trying to think it's only 2 weeks until we try again, hopefully I will OV before DH goes away on his next business trip on the 28th of November otherwise I might be getting him to give me quickie at the airport!!!

Any other TTC's got any news yet??? Surely one of us must have a BFP??
I was wondering if the press make it harder to conceive??

Duggs, that is heartbreaking. What a horrible horrible scan experience.

Scooter ? Great news!

Sorry to hear about all the BFNs. I was feeling really optimistic for you all. Hopefully it's just too early still.

Actually it?s odd, now I come to think of it I don?t get anywhere near as many colds as I used to. I just assumed that my immune system had got stronger because I?d been teaching for a while. Oddly I always get a horrible cold just around the time of a BFP. Maybe it?s because my immune system is busy fighting somewhere else??

Arian ? I confess to having been horribly windy on the pred. I didn?t get indigestion, just terrible wind.

Sorry I haven?t been able to read all the way back. I?m feeling incredibly wound up about work at the moment. We?re expecting OFSTED some time this year and we?ve got a new deputy head who is keen to make an impression and they?re really piling on the pressure. There have been lots of tears this week. And I don?t mean from the kids. I work p/t but I?ve been contacted at home about stuff that needs to be done. It feels like I spend every spare minute when I?m not looking after ds doing bloody school work. And, we?re trying to sort out our flat to put it on the market. We live in a one-bedroom place which is becoming a bit of a squeeze, and would be a nightmare with 2 children. Until now I couldn?t really allow myself think about the fact that I may actually end up with two children and that we really need somewhere larger to live. Preferable before the baby comes. As long as we sell our place reasonably quickly then it?s all doable but I?m feeling a bit overwhelmed with it all. Sorry about the moan. Will go back and try to read through what I?ve missed.

suemays sorry to hear that af has come. Well you certainly can say you tried your best with all your ov sticks and gadgets! I know its no consolation but when you say it's only another two weeks to try again it doesn't seem so bad...and think of the excitment of doing it at airport!..... then again unless he has lounge service and some kind of private room you;ll be getting acqauinted with the bogs! hehe

yes where are the bfp's?!

Hi everyone
Duggs your scan sounds heartbreaking. It must have been really difficult to process that. At my 12 week scan last time (last Dec) the heartbeat was not detected and it was measuring 9wks 3 days. I'd actually had a scan at 9 wks 3 days exactly and the heart beat had been very strong and it was measuring to the day what i was expecting from the previous scan a week or so earlier. It seemed like it had stopped growing suddenly.

Interesting to hear about the lack of colds. I cannot remember the last time I had a cold, must be a good few years, but I would say that was before I got pregnant for the first time (June 10), not only since.

Well, I don't like to be too certain about this but it's dpo 9 (or possibly 10?) today and I did a test which seemed to have a vvvv faint line, although DH doubted it and I wasn't so sure myself it was that faint. So I've repeated it several times with the vast library of various brands of tests I have and there does seem to be a faint line on most of them, especially on the CB 'test 4 days before your period' test which there's no doubt on really. I don't feel excited, just very cautious, especially as I've had bleeding already over the past week. Perhaps a particularly violent implantation or the womb shedding? Either way, it's not a good sign I feel. Eeek.