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.

Sorry can't help cheerful but what about emailing - I always find I get a pretty quick response.

18 weeks - fantastic Digi! Thanks for mentioning ds - not a great day today being pregnant helping in some ways but not in others.

Iggi I have got my 12 week on Thursday and feeling same as you - both in terms of tiredness and worriedness. Did a couple of hours of ironing this morning and felt like I'd run a marathon. funny twinges which I keep telling myself are normal but still worry me. Hoping to be able to tell parents etc at school after 12 week scan if all ok although I imagine most people have guessed as stomach is huge. Can't let myself believe that this won't work now but also can't believe it could - roll on being 38 weeks!!

Greetings from LA!

Cheerful if you get any luck with how much intralipids you need to have please let me know. I feel I might actually be on for a BFN at the moment (got another one this morning, my 14th day on Pred will be Weds so will stop after then) but the clinic haven't got back to any of my emails!! Really annoying as I asked them for a prescription for intralipids last Sunday again in the week.

Sorry not to catch up properly. Busy getting ready and venturing out to see what the day has to offer. Good luck with scans everyone, so exciting to see that it is going well and everyone is progressing, despite the mentalling and tiredness?

Great chart Duggs. Have added my details. I was thinking - stats wise - if there are 20 of us and three of us have had mcs on the first round of treatment, isn't that 85% more or less...? Interesting as that is also the first time success rate of the clinic and here it is actually in action. Someone mentioned on BC that most people who fail in the first attempt go on to be successful on the second. So hopefully that is us.

I still feel a bit nauseous and with a few strange twinges going on down there but from the constant BFNs I am pretty sure that must be the meds and now the jet lag.

I guess that makes sense free . . . With you 3 is it also fair to say you were pretty quick in your cycle attempts and you may have been too quick so that not enough time had passed to build up the treatment? Hope u all ok ladies. I'm having a superovulation attempt this month on letrozole. Will keep u updated on it. Yes ladies been moody, psychopath recently . . ESP coming off pred! X

Oh dear, just read on BC that one of the pregnant ladies there has had her third mc on the treatment. How awful. I also can't help but think that's going to be me. FFS, such a flippin terrible ride.

Hey free I guess unless someone finds a 100% "cure" - which isn't going to happen as that would be a bit like finding a way to stop us all dying, then some people will keep miscarrying until they decide to accept they've tried all they can. Like it has always been and always will be. Life and death. It doesn't -by any stretch - mean this is you or me or anyone specific. We just don't know. I know you have higher nk levels but the 8 pg ladies half of them have v high cells too, so we can't let you get spooked by this poor lady. Dr s said 85% success. If it was 100% the world would be a different place. Big hugs across the ocean to you. You've got us in cocoon world so it makes us stronger so we have more stamina ..we are a long way off giving up a long, long way - you've got to see far more of my charts yet honey x

LOL! It is all worth going through if only to envisage what chart action you might have lined up next for us

..no seriously, it would be interesting to know what dr s suggests next for her. Is she seeing him only or also st m? I can take a look myself, it is unusual isn't it?

free you'll be tucked up in bed right now- or dancing the light fandango as you are in LA, but I've had a trawl through the babycentre forum on nk cells. There was a post about 10 oct from a lady who just had her 7th mc, but 2nd on dr s plan. She asked him about it and he said - (her quote) " most women carry their first pg to term, a few carry their 2nd and no one has had 3 on the plan so far." now you've just said about the poor bc lady so perhaps is the first? Is to b e expected as volumes of us grow I suppose but it sounds like it is still very unusual. Hope that makes sense and you nay already know this as think you go on BC anyway. Interesting - of course perhaps some ladies dont continue after 2 on plan but difficult to measure. Positive thinking. Hope everyone else ok - anymore test results in ? X

Morning ladies ... nothing to report here, feeling sick, bbs feeling a bit sore, but not reading anything into either of these as pred does upset my stomach and I always get sore bbs before AF anyway. 10dpo but determinedly not testing until Wed at 12dpo, no point wasting a FRER in my estimation.

Excellent news on the BFP cheerful!! and sue did you test again?

duggs great work on the doc, will add my details in in a while (have to do some work first :) ).

free hope you're enjoying the high life in LA and not worrying about anything. I read that on BC, poor lady, I can only imagine her devastation - and isn't that all of our fear, that even on the treatment we'll still miscarry? It's part of what's behind my reluctance to test to be honest - I obviously don't want the disappointment of a BFN (and the thought of having to do it all again next cycle), but there's a part of me that is afraid to get a BFP too, nuts though it sounds. While I don't get a BFP I won't have another possible MC and the hope that Mr S's treatment will work for me is still there, if that makes sense. I really feel for the lady on BC, I was following her story with great interest and really hoping it worked for her. So sad :(

Anyway, new week, new possibilities, hope all our pg ladies are in fine bloom, feeling thoroughly sick/tired/your-symptom-of-choice-here :) and the TTCers are remaining positive (even if I'm not myself!).

/waves

It's a BFN for me again this morning so it must be the preds making my AF light!
Got to dash - just a quick one!

OMG thought I'd lost u all !!! The thread disappeared off my phone , gonna have a read through everything I've missed over the weekend and message tonight , hope everyone is well xxx

Massive Congrats to cheerful , yey another one upduffed in our druggie crew !!!

Digi 18 weeks, do u find it's going quicker now? Time has started to fly for me now, keep telling people I'm 20 weeks and I'm 23 !!!

Been to hear my little second heartbeat AGAIN today, sure the MW is totally sick of me but not back again for 2 weeks now as baby is practicing for Jackie chans new movie inside me now and DH actually felt it on Friday !!! Still not chilled though, things can still go so wrong

Hoping for more BFPS from u ladies very soon !!!! Xxx

Hi all. second day for me on pred and I can honestly say I only slept about 3 hrs last night!! Seemed to be pretty dosey but not actually asleep. See what tonight brings. Might not have helped as Mum's birthday party yesterday and had a glass of wine at lunch but nothing more. Gonna have to completly abstain from now as won't be able to function.

sue sorry for another bfn will you be testing anymore or is that it for this month?

Stogan great to have all your lovely happy scans, stuff the MW. It's such a shame that we all probably won't be able to relax until it's pops out though!

free hope your havin a ball! -have you been tempted to test yet while your there?

I am excited today as can finally tell DS (5) tonight that we are going to Florida over Christmas and can see Mickey! Think I will try to get him to read it out on big sign like on the advert.
snoops
x

5am wake up for me here but it must be the jet lag. I think the Pred really affects me in the beginning but then I get more used to it. Can't say for sure as the first cycle on it I got pregnant.

I have indeed tested when here Snoopy, did so with my last stick yesterday. I do have some cheapie sticks but they are the ones you have to pee in a pot and then wait for it to go to room temp and I just couldn't be arsed this morning. Also I really feel that AF might be on the way, it's CD28 and since my first mc of the year my cycles have been around 28-30 days (were a bit longer before) so that would make sense. Strangely enough I am really looking forward to getting my af. There's something quite comforting about it! Also I feel the same as you Ari as it's quite nice not to be pregnant, even though being pregnant is of course why we're doing it.

But I think I will temp next month so I know where I am at as I keep reading about Pred messing up ovulation and cycles. I am guessing I quit too early this month. Still no idea what all the pre-AF style cramping was just after I thought I had ovulated. Still two more days on the Pred though so I might have to take another test if AF doesn't show up. But it will be nice not to have to worry about intralipids etc over here.

Snoopy v exciting about Disney! I was there last Dec and it was fab. Obviously no kids but enjoyed it all the same even though I was there for work. I did a shopping video feature if you want me to send you the link.

Great news on the scan stogan! Much be such a relief.

Hope everyone else is good xx

free yes thanks send me the link. Don't know about shopping think we are going to be skint by the time we get there!! My mum is out there for two months so freeloading on their accommodation. Don't know where I can swim with Dolphins on the cheap do you? haha I really wanted us all to do that and then saw the price!!

Nah, it's really expensive hence I didn't do it either. Shame. Freeloading on accommodation is the way to go (she says writing this from brother's spare room in LA :) ).

Thanks for the link free. I have been once about 18 yrs ago but only for 7 days. What I enjoyed was the places you just happen upon. when driving back from St Petersburg beach one day came across this lovely place called Fort de Soto Wildlife park. Walked down a pier and just saw dolphins jumping out of the water and pelicans/racoons just wandering about. It was fab and would love DS to see some of that side of it. Just found out it doesn't clash with his Christmas play so that's a bonus.
Sounds like a great career by the way - photography combined with travel would be my dream job. When you have your little one just think you will have an excuse to research/report on all the baby friendly holidays!

Hi girls - I've had a terrible time coming off the pred which I took for 14 days from ovulation. Today is second day off the pred. I feel really low in energy and quite depressed (I never feel this way)! I still haven't got AF yet which worries me too but def not pregnant as lots of BFNs.

Do you know if this is unusual and if I should talk to Dr S? I know it can affect your cycle - have you ladies found it affects ovulation and AF?

How many cycles do you usually take the pred before having a break?

Hi coley - i had a really bad time coming off it in my first cycle and yes it can delay your AF. I took it for seventeen days thinking I was doing a good thing but actually it just made coming off it a bit of a nightmare - felt line I had bad flu + headache + really low. Hope you start to feel better soon x

hi Coley I can't answer you properly as the only cycle I have had before this one I got pregnant on so immediately had to go from 25mg to 40 but I know that coming off was a PITA after I had the ERPC. Also this cycle am very confused as well - not really knowing when I ovulated, having strange symptoms but continued BFNs... all I can think is that it must be the Pred. So I am starting to think it definitely affects your cycle.

I think Mr S says to have a break after 4-6 cycles but am not sure. Kittens will be able to answer that I think.

Snoopy that national park sounds amazing! We are still to book our post Christmas (going to Spain for a few days for actual Christmas as parents live there) break and that sounds very tempting. Now I am not pregnant (I don't think) we are going to book it when i get back to the UK! Very much looking forward to myself and DH chilling somewhere in the sunshine. Half tempted to leave the TTC for another month so I wouldn't be early pregnant on holiday. Will have to have a think. One the one hand that would be lovely, but on the other I realise that time is getting on.

Coley I felt how Comedy describes too, though it did go within a week.
Well tomorrow is my last day on 25mg, then start the weaning off process. Goodness know what that will be like.
My mantra for the next two days is "do not keep reading miscarriage threads or ones about NT results".
Would love to be in LA!

Thanks all- I'm glad I'm not the only one but it really makes me question what I'm doing to my body!

Enjoy your trip fre

coley I tend to "crash" a bit coming off the Pred. I'm not normally that way inclined either. I put it down to the Pred levels dropping and having whatever chemical effect that has, plus some level of disappointment at a bfn is only natural, and those feeling are no doubt exacerbated by the Pred effects. Add some normal AF hormones in the mix and confusion you must be feeling over why AF hasn't arrived yet... If you read the info leaflet, Pred can have some rather nasty psychological effects, mood swings etc etc.

I was told to take a break after 6 cycles, and to go see S for a review. It can take 6 months to conceive anyway, in the normal course. I am finding the roller coaster pretty gruelling at this stage tbh. At the same time, despite all the physical and emotional impact, giving up doesn't occur to me as an option.

Sorry I'm probably painting a fairly negative picture here Coley, but the dip only lasts a few days and after AF you're back on a fresh start, a new stage of ttc and shaggage aplenty! Keep moving forward :)

Well after several BFN's AF has arrived this evening.
I also feel strangely relieved in a way- like you free it seems kinda comforting that the witch has arrived.
I had thought that this cycle could be the one as it's my third on the Pred
BTW coley .. I saw Louise after my 2nd cycle and she arranged a prescription for 1 more cycle of pred after the 4 I already had so that makes 5 in total before I have to go back to NLC.
snoopy good luck with your first cycle! duffs stats show that you are in with a pretty good chance of that BFP, I hope you manage to get a few more hours sleep tonight.
Onwards and upwards .. let's hope that soon we'll all be out of choppy waters and joining all you lovely ladies on that BFP yacht

Coley ? Sorry you?re having such a horrible time coming off the pred. I haven?t taken it during ovulation before as I was pg when I started the treatment but I know that I found coming off pretty grim too. I had a horrible headache and felt really fed up and didn?t attribute it to the pred straight away but I think that must have been what it was. It?s pretty strong stuff. Quite scary really what we?re putting into our bodies.

A bit of winter sun sounds lovely Snoopy!

Sorry to hear there haven?t been any more bfps. I can understand you feeling relieved that you probably won?t have the stress of arranging intralipids while you?re away Free.

Well I had my last appointment with Mr S today. I was feeling really nervous beforehand as I hadn?t had a scan since my last appointment with him at 11 weeks but all was fine. I asked him whether he could tell the gender and he thinks the baby is a boy ? he says it?s a bit early to tell but he?s 70% sure. Not that I care at all, but I?ve been in such complete denial about this pregnancy up to now that I thought knowing the sex would help make it feel a bit more real. It feels a bit weird to think I've been "discharged" and his work is done now.

A question for those with children. When did you start to feel movement? I can?t remember when I started to feel ds. Good to hear that you?re really feeling the baby now Stogan. Does it make you feel a bit more relaxed? Am really looking forward when those kung fu kicks start and I can feel a bit more confident that things are still going OK.

Hope everyone else is OK!