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.

Oh Free, I really feel for your friend, especially as she?s invested so much in getting to this stage. FWIW in my last pregnancy I had a scan at 7 weeks and they couldn?t see anything and made me wait another 2 weeks (which I think was a bit cruel) before they would confirm anything. In my case it was an empty sac but I do remember at the time reading lots of stories where it came good. I do think at that early stage even a couple of days can make a difference, especially if you?ve got a tilted uterus, as I have, as this can make it a bit more difficult to see that early on. She may not know whether she has one, as it?s very common (about 40% of women or something) so they don?t automatically mention it. I only found out as it was the cause of the ?retained products? after my ERPC. At the same time, you don?t want to give false hope though, do you, in case it all comes crashing down in a week.

Cheerful, It?s a tricky one. I would probably go with the doctor?s advice as well, but I?d invest in a hot water bottle and try and keep my tummy warm. I suppose the other question is, do you feel emotionally ready to get back on the roller coaster? I know after 3 miscarriages in fairly quick succession I needed a while to get myself physically and mentally ready to approach it all again. It sounds like you?ve got yourself all geared up for it, and you?ll be frustrated if you need to wait much longer.

I didn?t take Omeprazole. Mr S didn?t prescribe it to me at first and only put it on a later prescription. To be honest I forgot and just shoved it all in the cupboard as I already had the other drugs on the go and only remembered it when I went in the cupboard to get the next lot out, but as I?ve not had any digestive problems I didn?t bother to take it. God I hope I haven't done any harm!

Well, I?m 12+3 and starting to feel a bit better. I?m down to 15 mg of pred now and last night had what I could almost describe as a good night?s sleep! The problem is, the nausea?s starting to wear off which I know is completely normal for dates but it?s making me worry. My next scan (a dating one, I?ve decided not to have a nuchal as the odds are going to be bad given my age and I don?t want to go down the amnio route) isn?t till 15th November as they messed up my hospital booking in and all attempts to bring it forward have been refused. I know I just have to proceed as usual and assume that everything?s OK, but it feels a bit hard.

Hi ladies, have just finished reading both threads -1000 posts and this new one.
Amazing there are so many of us. I've got high/v high nk cell activity -1.79. Dr s treatment just started 2nd round of steroids today. 3 mc last 18 mths am almost 35 no children -YET. really inspired reading your posts as have been trawling the web for almost 2yrs and less than inspired by anything I've read on any post.

Loving that freelancegirlis highlighting this issue and would be happy to provide any info to help this quest.

digitalgirl think I have similar levels to you.

Interestingly enough CD69 measures level of activity so my count is normal range but activity is high/vhigh.

Am also having insomnia, eating all I see and did have strong pg symptoms last month but no bfp.

Hope I can join as I feel so happy to have found u ladies.... TF for the Internet !

Welcome duggs - the more the merrier!

Welcome duggs, happy to have you along. Want to add your details into the list? (see scooters last post for the latest version of the list, I think!)

Hiya dug, welcome to our world xxx

Duggs sorry (stupid fone) x

Ahh call me Doug....makes me smile.. and thanks for the warm welcomes.

I am ov today I think - I am not great at charting - but back ache and the crappy internet sticks I have look like the lines are pretty similarish.

Have been bonking like a robot all week (never imagined sex would become such an ordeal..I used to always have it up there with red wine, cheese and chocolate in my favourites list.. ahh well - we may as well get used to it, when we all have our babies it is pretty much off the agenda for about 9 years so I've been told

Just read the London Metro on way home and did smile at the front page - WHEN Kate and Wills have children if the first is a girl she will be queen (I am not that bothered) but I think crikey.. she had better not have any NK cells or issues that would be pressure..do you reckon she's had the 20 million blood tests and scans that us lot seem to have had before Willy popped the Q ? umm ..I wonder.

Off to think about dinner.. and actually wanted to ask about wine on these steriods pred - is it ok to have... I hope so...I think I read on your previous, impressive 1,000 post thread dr S said was ok ?

TTC
dugga1976 - High boarderline V High NKC TTC/ Ov 28 Oct. Pred
batteryhen- High activation NKC, and factor v leiden. TTC/OV 29 Oct
Suemays - V High NKC TTC/ov 31st Oct.
Freelance - V High NKC TTC/ov 1st Nov. Hydroxchloroquine, Pred, Intralipids. Thyroid/hashimotos
Arianrhod - V High NKC, MTHFR homo, hypothyroid, TTC/ov 1st Nov
eurochick - awaiting first appointment (in Nov)/cd9/ov 31 Oct-2 Nov
ChoccyPud - V High NKC / cd7/ov 3rd Nov
Cheerfulcharlie V High NKC (intralipids on BFP, no Pred) TTC/ov 5th Nov.
Snoopygirl - V High NKC TTC/ov 16 Nov ish/will be Ist try with Pred Itralipids
Havingkittens - High NKC TTC again from November

BFP
Stogan - V high NKC - BFP ON 9/7/11 cycle#2 - 20+5 Due 10/03/12
Digitalgirl - High NKC - BFP cycle#2 - 15+3 Due 16/04/12 next scan 7/11
Coconutfeet - V High NKC, Factor II gene mutation, underactive thyroid - 12+2 next scan 15/11
Iggi - High NKC & Hypothyroidism - 9+2 next scan 7/11
Comedy 8+6 due 1/6/12 scan 2/11
Scooterchaser - V High NKC - BFP cycle1 - 4+5. Due 01/07/12. Scan 10/11

Funny that doug, I thought the same re princess Kate. Bless her I wouldn't wish our condition on anyone but if she does have trouble she will be under sooooo much pressure, awful really eh, people just take having children for granted ( not all people I emphasise!)

Welcome Doug (). You've read both threads? That must've taken HOURS! Shows true devotion to the cause though... [hgrin].

Thanks to whoever it was who put me onto the BC group, I've been allowed in. Some interesting discussions, and several of the same ladies too!

Anyway, it's almost funny how people assume babies are easily come by, isn't it. Equally that if there's no sign of a baby and the couple have eg been married for a few years, the assumption always seems that they're trying but not conceiving. How little people know eh? There's a bit more to it than "just" hitting the target. Sometimes I envy people their naïveté though.

CD10 tomorrow so better break out the ov sticks :)

Hello everyone! And a special big welcome to Duggs. Well done for reading through all the threads! I would have done that too a few weeks ago but I have now had to put my Dr Google obsession on hold. a) because I was getting obsessed b) because I got bloody RSI from too much googling and c) because I now think I honestly know everything there is online out there! But I would have devoured this thread too.

Gosh it is moving fast now there are a lot of us. It is so great to have everyone in the same-ish boat to talk to though.

Loving your take on red wine, chocolate and cheese Duggs definitely my favourite things too. I too have started the bonking today (!) so it might get robotic come SWI day 7 or so... I am trying to make it fun at the moment as DH knows full well it is SWI time. But I did get a bit teary earlier as the whole prospect of getting back in the saddle as it were and risking another miscarriage is really scary. Got to be done though. And TBH I have really been enjoying the wine, cheese and going out aspect of not TTC since my last mc in august! Much fun and so much more relaxing than constant pant-checking.

I was thinking exactly the same thing about Wills and Kate too!

BTW so many of us are TTC around the same time CHoccy! CD11 for me today. Agggh! Let the SWi begin... I think I will start Pred on CD16 next week.

Got to run, there's a life to be had before things get serious again xxx

Welcome duggs, am also very impressed that you've managed to read the previous thread and catch up on this one! The very best of luck with this cycle!

WRT to drinking on the treatment. I think I stayed my usual wussy not really drinking self. But when duty called - weddings, hen nights, work do's etc, I would have a few glasses - but never binged. In fact I was on a Sten (combined stag/hen) on 6dpo of this cycle - drank a few glasses of champers, then joined in a wine tasting, then a couple more glasses of champers. Felt a bit guilty about potentially pickling a bean, but figured it wouldn't have implanted by then so would still be floating around. But since the BFP I've been unable to touch a drop...probably an unnecessary measure.

coconutfeet well done on getting to 12 weeks! And great that you've managed to get a good night's sleep.

free sorry to hear about your friend's situation. It's bloody hard trying to offer support in these circumstances without either a)giving false hope or b)sounding like a doom-mongerer. All I can say is a hope she gets a definitive answer either way.

cheerful I must admit my acupuncturist has never told me to hold off from ttc - I've usually waited for the first AF post-mc. He may have suggested that getting pg in the cycle immediately after a mc wouldn't have been a great idea 'in hindsight' when looking over my temp chart for a WTF cycle. But then he's never said I've had a 'cold womb'. Do you chart your temperatures? Perhaps they mean that you have low-progesterone (progesterone is produced post-ov which raises your body temperature), which you may be able to back up with charting. However, Mr S prescribes progesterone supplements anyway which should cover any progesteron deficiency problems. A good acupuncturist would also be able to provide treatment throughout the first trimester which encourages good circulation (and thus ensure more blood/warmth to the womb).

iggi and comedy hoooray you're past 9 weeks!

scooter so pleased they've sorted you out with the stronger meds. You do know that if push came to shove the infamous Pred Thread Pharmacy would have clubbed together and air-dropped you a survival pack!

Right, well by the looks of the ov-dates on the list most of you are probably busy tonight 'bonking' (love that term, reminds me of 80s Sun headlines). Swim, fish, swim!

Just updating the bfp'ers progress for today.

TTC
duggs1976 - High boarderline V High NKC TTC/ Ov 28 Oct. Pred
batteryhen- High activation NKC, and factor v leiden. TTC/OV 29 Oct
Suemays - V High NKC TTC/ov 31st Oct.
Freelance - V High NKC TTC/ov 1st Nov. Hydroxchloroquine, Pred, Intralipids. Thyroid/hashimotos
Arianrhod - V High NKC, MTHFR homo, hypothyroid, TTC/ov 1st Nov
eurochick - awaiting first appointment (in Nov)/cd9/ov 31 Oct-2 Nov
ChoccyPud - V High NKC / cd7/ov 3rd Nov
Cheerfulcharlie V High NKC (intralipids on BFP, no Pred) TTC/ov 5th Nov.
Snoopygirl - V High NKC TTC/ov 16 Nov ish/will be Ist try with Pred Itralipids
Havingkittens - High NKC TTC again from November

BFP
Stogan - V high NKC - BFP ON 9/7/11 cycle#2 - 20+6 Due 10/03/12
Digitalgirl - High NKC - BFP cycle#2 - 15+4 Due 16/04/12 next scan 7/11
Coconutfeet - V High NKC, Factor II gene mutation, underactive thyroid - 12+3 next scan 15/11
Iggi - High NKC & Hypothyroidism - 9+3 next scan 7/11
Comedy 9+0 due 1/6/12 scan 2/11
Scooterchaser - V High NKC - BFP cycle1 - 4+5. Due 01/07/12. Scan 10/11

Hey Digi, we are scan buddies in a week! Yikes. After 12 weeks (NHS) should I expect any more scans till 20, or is that them done? I imagine S might want to see me again, so that might tide me over!
I have had awful indigestion pains tonight, think I drank too much fizzy water (what is left for me to drink?) And got a bad sharp pain in middle of chest that had me rolling around while swigging gaviscon! Pah.
Good luck to all the SWIers.

Hey Iggi funny ushould mention fizzy water I was like that but have now been trying all sorts of stuff I've never had, bitter lemon, Pago, j20 and can honestly say I'm
Not missing alcohol (or the hangovers) at all !
Think mr s will def want to see u again think it's usually between 14 & 16 weeks to sign u off, Oooo exciting !! Xx

iggi, maybe try ginger beer if you like it. It's quite settling for the stomach. This is what I used to drink in the pub during my various brief pregnancies - although you have to be careful now that they do stuff like Crabbies because some bar staff will assume you mean that, especially if it's a friend buying you a drink who doesn't know you're pregnant.

I suffer really badly from the heartburn thing, even when not on Pred. The Pred makes it insufferable and Gaviscon doesn't touch the sides so I ended up getting the Omeprazole from my GP. Although it seems to take a few days on the Pred before the heatburn kicks in so I was taking the Omeprazole on my 4th or 5th day of Pred so as not to be on it every day.

Free we are cycle buddies. It's CD12 for both of us today I think.

Thanks for letting me know that the Harley St clinic is not too busy. I could get to Epsom if I needed to, but I am going to be v busy with work next month and Harley St is just easier as I work in Central London and Mr euro is at the Wharf.

I've been meaning to ask, do you all take your husbands/partners with you to your appointments? He came to my gynae appointment with me although I wasn't told to bring him, and it was just as well as the gynae wanted to talk about his SA results as well as the results of my tests. (I sent him out when the gynae wanted to use me as a glove puppet though - he didn't need to see that!).

Coconut it's great that you are over 12 weeks but rubbish that they are not going to scan you again for another fortnight+!

Welcome Duggs and sorry to everyone I have missed. There were quite a lot of posts to catch up on!

Morning all !

Hello duggs welcome and hope the sack action is not getting too tiresome! Sayin that I think lots of you are in the boat as it were - good luck everyone!!

Got my drugs from pharmacy in doctors today and was pleasantly surprised they charged me NHS prices, so the whole 4 months of kit was only £28. Bargain!

euro My hubby came with me for first two appointments with Dr S but nothing graphic for him to cope with. When I have blood taken he has to wait outside as he may faint. He is the first aider on a Construction site which is useless as on the site of blood he literally goes white! In your situation I would have definitely sent him out.

Can someone answer a question- sorry if this is tmi at breakfast but when I get my AF there is a couple of days of brownish discharge do I count this as day 1 of cycle or when I get proper blood? Sorry to be thick but never had to bother with all this before.

Morning all! Love the thought of all the TTCers 'bonking' dutifully! :)

snoopy I also get 2 days of brownish spotting before AF kicks in properly. You count day one as the first day you have proper bleeding, or so I've always been told.

CD12 for me too but CBFM is doing my head in as it's still reading Low .. usually it would be reading High by now, usually get 2 or 3 days of those before Peak on CD14 or so. Scratching my head and wondering what is going on but bonking anyway in case CBFM decides to spring a Peak on me with no Highs like it did once before. What a pain all this tracking is!

euro my DP only came for the first appt with Mr S, he hasn't been to the 2 follow-ups.

I am the same Snoopy, being a bit of a novice. I think they say it should be your first day of proper bleeding, so that's what I counted this time.

It's funny seeing the pregnant ladies advance in weeks as it seems so fast! But I know to you it must be dragging.

Euro we are indeed cycle buddies! I am at the Wharf most days btw as live nearby and my gym is there! I probably walk past your OH all the time :)

Dh and I had a bit of a TTC wobble yesterday thinking that actually it would be nice to go into Xmas and new year holiday without the worry of being pregnant. Of course that's assuming I can get pregnant easily again which might definitely not be the case. Half of me is now thinking of waiting. Injust don't know. We did swi yesterday but it might be a bit early so we could feasibly stop now. But am 37 and half of me just wants to get on with it. There is never going to be the perfect time to have The Fear is there. I think if only I wasn't do fond of drinking and that wasn't a big part if my social circle I could get pregnant and not alter my lifestyle and therefore ignore it mote easily! Will chat later again with dh and see what we decide.

Oh and on the subject of dh coming to appointments he only comes to important ones - the one I got my results in, my pregnancy scan (only had one with mr s and dh couldn't make the others at Epu due to work) and the one post mc. Same plan for future - he will come to any pregnancy scans and other important ones. He is a bit redundant at standard appointments I think and was def not needed at the first, the one the tests were carried out in.

Morning all... Ari please don't take offence when I say I was very much not thinking of you earlier this morning...

DH has come with me to all appointments except the 2nd of my hcg blood tests 48 hours apart to confirm my chem in Sept. There really was no point when he would've had to move a meeting. I don't plan on him coming along to intralipids though!

However, bear in mind that we live very close to NLC and can both get between work and NLC easily, so I just arrange appointments for one end of the day or the other and it's dead easy for both of us. I feel incredibly lucky in that regard - no days off work or spending 12 hours on a train or whatever nightmare journey iggi has from way up north.

Welcome to duggs - you are in good company here. I am on everyday as haven't told anybody in RL that I am newly pg and it is literally a lifeline for me.

Thanks digi for the supportive airdrop comment - its reassuring to be able to count on the pred thread pharmacy in emergencies, although urgent intralipid infusions might test us a bit!

snoopy sorry can't help with the AF question but I am sure someone will be along soon with some info about when to count CD1.

euro DH comes with me to all the specialist appointments (although he has missed some by being abroad) I find that because I tend to get emotional, he is much better at remembering our questions and listening to the answers! He has been there to hold my hand in the 'glove puppet' moments as well because he's good in those situations, I have always given him the choice and he has always opted to stay. Sometimes they need a bit of a window on our world I think!

Feeling very discouraged now, its going round and round in my head that Mr S says miscarriage starts at conception and I know that at conception my NK69 count was 2.0 and (despite 25mg pred) a week into my pregnancy it was very scary 2.69. I didn't get the high dose pred until 4+4 and no intralipids until Monday when I will already be 5 weeks.

I am so scared it is already too late for this one but I know that I will probably carry on with it until about 8 weeks because my miscarriages have been so predictable. I also had good scans with two of my failing pregnancies so the 6 week scan if it is hopeful, will not be able to reassure me. I feel very doomed and without any appointments or contact with Dr S I feel in total nomansland. Annabel was also on leave last week so I couldn't even make contact with his office. I wonder if he knew all of this, whether he would be telling me to bother with the intralipids at all or just wait this one out. Literally just praying for a miracle now, not much else I can do!

Sorry for the doom and gloom on this sunny Saturday. Hope everyone else having a better day.

On the AF point, mines different every month in terms of how it starts. I kind of count days but mainly go by cm for ov time. I've started using ov sticks as of last month, more to tell me when to start on the Pred than when to swi.

Scooter just read your post... Sorry you're feeling like this, the wait can't be helping as you've got time to run it all round your head. I know it's hard not to fear the worst. I'd go for the intralipids as you will then know you've done all you can. If this pg doesn't succeed, you won't look back and say if only...

To use my own experience as an example, I had a huge downer after my chem in Sept. what happened was I thought I'd got AF, a few days early, but it turned out to be v short for me, then I started spotting a week or so later, and got a BFP. I spoke to Louise, started taking 40mg Pred, cyclogest, ome and had hcg blood tests to check which way my hcg was headed (downwards obv). I didn't hold much hope that it'd hold but thought it best to fling as much at it as we could until blood tests confirmed there was nothing doing.

What killed me afterwards was that I had consciously NOT poas as I'd come on as far as I was concerned... Didn't think about breakthrough bleeding, just felt so low that I hadn't conceived I was all "what's the bloody point". Hence last month I was testing testing testing, including even after AF had very much arrived.

So, go for intralipids and hit it with everything you've got. With the NKCs we need to get clinical I think with the ov testing, poas-ing and dosing up with all the drugs. For me, concentrating on the clinical helps me to detach from it a bit I think. Ask me again after a BFP though...!

Hugs

free absolutely understand the dilemma of wanting a christmas and new year without the pressures of being newly pg. I miscarried last year on my birthday (a week before Christmas) and now risk the same again. It was such a 'safe' place to not be pregnant recently and Christmas is such an emotionally-charged and family-centred time of year, it is not an easy time to be back in the game. We have to spend Christmas with thirty-six family members including my very excitedly-pregnant cousin, so it will be a very brave face time for me!

Anyway, know that we will be here to support you through it if you do go for it and get a BFP straight away, and Mr S will probably race into action with your treatment plan to give you the best chance.

Just for info, our SWI success day was CD12, we stopped two days before I actually got my OPK smiley face when I got cold feet but the little guys showed some patience and stamina and waited it out up there. I'd like to think this one was really meant to be.....

Thanks choccy. I know that I have really tried to take the bull by the horns this time in trying to step up my treatment but I do regret not chasing my test results sooner because I should have known I had gone into the very high range before we ttc. I do feel let down that nobody checked this test and let me know but we can't expect everything from the NHS.

Who did you get the HCG tests done through? No one has suggested I have those taken, but it might give me an indication of which way its going. I don't know whether it would be easier just to totally give up on it.