TTC/Pregnancy on Prednisolone or similar part 4

[digitalgirl]

A positive thread for all those diagnosed with High or Very High NK Cells and looking to start TTC or already pregnant on Prednisolone and/or Intralipid treatment.

Newcomers very much welcome!

Part 3 here

Part 2 here

Part 1 here

If I thought doing a fertility dance would help, I'd learn the steps! :) Great idea though snoopy :) Well my OH asked Mr S the same question, if he should be taking anything (this was back last Sept when we first saw Mr S). Mr S said the same as for your DH, and also suggested Co-Q10. So I offered to let OH take my Co-Q10 and I'd get him additional selenium and zinc tablets, and the general answer was along the lines of he couldn't be bothered to take more supplements (he only takes a multivit and cod liver oil!!). Men, can't live with 'em, can't live with 'em .

Well I'm not due to OV for at least another 10 days, so trying to forget about the whole thing for the moment. Waiting impatiently for someone else on the thread to get a sticky BFP though!!

pico I had lots of pains in my first pregnancy - I ended up in A+E but it just turned out to be implantation. Worried me sick, i was in agony.

I am panicking. Just been to the loo - brown streaked cm. Crap. I hope this is not the begining of the end :(

battery I hope things not getting any worse. if it does get yourself checked out for your peace of mind. fingers crosses all is fine. x

Battery phone your epu. I'm not saying that because I think it's a terrible sign and is bad news (I don't, I think it's a random discharge) BUT you will drive yourself mad wondering at home.

battery yes I'm echoing iggi here - brown-streaked cm (as you know) can be perfectly ok, but for your own peace of mind get it checked out sooner rather than later! Fingers crossed all is ok.

I have spoken to my gp who is not worried, and have had no more so am clinging to that. Worrying won't change anything so I am going with it for now. Am glad I haven't cancelled my scan for Thursday !

You are right battery but I know its easy to swing the other way as well and worry and worry. You are perfectly entitled to get a scan so make sure u do if u want it earlier than thurs.
Saying all that I'm sure its nothing. When preg with my dd i had the same thing at roughly 8 weeks, had a scan and all fine, no reason giving for the coloured cm.
As for me, still on the pred. No side effects so far but my work trousers felt a little tighter last night so seems I put on a little weight this week! Af due Mon/tues so will prob test on Sunday. Which will be about 13 dpo.
Sorry for not doing a longer post but getting ready for early dinner out. Saying that dh has just text to say he has a cow down so will prob be a hr late! Always when we've plans!
WaVES X X

I had a tiny bit too battery at around 7 weeks. It was after sex and I put it down to cervical erosion. Haven't dared have sex again since! Glad you haven't had any more but hopefully you really dOnt have anything to worry about. Good you have the scan on thurs too.

Can any of you help me with a spot of over-thinking and vet anxiousness? I am feeling pretty schey and tired this evening. Always tired in evenings at mo and also thinking aches are down to Pred tapering, had it last time.

One thing that has freaked me out though is that I've just noticed my fobgr has started to have an allergic reaction to my wedding finger. Thus last happened in my first pregnancy of the year and retrospectively in my over thinking state I have attributed that to a sign of my immune system attacking the body in reaction to the baby, and also attacking the baby of course. so in my over active mind I am now thinking the baby is started to be attacked again now too, now am only on 15mg of Pred.

Evening All

Just an update following all the fantastic advice I had a couple of weeks ago from you lot. I suspected NK cells since TTC for nearly 2 years. I have learnt tonight, (following my HSG last week), that my tubes are damaged internally and externally by scarring and also possibly endo.

I have been very traumatised by the results as didn't suspect any problems of this nature, no past infections, no symptoms etc.

It is likely due to infection but no known cause. Chalmydia antibody results came back as negative etc.

So now I am trying to make sense of all this and plan treatment options which are IVF or sugery to see if any of the damage is repairable. But IVF is looking the more likely option.

Never ever ever ever in a million years did I expect to find myself in this position. I'm sure many others can relate to that. I just feel like I have had trauma after trauma on this road of fertility since my miscarriage nearly 2 years a go.

But these formus are a lifeline. So now onwards to the next chapter. Not going to be persuing the immunology aspect just now.

Good luck to everybody else. x

Hi Sarlat,

I'm so sorry to hear your news, you must be devasted at this setback. It's tough now to take on board but please don't give up. I'm sorry I can't advise as not been in this postition, just struggling to get pregnant and keep it.
But I wish you all the luck and if you ever need any advice I'm sure this thread will be here for a long time to come with great advice.
Good luck x

sarlat very sorry to hear your news, it does sound like you still have options for continuing your ttc journey despite this blow. Very best of luck to you.

free definitely over-thinking. You may remember I started complaining of aches and skin probs as I weaned off the pred too. My dermatitis on my fingers (particularly around my wedding ring finger) came back as did teenage acne which I don't usually suffer from. Plus itching like you wouldn't believe across my belly and legs. I think it's part of the pred withdrawal and you've been on much stronger stuff than I was on. At 12 weeks placenta is well and truly established now and is there to ensure your body is prioritising the baby's needs over yours. Oh and I think 2nd trimester starts at the beginning of 13 weeks not the end .

battery have you been having sex by any chance? Sounds like classic sff-related cervical irritation to me! Glad you have your scan next week though. Does help to know something's lined up.

Had a bit of a wibble myself this evening. Was baking biscuits with ds and suddenly felt really light headed. Sat down and called dh who was thankfully only 2 mins away. Could have been that ive just overdone it today but have been suffering from a bit of swelling lately so wondered if the two might be related. Did a quick nhs direct symptom check and it said to ring midwife asap. Which we did (via labour ward) and she reckoned one dizzy spell wasn't anything to worry about. Had a little cry anyway as the thought of anything going wrong at this stage was too scary. I had swelling with ds so I know it doesn't necessarily mean pre-eclampsia but can't be too careful considering all the drugs I've taken in this pregnancy - god knows what state my liver is in. Anyway, I'm to go in to be checked over if it happens again or if I feel unwell at any point over the next few days.
Have a scheduled mw appt week after next where they'll do my bloods again so if nothing happens between now and then at least I know they'll be checking me over properly soon.

Morning all. It's absolutely glorious here this morning if fecking freezing... !

Well I'm now a member of Team Hydroxy, which is no great surprise having known about free and Ari. I have to take it for at least 6 weeks before ttc, which works ok as having ov'd this week it'll be about 7 weeks' time when I'm back on the rollercoaster.

The joke of it is, bearing in mind how much the Pred costs on private prescription, two months' supply was less than an NHS prescription fee!! :). (Lloyds if anyone's interested...)

Mr S told me loads of interesting info about Hydroxy, which I shan't bore you with. He was also v honest and said he didn't know how long I'd have to take it once pg. Frankly I don't care if I have to take it until I give birth, if it helps me get there! Sounds like we are real trailblazers taking it for first trim mc's though, quite exciting.

Waves to everyone. :)

Hi all,

So sorry to hear of your difficulties Sarlat. I really hope you can work something out. If we can help in any way please do let us know.

How are you feeling now Digi? Could dizzy spells be just something people experience in pregnancy? Good they are keeping an eye on you. Am on the phone and haven't yet got to the stage of researching preeclampsia and it's symptoms. Good to keep a close eye on it though.

For me it is so helpful for you having been through all this first! You did calm me down a bit re the skin problems. I never found out what the ring finger reaction is - eczema, dermatitis...? But have swapped my rings over now to see if that helps. Never get it on the other side or anywhere else but I dud have childhood eczema. Hope you are right and placenta is now doing it's job. Did stogan, comedy or coconut have anything like that too?

Choccy welcome to the hydroxy gang! I am interested to hear what else he said about it. It's a fab drug as far as I am concerned with no real side effects apart from helping me shed a couple of Pred/mc/pregnancy pounds! He initially said up to 16 weeks pregnant to me but last time I saw him he said he had yet to decide when to take me off it.

Gorgeous day out there isn't it! I am spending all day on trains northward but it makes for nice views.

Afternoon everyone...
Its so lovey to read all the positive posts and good scan news..

I need some advice...

I'm weaning off my steroids got about another 3 weeks before it ends, but I wondered if anyone else who has mc and then weaned off can I drink on them now?

Also how long did it take to get back to normal and start ttc again... I'm in a major dilemma I get married at the beginning of june and really don't want to wait till after, but so scared if I ttc again and it works then goes wrong before the wedding...mmmm decisions decisions.... Any advice much appreciated ......

Free -- amazing scan it sounds like it was fab seeing baby moving around...I have the problem with the moon face and the steroids..So good yours are nearly over

Cheerfull --- great scan news how did you find the intrepilids?

Buster--- you must be mad watching one born every minute, I can't bring myself to watch it, I switch over... Can't bear the fact I might never get to that stage.. Plus it scares the pants off me ...

Pico--- brilliant about your bloods, I'm under st helier they're lovely up there.

Duggs---- ooh I love the smiley faces I got two on my positive month... I did two sticks a day I was a bit obsessed..

Stroganoff --- so delighted your scan is all good,,, hope you got lucky at bingo...

Ooh holiday booked Egypt here we come... Not sure about the whole out of shape body thing in a bikini tho..

Are we meant to stop drinking when on steroids? Obviously we are when pregnant but when I was TTC on 25 I drank as much as normal (no drink about 4 nights a week and between one and four small glasses of wine when I went out. After I mc'd and was tapering the steroids from 40 I think I drank like a fish! I really needed it. You are going to feel crap anyway, might as well anesthetise it. Great you have booked the holiday! Go away and enjoy. And getting married is fab!!! You're going to love it. Huge congratulations.

As for trying again after mc on treatment me s told me to wait two cycles to give the body a rest from the steroids. He will prob tell you to do the same. Not sure how that fits with the wedding but you can be hopeful it works second time round. Tell me, did you see a foetus and hb this time? If so, ate they going to test it? Hopefully it was just one of those unavoidable things and next time it will all work out for you xx

Are, rather than ate obv... Silly iPhone

I am another one who didn't know we weren't supposed to drink on the steroids... Mr S didn't mention it and the info leaflet in the packet doesn't mention alcohol at all. If that is right, then oops because I had a very boozy NYE on them!

Holiday to Egypt sounds great, and does the wedding!

free I am sure the ring thing is nothing. But it is completely understandable that we all worry about everything!

I am now on 15 dpo - my longest ever luteal phase. I presume the steroids are to blame as I have had 2 BFNs and don't feel in the least bit preggers.

Sarlat - That sounds like a real blow, sorry to hear that. I don't know if this helps at all, but a friend of mine recently had surgery to remove very bad endo and I was amazed that they were able to do it all by laparoscopy. She spent minimal time in hospital and found that the recovery time was quite quick. I really hope you are able to get a plan in place soon.

Choccy - It must feel like a relief to have a new plan with Mr S and also to have our hydroxy trail blazers leading the way!

Free - I didn't get any weirdy skin complaints coming off the pred but I wonder if that's something more likely if you're predisposed to problems, i.e. excema etc. I'm lucky enough not to have any problems in that area, although dp and ds are both sufferers.

Digi - Your wibble yesterday sounds a bit scary. Good to hear that they're keeping an eye on you though. I think occasional dizziness is fairly normal in pregnancy isn't it? Hopefully it'll turn out to be "just "one of those things". I had to have a liver scan when I was pregnant with ds as I had raised ALT levels in my bloods (which never developed into anything else and just went away towards the end), so maybe they could give you one to check.

Cornflakes - I'm no doctor, but I'd definitely be having a few drinks if I was in your position. I have to say, wine is always one of the first things I turn to every time I MC. Like Free says, you feel shit so you may as well numb the pain.

Battery - How are you doing?

Well, unsurprisingly the offer on the house was turned down. Dp and I now in talks to see whether we're going to up the offer and to how much.

What a gorgeous day today! We've been out for a brisk and bracing walk on the marshes and dp is going to light the fire. I'm now counting down to the evening when I can have a little glass of wine...

Cornflakes, I don't know what Mr S will say to you but after my last mc (at around 6 weeks) I was only told to wait one month. In the end I waited another one as I wanted to have a holiday free from temping, not drinking etc!

Digi I hope you feel better today. I find the maternity hospital bring you in if they're at all scared, so I think the fact that yours didn't means your fine.

Hey Digi, just wanted to try to help a little if poss but I know how anxious u must feel. I had lots of swelling, constant itching and dizzy spells almost every morning from about 25- 29 weeks and I was constantly visiting my MW they tested me for allsorts but I'm now fine. I know that is just me but thought it may make u feel a little better, only thing now is my sickness is horrendous !!!

Thanks guys.. I am currently working my way through a nice bottle of cava....

I forgot to say free, I had a rash when I first came of the pred last time the doctor just said not to worry its just a reaaction to the steroids...and it will clear up.

Coco unlucky on the offer, v frustrating, I hate the waiting game when buying ..

cornflakes I always drank on the pred, I think it's a necessity!
coco I hate the whole house buying thing - we moved in September and it was awful, but well worth it xx
free I shouldn't worry about rashes and eczema - it sounds just like a small reaction, not even to the pred maybe? Your baby is safe and well xx
digi I can't blame the brown cm on sex - dp works away during the week so it wasn't that!

I have had no more brown, so think it might have been a one off. I will keep an eye on it though, I have a scan on thursday so will see what happens then xx

Hello, hello!
I had to do a wee bit of stalking but I've found you and also some lovely familiar faces too I see.

Wow, 4th fred 'eh.
Wonderful

Just sticking my head in to say that after my last update in June my long awaited Prednisolone aided bump is now a beautiful 22 week old baby girl with no problems.
She was our 7th try.

I wish all of you the very best and I hope you can all find the strength to reach your dreams.

Thank you PV, that's the kind of story we love to hear!

Thank you. . Thanks for taking the time. We do indeed need those stories x