TTC/Pregnancy on Prednisolone or similar part 6

[Arianrhod]

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 5 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1391787-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-5

Part 4 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1366323-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-4

Part 3 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1348773-TTC-pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-3

Part 2 here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1323594-TTC-pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-2

Part 1 here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1236324-TTC-pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar

Hey ladies.. No haven't tested again as too scared to. Had intrallipids today at NLC. 4 weeks tomorrow. I should be interesting as I "should" in theory have a normal chromosonal baby in there (or 2 so it is all down to the killer cells. Just going with it and will re test Monday and tell the ivf clinic. I'm happy for now as the ivf part takes a lot out of you so feels like DH and I need a breather to enjoy the moment as I know what terror lays ahead.

The TTC list I am pretty interested in as I was on it for so long ( and could well be back on it anytime) and I really want to find any patterns that might help. The chemicals from sue (waves and glad hols enjoyed) and snoopy are strange and I wonder if chromosonal and random rather than nk cells. Then the lining issues for kittens and maybe was it pebbles or ari but now they r being addresses with cyclogest. Each cycle on SO gives more insight to what is happening in there so there has to be another success soon. If ivf gives you 3 or 4 eggs on average then 2 on SO isn't much less. If the swimmers r getting there then the theory does make sense.

PQ great news. Have u had intralipids as well then ?

free love your little round ups. .

Waves back at free! Lurking because still not confident pregnancy will work out and I hate being a downer.

Choccy, thinking of you for your beloved dad's funderal, and sending sticky thoughts too xx

*funeral, so sorry

Just moved BFPs forward a day from yesterday's update and also added Dugg dates on. Any updates feel free to add/change! If you do it another day remember to add the days since the last update to the BFPs. It's easy once you have a go. Anyone else due to test soon? Only a week or so and we will be shifting a few people up the trimesters too. Still rooting for Choccy. Frozen, easier said than done but do try to relax a bit if you can - 17 weeks is fabulous!

Thursday 12th April

The babies are arriving!
Stogan - V high NKC - cycle#2, DC#1, Baby girl born Sunday 11/03/12 7lb13.5. Our First Pred Thread Baby!
Digitalgirl - High NKC - BFP cycle#2, Baby boy (DS2) born at 39+0 on Easter Monday, 9/04/12, 8 lbs 12 Our Second Pred Thread Baby!

BFP 3rd Trimester
Coconutfeet - V High NKC, Factor II gene mutation, underactive thyroid - BFP pre-pred, started at 6 weeks 36+3 Due date: 07/05/12
Comedy - V High NKC - BFP cycle#2, DC#2 ? 35+4 C-section booked: 14/5/12
Iggi - High NKC & Hypothyroidism - BFP cycle#2, DC#2- 33+2 c-section booked for 21/5/12
BrownieGecko - High NKC, Hypothyroidism, & Glucose Intolerant. BFP Clomid cycle#3, DC#1 32+4

2nd Trimester
Freelance - V High NKC TTC#1 Hydroxychloroquine, Pred, Intralipids, 400 Cyclogest, Thyroid/hashimotos. MC 1st Pred cycle. DC#1 25+2 Next appt with Mr S, 19th May
Cheerfulcharlie - V High NKC, MTHFR, DC#2/ (metformin, intralipids, no pred). 25+1
batteryhen - High NKC, factor v leiden. DC#1 BFP cycle 3. 21+6
coleyoz - V High NKC. DC#2, BFP cycle2, 21+2
FrozenNorthPole - RMC, NKC status unknown, Cyclogest, aspirin, 17+0
Mercator - V High NKC, TTC#2. 17+0
Hopefulfor2nd - High NKC - TTC#2. - 16+0
dunnit - V High NKC - , IVIG, Cyclogest and Clexane. 16+0

1st Trimester
PQ77 - V High NKC TTC #2 (BFP cycle one but mc) 11+3
ChoccyPud - V High NKC - TTC#1 from March (Pred & Hydroxychloroquine) 7+1
London - High NKC, add details!
duggs1976 - High/V High NKC - TTC #1 - IVF cycle #1 3+6

TTC
Waiting to test

TTC
Havingkittens - Upgraded from High to V High NKC TTC #1 2nd cycle SO - testing 9th April
Snoopygirl - V High NKC TTC, pred cycle 5, Super Ov Cycle 2
Abney, V High NKC, TTC#2, super ov.
buster76 -V High NKC, Factor V Leiden.
Lemonsherbet - TTC#1 v high/high NK, Mthfr, thyroid issues, pred 1st trim & Intralipids 2nd on bfp
BellyD - V High NKC, MTHFR homo, TTC#1 cycle 2, hydroxychloroquine
eurochick - TTC#1 High NKC, pred cycle 4,
Willitbe - RMC, NKC not tested, TTC #4 cycle 2 (after m/c 12) Fertility consultant prescribed pred.
Pebbles - TTC#1 High NKC, PCOS, super ov cycle 1 (post IVF - 1 chemical, 1 mc, combining IVF with Immunotherapy
GreenOlives - High NKC, TTC#2, Pred Cycle 2
Arianrhod - V High NKC, MTHFR homo, hypothyroid, TTC#2 (Pred & Hydroxychloroquine)
Cherrycheeks - V high NKC, TTC#2
ScooterChaser - V High NKC - TTC#2 (Pred & Hydroxychloroquine)
Breezyweezy - V High NKC - TTC#1
AandRmum - High NKC
Cornflakes30 - V High NKC, underactive thyroid
picolina - V High NKC MC on treatment
Brownstag - V High NKC, 3 yo DS is a Pred Baby! TTC #2
Zoeella V.high NKC, Factor V Leiden. abandoned IVF, pos PCOS
Suemays - V High NKC, TTC #2. Superov. (Pred & Hydroxychloroquine)
Holldoll - High NKC - Pred, Cyclogest & aspirin

Sending lots of love and strength to choccy today. We're all thinking of you here. xxx

Yes choccy our thoughts are with you today. Big hugs from us here. X

Just coming on to send my love to Choccy. I hope it all goes as well as it can today. We're all thinking about you.
xx

Thinking of you today choccy

free everyone's different with breastfeeding. Most people have to work at it though (like me). Establishing supply is the hardest bit, but once your milk comes in it starts getting easier. Then as long as you can keep up with the growth spurts i find it's really rewarding. Ds2 slept most of the first night - I tried feeding him whenever he woke but he wasn't that interested. The next day I had a very helpful mw show me how to express colostrum and feed it to him with a syringe to keep him hydrated till he decided he was ready to latch on - which ge did later that evening. So far ds2 seems to have developed a little routine of resting longer between feeds in the evening to first half of the night - then starts cluster feeding from early hours. But I think my milk might be coming in properly now so hopefully it will fill him up longer and I can get more than 1.5hours sleep between feeds.
As my iron levels are so low I'm trying to grab as many daytime naps as possible. Ds2 just let me have 2 hours this morning so not feeling too bad now. Certainly don't have the same eyebags (yet) I did on the pred!

Right he's woken up now - so duty calls.

choccy Thinking of you today hugs

Just to say duggs I do have lining issues but as I haven't seen Mr S yet to tackle that with him (seeing him Monday afternoon), nothing's been officially done to address it yet. I am taking the ever-lovely cyclogest from OV, completely unadvised though, started last night as OV was yesterday. Not sure if it will help though, I'm a little confused as to progesterone's role in the uterine lining - I thought it was oestrogen that built up the lining, or am I wrong? kittens aren't you on extra oestrogen for your lining? So not sure whether taking cyclogest will help or not, but trying it anyway. No doubt Mr S won't be amused that I'm doing this off my own back ... but I don't think he'll be amused at my taking DHEA either. DP thinks (except for only taking the steroids from BFP) that I should only be taking exactly what Mr S tells me to and nothing else (his comment was along the lines of "you either take the man's advice exactly as he says it or you don't bother going to see him"). I did try to say look, I know the man is brilliant, an expert in his field - but his field is killer cells, and there are other factors at work here, ie my age and diminishing ovary supplies! So I continue to do my own research in tandem with Mr S's protocol, and I don't see anything wrong with that!

duggs Does your IVF clinic test your hCG levels, as a matter of interest, like they seem to do at IVF clinics in the US? I understand they do regular early hCG checks over there, just wondered if that's the same here?

Love & Hugs to choccy today. x

ari don't think they do. I did another test this morning and got a strong bfp. Official day to call clinic is Monday so will wait until then. As for lining build up. It seems like an "easy" one to fix. I know the body produces more progesterone after ovulation when the follicle is emptied of the egg. In ivf there is no natural release do u r prescribed progesterone from egg collection until 12 weeks. It 400mg twice a day and apparently u can't overdose so I don't think is an issue to take off the cuff. I did a few times once with IUI and once SO and it didn't really delay AF. Dr s is a killer cells genius but he isn't an expert in everything so am embryologist may be recommending DHEA for example. I do believe we are all on here because we use our initiative and don't just follow the crowd so to speak. Hope this insight helps a little ari?!

Yep, thanks duggs ... I was thinking of how progesterone taken from ovulation could help the build-up of the lining that is supposed to take place from AF to OV (that's where oestrogen comes in). Having done some digging around this morning I've found this out. Progesterone apparently takes over after ovulation,usually produced by the corpus luteum, and goes on to make the lining a hospitable place for an egg to implant. So extra progesterone taken from ovulation can boost the second phase of lining production, but cannot do anything (obviously) about the first phase.

Apparently l-arginine can boost the lining during the first phase, from AF to ovulation, as apparently can Vitamin E (in larger doses than found in prenatal vits) and also Viagra. Although Viagra, being prescription-only, isn't always an option. I'm thinking I'll try l-arginine and probably extra vit E as well, see what that does for next month. I rattle already, a couple more supplements aren't going to make much of a difference! :) Incidentally the info on l-arginine and vitamin E I found initially on an IVF board, really useful stuff on there!

Oh, and I meant to say duggs ... way to go for those strong test lines!!! :)

ari, you're right, I am taking oestrogen supplements from Day 6-26 of my cycle and cyclogest from ovulation. The progynova seems to be doing a fine job as my lining has been spot on for the last couple of follicle tracking scans. This month was the first time in at least 18 months where I've had to use a tampon from the absolute outset. It's always been spotting for the first day, and not much more to follow either to be honest!

duggs, there is one other factor in my case that's not been mentioned - well, actually OH's case really, 5% morpohlogy on his sperm - which means 95% of them are deformed, one way or another, so won't fertilise an egg. Anything below 4% is considered a problem but Mr S says 5 is acceptable, just. That's why were were considering IUI. Mr S was sort of 50/50 about whether it would make much difference. May be worth a try but want to absolutely know that we have at least a couple of viable follicles first.

I have a follow up appointment with the NHS Fertility lady on Tuesday so I'm going to speak to her about referring me for a hysteroscopy and also ask her opinion on whether IUI is a good idea.

Just popping in to say I hope everything has gone ok today choccy . xxx

Oh kittens that I'd good news from perspective that the lack of bfp is probably a lot down to that. The IUI I had a NLC they wash, spin and prepare and separate the best sperm (like a salad) and put back. I had 2 good sized follicles, text book lining and 40 million good sperm put back and didn't get BFP which is why I went right onto ivf. I figured if that wasn't doing it what would. But for £800 versus almost £8k (if u include nk treatment and CGH) then is worth trying at least once just in case. DH sperm was 13 million 18 mts ago then 123 million for IUI and 200 million for ivf. He took Macca and wellman supplements and tried to drink only 3 bottles of wine rather than 6 in one go. I know this is count not morphology but is an ivf dream as so easy to hook out the best few and ICSI if there literally are only a few.

ari dh had 5% morphology and borderline low sperm count. Mr S didn't seem to think this was an issue at all as we had conceived fairly quickly in all instances. But I stuck dh on zinc tablets and banned him from putting the laptop directly on his lap anyway.

kittens glad to hear lining has improved, one less thing to worry about.

duggs great news on those lines getting stronger.

Hello. Hope you dont mind me popping on to ask for a bit of advice - again! I've just plucked up the courage to postpone my FET (treatment was due to start next week) in favour of some immunes tests. I mc earlier this year after DE ivf, got BFP, but mc at 6 weeks. I just can't go again without getting myself checked out. I am booked in with Dr Gorgy and wondered if anyone had any words of wisdom or advice for me. I've heard that sometimes you're told you need a prescription, but not given it there and then. But later charged an admin fee for it when it is raised. I'm just trying to make this as stress free and cost efficient as poss - since i am over being stressed and broke with this whole process.

Thanks so much in advance.

pocket a couple of us have had ivf here. pebbles is just on her FET cycle after a similar story. She got tested and now has a treatment programme. It really is not so bad ESP as ivf is drug taking anyway. You will have treatment 10 - 14 days before emryo transfer and then steroids from 3 - 4 days or something similar. Anything specific do ask me or pebbles will know more. Prescriptions are given as usual private ones drugs available at chemists. Best of luck.

Hi all - have been away and so have spent a bit of time catching up.
Thoughts are with you Choccy and I hope all has gone as well as it possibly could today.
Digi - very belated congratulations to you - fantastic news!
Duggs - so, so pleased for you - fingers crossed.
Coconut - all ok with me thank you - baby breach and all a bit uncomfortable at the moment working for two more weeks to keep myself busy as still (sorry guys!) stressing about the pregnancy. Really hope you are ok and looking forward to your news
Welcome to all new members and a big wave to everyone else xx

Good news about darkening lines Duggs!

Pocket - I can't help with anything to do with IVF but I do know that it really pays to shop around to get your prescriptions as cheaply as possible as the costs really vary. I found Tescos pharmacy pretty good for cleaxane and prednisolone, but I had ot get it in a hurry and wasn't able to shop around as much as I wanted. I'm sure someone else on here got it even cheaper somewhere else.

Kittens - The husband of a colleague of mine had a real problem with his sperm count and morphology so he completelely cut out alcohol for several months between tests and it made a massive difference apparently. They now have a lovely baby conceived by IVF. I know my dp would find it really hard though.

Digi - I meant to say, really glad to hear it's going well. No wonder you're knackered with that much blood loss. Have they given you iron tablets? I can wholeheartedly endorse Igggi's lactulose recommendation. It's changed my life!

I am shitting myself feeling rather anxious about being top of the list now. Have finally changed hospitals, which feels like a relief. Just need to finish work now...

Thanks for that Digi! I guess that they start to feed when they need to and are not going to waste away. Good work with the syringe. Oh I don?t know what cluster feeding is but I have heard the term and can look it up! You sound so calm about everything. It?s wonderful.

Good news that the line is getting darker Duggs! Let us know how it goes with the clinic on Monday. You are right in what you say to Ari, we have all got here as we use our initiative and get out there and start finding out as much as possible!

Good news about the lining too Kittens and good luck with the appointment on Tuesday, let us know how it goes.

Wading in with the sperm conversation (sorry?) DH was never tested as we too have always (so far) got pregnant very quickly, but we did notice that Wellman Conception had a visible effect on his sperm ? making it a less gloopy and more mobile. He also said it had an effect on libido too ? not that he actually needed that but it certainly helped when it came to the ?rigours? of SWI. I couldn?t get him to cut out drinking though but I tried to get him to keep the weekend binging (we are/were only drinkers when we go out, not at home) down to a mini-binge. Not always successfully.

Hello again Pocket, well done for taking a chance on immune issues. I am not sure what Dr Gorgy recommends but I know Mr S would like you to be on vits (pregnacare, omega 3, Vit D) and possibly aspirin (75mg) as early as possible so that?s something you might want to consider. And Mr S has always given me private prescriptions, which my GP has been understanding enough to convert to NHS ones, so worth asking if that can be arranged for you too.

Welcome back comedy and hello coconut too. Yes top of the list you are! Glad you managed to change hospitals ok.

Actually I?ve witnessed the whole gamut of pregnancy and miscarriage today with two close friends (both ?met? on mn after miscarriage and both become RL friends) ? one who gave birth and one who had a devastating miscarriage at just over 9 weeks, having seen the heartbeat and all going well up until that point. I feel completely devastated for her. I won?t mention names as they are probably around but it really brings home the fragility of the whole thing again and the whole of our little support group has been feeling very sad indeed.

On a personal note I had to get the Doppler out again today, just to have a listen, after the day?s news. Movements have changed and I think the baby might have swivelled round the other direction, kicking is much more centred now rather than down below. Really must arrange a midwife appointment with my GP for this week as it has been ages since I was seen by anyone.

Am tired now so off to bed. Hope everything went as well as can be for Choccy and hope everyone has positive weekends xx

kittens i think throw everything at sperm prob if you are worried, a friend of mines hubby has the same prob. shes put him on - well man concep, zinc, selenium, vit c and that q10 enzyme thingey (forgotten the name!) also no coffee and they are thinking of acupuncture, i think his results are worse, close to zero % normal. good luck! my husband had the motility prob , hes taking everything but the enzyme and we got preg 3 times since in less than a year after trying for 3-4 without anything , now the prob is mine !

anyway, up at the crack of dawn to go to airport, i can never log in to mn from any other computer so i will have to catch up when i get back, good luck everyone !