TTC: Pregnancy on Prednisolone or similar part 7

[ChoccyPud]

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!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1419032-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-6

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

Sorry had not updated myself properly, was in multiple places.

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
Coconutfeet - V High NKC, Factor II gene mutation, underactive thyroid - BFP pre-pred, started at 6 weeks Baby boy born at 40+6 13/05/12 3.66kg

BFP 3rd Trimester

Comedy - V High NKC - BFP cycle#2, DC#2 ? 38+6 C-section booked: 14/5/12
Iggi - High NKC & Hypothyroidism - BFP cycle#2, DC#2- 38+3 c-section booked for 16/5/12
BrownieGecko - High NKC, Hypothyroidism, & Glucose Intolerant. BFP Clomid cycle#3, DC#1 37+0
Freelance - V High NKC TTC#1 Hydroxychloroquine, Pred, Intralipids, 400 Cyclogest, Thyroid/hashimotos. MC 1st Pred cycle. DC#1 29+5 Next appt with Mr S, 25th May EDD 24/07/12
Cheerfulcharlie - V High NKC, MTHFR, DC#2/ (metformin, intralipids, no pred). 29+5 EDD 24/07/12

2nd Trimester
batteryhen - High NKC, factor v leiden. DC#1 BFP cycle 3. 26+2
coleyoz - V High NKC. DC#2, BFP cycle2, 25+6
FrozenNorthPole - RMC, NKC status unknown, Cyclogest, aspirin, 21+4
Mercator - V High NKC, TTC#2. 21+3
Hopefulfor2nd - High NKC - TTC#2. - 20+3
dunnit - V High NKC - , IVIG, Cyclogest and Clexane. 20+3
PQ77 - V High NKC TTC #2 (BFP cycle one but mc) 16+0

1st Trimester
Lemonsherbet - TTC#1 v high/high NK, Mthfr, thyroid issues,

TTC ? ASSISTANCE - SO/IUI/IVF
duggs1976 - High/V High NKC - TTC #1 - IVF cycle #1 ?pred, intrallipids, metformin, clexane, cylogest
Havingkittens - Upgraded from High to V High NKC TTC #1 -10 pred ? 3rd cycle SO
Abney (44), SO 2, 6 MC No pred (2 chromosone, 4 unexplained), 1 DS Pred Cycle 1 & fragmin, 4 MC on Pred (1 fragmin),
eurochick - TTC#1 High NKC, pred cycle 6, had 3 cycles of Super Ov, now on 2nd cycle of IUI
Pebbles - TTC#1 High NKC, PCOS, super ov cycle 1 (post IVF - 1 chemical, 1 mc, combining IVF with Immunotherapy
Arianrhod - V High NKC, MTHFR homo, hypothyroid, TTC#2 (Pred & Hydroxychloroquine)
Suemays - V High NKC, TTC #2. Superov. (Pred & Hydroxychloroquine)

TTC
London - High NKC, April - mc on treatment.
ChoccyPud - V High NKC - TTC#1 (Pred & Hydroxychloroquine). April - mc on treatment.
Willitbe - RMC, NKC not tested, TTC #4 cycle 2 (after m/c 12) Fertility consultant
prescribed pred.
GreenOlives - High NKC, TTC#2, have decided to only take Pred from BFP
picolina - V High NKC MC on treatment (taking a break on holiday)
Holldoll - High NKC - Pred, Cyclogest & aspirin. MC March 2012 on treatment. Pred started at BFP.
buster76 -V High NKC, Factor V Leiden.
BellyD - V High NKC, MTHFR homo, TTC#1 cycle 2, hydroxychloroquine
ScooterChaser - V High NKC - TTC#2 (Pred & Hydroxychloroquine)
Carebear1 - V high NKC

Current status?
Cherrycheeks - V high NKC, TTC#2
Breezyweezy - V High NKC - TTC#1
AandRmum - High NKC
Cornflakes30 - V High NKC, underactive thyroid
Brownstag - V High NKC, 3 yo DS is a Pred Baby! TTC #2
Zoeella V.high NKC, Factor V Leiden. abandoned IVF, pos PCOS

Er lemon - did you get a bfp today?

Errrr, what digi said?!!!

umm yes I did this evening. Still in a state of shock, keep cramping like AF about to arrive but no sign and decided the first trimester looked quite empty so thought I would move myself. But think I may end up in the TTC part again struggling to think this will stick.

I was wondering if I had missed something! That's great news lemons!

Well a very cautious whispered pred-thread c-word to lemon!!!!

And a big to the cocofamily - would love more details when you feel up to it

Big congratulations to cococnuts!

Whispered congratulations to lemon. It's about time someone stepped into the 1st trimester slot! Pleased to hear things are looking less critical for your auntie too. Difficult times still, I know. I hope she stays stable and comfortable.

duggs, sorry you're feeling so low. Although, unsurprisingly so. Not much I can say to change that, just sending you a big hug.

choccy, thanks for asking, I've been a bit emotional as this is the time of year that my mum usually comes over, and now I find myself having to make decisions about her ashes. What to do for the best for me, for my grandma (so she doesn't get too distressed), my stepdad etc. I'm a bit scared to deal with it at the moment. Also hormonal. AF showed up today. Not a bit shock, although true to form it made its appearance a couple of hours after wasting a FRER! One good thing though is that my bereavement counseling sessions start this week. I think it took 3 months overall from the first enquiry, 2 months from my assessment appointment. I'm really ready for this!

Sorry about lack of other personals. Just sloping off to bed now. x

Wahey for Coconut! Great news.
And best of luck to Comedy for tomorrow.
Lemon - it all has to start with a bfp, this may be the one you know.
I hope the counselling is helpful Kittens, I'm sure it will be actually. Maybe draining at first but great in the longer term.

Lemon - iggi is right. You have to get a BFP to get the end product :) I saw you update that and I didn't want to mention anything just in case you had got anything wrong in a list-way! That is the most subtle way of announcing a BFP I have ever seen. Please do leave yourself on there. We know in RL it's hard to be confident about these things but here is the only place we can count our blessings, even briefly, and try to be positive. If you have to go down the list again, so be it. We will deal with that when the time comes. Now, how are you feeling?!!!! A tentative congratulations to you!

KIttens I really feel for you having to go through all this. It must be especially awful being that your mum usually comes to see you this time of year. I can't imagine what hole that must leave in your life. Same for you Choccy really. I mean, I know the day to day business of life has to go on but sometimes you must both feel like screaming at it to stop.

Can't wait to hear more about how Coconut is doing. Also did Baby Comedy manage to stay put over the weekend and is still awaiting the ELCS. Iggi you are just a few days away from the whole thing too! It's all so incredible. I guess we recurrent miscarriers go through so much that the idea of a successful pregnancy seems so far off, when someone actually does have a successful pregnancy - ie gets pregnant and has a baby in 9-ish months- it's actually quite an short period of time.

Battery - you freaked me out by pointing out that after the above trailblazers and Brownie (god knows where she has gone - I do hope she is ok) I am at the top of the list!! There was quite a gap between my BFP and theirs however and I still have a good ten weeks to go.

Florenzian (?) waves to you all. One last day here before coming back tomorrow afternoon.

lemon whispered hooray for ticking that first box!! It's a very anxious time but we're all here for hand holding. I had lots of cramping before af was due. Which worried me. Then when it subsided that worried me too.

Lots of luck for comedy today if you've not already had an early arrival!

Wow you ladies moved this thread fast over the weekend! Apologies if I miss anyone off but, and in no particular order ...

HUGE congratulations to the coco family, so pleased at the safe arrival of master coco. Does he have a name you'd like to share with us yet? Had to smile at your dedication, updating us all from hospital after the birth. Glad you did though!

snoopy love love love the new arrival, and so pleased that all else is clear so far. Your fortitude and strength is amazing, please keep letting us know how you're doing.

lemon another whispered c-word to you. As the other ladies have so rightly say, you never know, this could be the one - every one of the ladies on here who are or have been successfully pregnant started out with that terrifying BFP. You never know, this could be yours!

kittens So very sorry for what you're having to deal with, and hoo-flippin'-ray for the counselling sessions finally coming through. I really hope they help.

duggs how are you feeling today? And choccy, you too?

free Hope you're enjoying the last of the Florenzian (??) sunshine, it's going to be a bit of a shock when you get back as it's raining, yet again :(

I'm very sure I've missed someone I should be saying a specific Hi to, please forgive me all and /waves to everybody. Waiting with much anticipation for igggi's and comedy's happy news this week!

No news from me, 7dpo today and absolutely diddly squat going on - not even my usual sore bbs that I get every month straight after ov without fail. Not sure where they've gone, perhaps the Letrozole? shrug And I'm taking the ever-lovely cyclogest too, I thought it was progesterone that causes sore bbs after ov, so not sure why I'm not feeling anything. But I guess I should be grateful, my bbs usually hurt like the dickens at this point of my cycle, so a distinct lack of pain is a Good Thing. :)

Hey guys... Today I'm interested in Humira and ivig and TNF blocking agents injections. Basically because (apart from hydroxy) these are the 3 things that seem to exist in the world that I havent looked into/ tried/experimented with.
From what I've read it seems there are various elements to immunology and steroids and intrallipids work to a certain level with certain people. I think I'd like to be quite aggressive in trailing the other treatment to see if they make a difference. But then other days ivig scares me? I do know that I need to know I've tried every avenue before I "give up"/ move onto the adoption route in September which is a year from first diagnosis with dr s!! It might mean I need to see dr gorgy as dr s doesn't believe in ivig and no idea about humira ..oh such a dilemma. Bit scared as if I do see him I have to be prepared for what he may suggest??! Ahhhh. . . Good news lemon pls FFSake stay there and move upwards. We need a positive first trimester story and thread is due one so hopefully u will. Waves everyone else.

Hi all. Lemon whispered c word from me too! It's the necessary if terrifying first step. We've all been there and fingers crossed for you. Get those intralipids into you! :)

Looking forward to more real actual babies arriving. Seems so far off (again!) that I'll have a take home baby but it's so nice to see others.

Thanks all for asking... I am taking it day by day. Some are ok, dealable with, some are shite, some are more exhausting than others. Today I'm having a Really do not want to be at work or dealing with people day.

Seeing my GP today to tell her about the last 4 mc's, my dad, Mr S and the drug regime, godawful digestive problems in still getting, etc... I'll see what she says about counselling on the nhs as it would be nice to benefit from all the tax I pay into the system for once!

Will be interested in how your counselling goes kittens if you want to share the mechanics of it, not the substance obv.

Best go deal with a couple of things so I can get out of here...

Hiya

Just been reading through and thought I'd say hi. Whispered congrats to Lemon and to say I have been there as I have a pred daughter after 4 m/c's. I felt terrified for ages after getting a BFP but think positive.......

AM ttc again now but this month I can't see that I have OV'd. I am also doing the SO programme with Mr S....does anyone know if Letrozole affects cervical mucus? I can only think I may have OV'd last weekend when I didn't have any OPK's with me and was away from home as am now day 21!

Congratulations coconut

lemon

I had my 2nd SO scan today. Managed to get in locally thank goodness!!
13 follicles in each ovary but the largest only 13mm So no bigger since last scan (thurs)!! What the?!
I think Ive been getting more mucous dragon
He said it could be PCOS but difficult to tell as currently on SO. He said I could be a candidate for IVF. He wasnt a firm believer in the steroid treatment but said there is alot of positive research surrounding the lipids.
He said all women who have suffered miscarriages still have a 70% chance of taking a baby home without any treatment just reassurance!

xx

Just waiting to hear back from Mr S, having problems faxing results!!?
Guess Im out this month!!

Thank you all for your C words. Am still having occasional period like cramps but now having backache. I am trying to tell myself that it is just a late implanter and that is why I am having all of these symptoms but it is hard when my last miscarriage started last this. choccy I do not get intralipids till the second trimester. Only have 25mg of pred and the aspirin of course during this stage.

Just wondering if there was any news from Comedy.

Kittens I am so sorry about the arrival of Aunt Flo. I hope that the counselling does give you some benefit. It is meant to be really difficult the first few sessions and leave you quite drained and then it gets better.

duggs it may be worth getting another opinion just so you are sure you have exhausted every possibility to you.

Great news about the safe arrival of cocobaby. Huge congratulations to Coconut and Mr Coconut.

Whispered yay for lemon's bfp.

Snoopy fluffy snoopy is as cute as a button. Hope you are managing to stay strong. You are often in my thoughts.

Free Florence sounds amazing and probably just what you need. Enjoy your last day and it is very exciting that you will soon be at the top of the list.

Greenolives have a brilliant time in Majorca, I love it there.

Sending virtual hug to Kittens Duggs Choccy PQ and of course Snoopy sorry you are all experiencing tough times at the moment. Hoping that the sun starts to shine on all of you soon.

Good luck to Comedy and Iggi - so many little ones arriving. It really is uplifting.

Went to see Mr S last week for my repeat FSH test results and it has gone down from 19.4 to 12.2 which he seemed fairly pleased about. I know it is not a brilliant level, but we are just so relieved that it is not game over. I had a scan with one good sized follicle but despite taking oestrogen this month my womb lining was still only 6mm, and so we are moving on to SO from next month, while he decides if it would be better for us to try IVF or not.

Lost the plot at a friend's 40th this weekend. One of my best mates told me she was pregnant and she was feeling guilty and worried about telling me. She was so kind to me when I said how happy I was for her (which I am) that I couldn't keep it together any longer. It was pretty embarrassing but I suppose that it is good to let the sadness out every once in a while. I've always longed to have three children, but now I would be so overjoyed with just one.

Waves to everyone I've missed.

buster, I just answered you on the SO thread but didn't realise there had been no chance since last week. That's frustrating. I'm a bit about Mr S's comments about not being a firm believer in the steroid treatment and 70% of women having a successful pregnancy without them. So, what exactly are we paying him for? An extra 10% that he's now not convinced about anyway? And why then, if he's not convinced is he steadfastly ignoring the gut feelings of several of us who are concerned the steroids are preventing us from getting pregnant? And why to I have to endure feeling like shit on the steroids for 50% of my life? I thought it was all for a good cause!

choccy, I will let you know how I get on with the counseling. It was more on recommendation than referral from the NHS. The referred me to someone within the practice who did something akin to CBT but that didn't feel like the right thing for me at the moment so they gave me names of a couple of local organisations. One of them was connected with the church, so I decided against that being the atheist jew that I am! It just didn't feel like the right place. The place I'm going to is called CCIWBS (Camden, City, Islington & Westminster Bereavement Services). I think I contacted them directly but mentioned that my GP had suggested them. It may be just as easy to contact someone local to you, although I'm sure your GP will refer you. No reason for them not to. The place I'm going to offer a free service. Starting off on a weekly basis but you can see how you go and go less frequently if you feel ready. There are no limits to how long you can go for either. Just as long as you feel you need it, which is nice. I am anticipating needing it for a while with all the ongoing stuff that's happening with my grandma, my TTC business etc.

bellyd, it's hard to just keep smiling away isn't it? However thrilled you are for your friend, it still stings. I have just been standing in John Lewis chatting to a girl I used to live with, who works on one of the beauty counters. She was telling me how amazing having her kids has been. The last time one of my oldest friends, very tactfully, announced her pregnancy to me I just about managed to get off the phone before bursting into tears.

Igggi ? You probably won?t see this before you go in, but wishing you good luck today. Not long before you get to meet your beautiful baby.

Another whispered C-word to Lemon. It?s terrifying being at this stage and feels like such a mountain to climb doesn?t it. As others have said, hopefully this BFP will be the one!

Kittens ? It must feel like you?re shouldering so much at the moment. I really hope the counselling helps.

Belly ? What a shame that your friend didn?t tell you before the party so you could mentally prepare yourself. It sounds like she was really understanding though. We?ve all been there I think. I look back with huge embarrassment at the meltdown I had in a colleague?s office shortly after my last mc. She was absolutely lovely though and ended up in tears with me, but I still felt like a complete idiot.

I hope Comedy is now cuddling up happily with Comedy junior and not too uncomfortable after the op. Looking forward to further news.

Well I?m sitting here with baby Arthur in a sling. He?s decided he doesn?t like to sleep lying down at night, only on one of us (ds1 was the same. Oddly we don?t have the same problem during the day.), so dp and I are doing shifts all through the night, passing him backwards and forwards. I?ve just had a fairly solid 3 hours sleep so don?t feel so bad at the moment.

We got back from hospital yesterday evening, which was a massive relief. The actual labour part was really quite quick, and the most painful part of it all was the delays and waiting around because they were so busy. As you know, I was desperate not to be induced, and at Wednesday?s sweep was declared 2-3 cm dilated so really hopeful that it would be a straightforward process. Thursday night was spent having very mild off and on contractions and we went in to hospital as planned on Friday morning only to be examined and told that I was only 1cm dilated. I was gutted! I?m convinced that being on a busy ward in that clinical environment made me just clamp up. Anyway, to cut a very long story short, we hung around at the hospital for a couple of days waiting for things to happen with just the gel to start things off but nothing was changing. Had waters broken, still nothing. Then had to have the drip which was also only giving very slow progress for the first couple of hours. I was mentally gearing up for them to decide that I needed a c-section, as you can only be on the drip for about 12 hours, I think. Then, just as I?d had the epidural topped up the baby started to get a bit distressed, the doc examined me and the look of disbelief on her face when she told me I was 10 cm dilated and ready to push was priceless. Unfortunately, due to the epidural I couldn?t feel at all to push but he slid out in only 12 minutes. I was utterly in shock! So from starting drip to pushing him out was just over 3 hours. Not the lovely natural water birth I?d hoped for but definitely a positive experience. Every single member of staff throughout the whole thing was fantastic, even more so when you consider that they were manically busy and run off their feet. I?m really grateful as well that the lack of any complications meant that we could come home quickly, as it?s impossible to get any rest or privacy on the ward.

Thank you for all your good wishes. I?m especially grateful to those of you who haven?t managed to have a successful pregnancy so far and are really struggling yet you?ve managed to be so generous with your comments. I know how painful it is.

Anyway, I think it might be feeding time... Lots of love to everyone I've missed too. xx

Oh, and I uploaded a photo of ds2. Hope it works.

Coconut Arthur is absolutely gorgeous! You must be a very proud Mummy indeed. Congratulations again What does DS1 think about his little brother?

Lemon Well done on first step!

Coconut what a lovely photo. Baby Arthur is gorgeous.

He is indeed a cutie coconut.

I've just realised, by the way, that this thread is called "Pregnancy on Prednisolone or similar". Can the next thread be changed to include TTC in the title please? It might put off newcomers who are not yet pregnant and also there are many of us who have not yet even experienced pregnancy on pred 7 threads later!

I was thinking about buster's revelation of Mr S's comment on not being convinced about the steroids and saying that the intralipids were really the important thing. And then remembered someone a few weeks ago quoting the exact opposite from him when seeing him on NHS. That they don't give intralipids anymore as they are not convinced of their success. So..... WTF?

Then there are those of us who complain that our cycles have changed, periods got lighter and suddenly can't conceive since being on pred and he "poo-poo's" us. Whilst others bring up the same concerns and are acknowledged and advised to only take the pred from BFP.

Is this why he doesn't like being discussed on forums? There seems to be so much contradiction.

The money side of it doesn't bother me so much as I am having the immune treatment courtesy of the NHS so far (unless he thinks I need intralipids). I am spending the big bucks on investigating and and addressing my fertility issues. Mind you, would I have to do that if I weren't on pred?

kittens just a quickie - I think (and no doubt will be corrected if I'm wrong) that buster had her second scan done locally, not with Mr S, this time, and it was the local chap who wasn't convinced about the steroid treatment?

coconut oh how adorable, what a fabulous way to end all the heartache of miscarriages past! :)

/waves to everyone