TTC or pregnancy on prednisolone or similar part 9

[sarahs999]

Oh dear - we reached 1000 posts on thread 8 without noticing! I hope you can all find this. THis is 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!

Links to earlier threads:

Part 8: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/a1492407-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-8#33842381

Part 7 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1452035-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-7

Part 6 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

ari I think you are right that you conceive quickly so should carry on. My gp said to me that if you give up there is no hope but if you try there is hope. I know that sounds obvious but sometimes it comes down to it as black and white. I think you just have to try and not let it take over your life which is hard to do!

Also there's that (probably totally unfounded in a medical sense but anecdotally seems to have a point!) unfussy uterus theory we've often spoken about on here. Some of us, not all admittedly, get pregnant quite easily but it's keeping hold of it that's the problem. The theory being that other bodies would have rejected some of the egg-sperm fusings we'd accept. I guess on that theory it would be worth carrying on trying as one must be good every now then surely. It's just the heartache of when they don't go right that might be hard to bear.

Now I have one child and I don't have that 'will I ever have a baby' fear I've said to myself that I'd be willing to put my body through three more pregnancies if I wanted to have a second child. I feel, having had 4 mcs, that as sue says I might be able to have those and try as best as possible to carry on with life. Easier said than done of course. Maybe that I've had recurrent miscarriage before having one child rsrher than when trying for a second one though it might make it easier for me to set a limit for myself.

Free I said I would stop once I got to 4 miscarriages and here I am after 8 losses waiting to TTC again. I think you move the goal posts constantly when you don't feel ready to give up as it seems less daunting keeping the goal at a smaller stage for some reason. I still think I have the unfussy womb problem as I tend to conceive in the first month of trying.

It would be nice if it were possible to take miscarriages a bit more casually I guess. But am pretty sure that's not possible when you want a baby. There's the agony of the TTC and then the long drawn out process of watching to see whether it goes right or wrong once you're pregnant. And then the waiting until the body gets back to normal after miscarriage. Not to mention all the drugs, weight gain, hormonal side of things, putting your life on hold etc etc. Flippin' exhausting all of it.

Hi all, speaking from experience I think we are all on here because we are the sort of people who don't give up unless of course mother nature gets us first. In my head my gut feel is that I have bad eggs and only a few good ones. Since the age of 36 I have been preg 12 times and suffered 10 mc's. Everytime I got pg after DS I said to myself that if I had another mc then that would be it but of course each mc made me more determined that life would not beat me. Now that I am approaching 45 I think another mc at 45 would have made me give up. Also just something to think about in this pg now there was signs of a twin that did not make it so was it again down to a bad egg? All of the drugs did not save it. If it hadn't of been a twin and the only egg was the one that did not make it then I would be sitting here drowning myself in sorrows.

p.s keeping my fingers crossed for more BFP's this Christmas. Good luck everyone.

Wise words ladies, wise indeed.

abney I'm so pleased for you. Very inspirational. Also havingkittens woohoo.

I'm another one who has set so many criteria for not having another one..
None after 40, just one more try, no more than a 3 year gap to ds and so on and so on. I always shift the boundary though. Being successful would somehow make sense of all the loss. Does that make sense? The real grief would come if I stop trying.
I have been on the rmc road since nov 2010..(although had first and second in 08 and 09) I cannot believe that I am still trying. It's difficult to know if I would have done things differently had I known. It certainly is a dark tunnel and can only really be understood by those who are on the same journey. I drive myself less bonkers than I did. Small mercies eh?

I'm so sorry to hear that some of you are facing the mc nightmare again..just awful.

2013 here we come, hormones at the ready.

Hi all, I am currently 26 weeks pregnant with DD2. DD1 was stillborn earlier this year - no one really knows why but suspect its due to placental issues. I have just been prescribed prednisolone now (10mg a day) as my platelet count has fallen to 69 (mine is usually 90-110 in pregnancy) and accordingly to the consultant the steriods 'might' help to support my platelet count. I have never take prednisolone before and am very nervous about doing so in pregnancy. Does anyone have any experience of being prescribed in this late in pregnancy? Also what side effects can I expect if I do decide to take it?

Hi rainbow So sorry to read of your loss but congratulations on your pregnancy. I've got no experience of taking Prednisolone at your stage of pregnancy but I was on 25mg from my BFP until 14 weeks gone. I had some issues with insomnia and I got a bit more hairy, I think they were probably the worst effects of it for me! I would imagine that the side effects would be much less on a 10mg dose so you may not notice too much hopefully. Good luck with whatever you decide Xx

Hello rainbow, welcome to the thread! So sorry to hear about your dd1. How wonderful to be 26 weeks pregnant although I am sure you're very nervous. It sounds like the consultant is quite forward thinking so you're in the best of hands.

I think all of us here have taken the pred early on, but don't be nervous about it as its really not too hideous. I was on 40mg and the worst of it was hunger and a bit of moon face which soon went once I tapered down. I imagine you won't get many side effects if any. Some people actually feel better than normal on them! And don't worry about any negative effects on the baby, there won't be any.

So happy for you, feel free to come chat ant any time!

Just dropping in. I'm in Bali on a detox retreat. Starving. Is day 2. Anyway choccy can I suggest ARGC. I can't see how throwing standard ivf at it alone will help. I know u probably feel comfortable with dr s but are u sure there isn't something else at play? Sue recommended them and they have an amazing record and deal with immune issues more extensively than dr s it seems? Consultation is £150 but can't help thinking another view might be useful as u obviously get pregnant so easily ivf really might be an expensive option without something else being added? I've not been pregnant in over 16 mths since starting dr s programme and not on SO programme either so have stopped after 6 cycles. Having a break like pebbles. Sue pls don't give up u know u can do it again u will do so. Lovely to hear PQ and free and kittens and ari news too..

Just a quickie to say Duggs how fabulous re your detox retreat! Although could you not have sneaked some chocolate in there for day 3 emergencies...? Sounds just what you need, hope you come back glowing with health and refreshed.

duggs What a fantastic place to do a detox retreat, what an excellent idea! Hope you're thoroughly enjoying it - well, as much as you can enjoy starving :) - and hope it does you good, I'm sure it will do! No good news from me, I'm afraid, but thanks for the thought anyway :)

Hi rainbow and welcome to the thread. I've not managed to stay pregnant long enough to comment much on the long-term effects of pred, but you're on a very low dose and thanks to this thread there have been several ladies who have successfully taken higher doses than that with their now-successful pregnancies. I wouldn't worry about it, just fingers crossed that all goes well for your baby and you, and so very sorry to hear about DD1.

/waves to everyone

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted much due to being sensitive to those struggling at the moment but wanted to let you all know that after 6 miscarriages since my daughter's birth in 2008, I am now over 20 weeks pregnant with a healthy little boy at 41 and a half :). I hope this inspires some people to keep going. I had 40 mg prednisolone from a positive test as well as all the other Mr S things like progesterone. I am off everything now except aspirin which I have been advised to take until 34 weeks. I wholeheartedly believe that this success was down to the steroids and perhaps a bit of luck that a good egg cropped up.

Hope everyone has a lovely holiday season.

Cate
x

Hey cate how lovely to hear your news!! I am sure it will all go swimmingly now. Please do keep us updated. Remind me again, will this be your first child? Either way am so very pleased for you and glad you updated, I hope it does indeed give more hope to those yet to have a successful pregnancy on the treatment.

Hope everyone else is ok. All ok here. My little Pred baby will be 5 months on Monday! Time is flying. He's a happy little thing generally despite being of the 'sleep is for wimps' baby brand!

Congratulations Cate! I am 23 weeks now too. I don't know about you but every time I see my bump in the mirror I can hardly believe it! (I'm another old bird here! 43 in a few weeks )

I've just gone back on the asprin actually. Strangely, Mr S told me to stop it at 20 weeks but I've been referred to an obstetrician in the recurrent miscarriage dept at UCH, which I was quite impressed with, and he told me that it's recommended to take them until 32 weeks.

It's gone quiet again here. I hope everyone's doing well.

Kittens it's always so good to hear your progress! What a better birthday you will have this year. Great you got the referral too. I took the aspirin a bit longer too as, I don't know about you lot but I found I hard to let go of every medication in that the pill popping was quite reassuring. I think I stopped at 25 weeks. I was also on hydroxycloroquinw until 36 weeks I think. Who else is on that ? I've forgotten.

Am feeling a bit queasy and bloated this afternoon (ate loads of sweets in the studio earlier!) and ugh it took me right back to this fine last year when I was bloated and queasy due to early pregnancy and all the medication. I can almost smell the cyclogest. Not knowing if anything would work out and just living week to week between scans. Horrible time, even though I was pregnant and that was something to be grateful for I don't think I began to even vaguely enjoy it until after the 20 week scan.

Hi free, ahhh, queasy and bloated, feelings I know oh so well these days!

I do hope for a better birthday this time, but can't be sure. My granny is in a bad way now. Has been for a couple of weeks. She had a couple of bad falls, banging her head both times. Also, I think, has had an infection but not sure because at the time the nurses came to do bloods she was a bit hysterical and freaked out and wouldn't let them near her so we don't know for sure. Last week we reached the point where the District Nurses came to put into place Palliative and End of Life care meds and we really thought we were going to lose her but she seems to have rallied. Still in bed and sleeping a lot of the time but her appetite has come back and she looks brighter. She is talking even more nonsense than ever before, considering she has dementia so I think that's probably got worse. We are having to just go with the flow as we have no idea how this is going to pan out at the moment. My auntie thinks she'll be around for Christmas. The nurses said she may even be holding out to meet the baby, but apart from speculation we have no idea! I'm pretty overwhelmed and emotional at the moment what with that, my hormones and the impending anniversary of losing my Mum. It's all affecting my ability to get work for myself at the moment too which is depressing me. Poor baby is getting a lot of stress in there!

Oh, I was on hydroxy but came off it at 20 weeks.

Come to think of it, I have drugs up for grabs if anyone wants them. Cyclogest, small amount of Progynova, Pred lots of 5mg but out of date, a few 25mg, Tamoxifen (from the Super Ovulation). PM me if anyone wants them, it is Christmas after all

You've had such a horrible horrible year. Are they checking for a urine infection? I found out last year that it can cause all sorts of mental confusion in the elderly. Please get them to check. I hope she holds out until the baby is born but it is also lovely you've been able to tell her and she seems to have absorbed it.

Loving the Christmas drug sharing :)

You're not wrong there!

She has been on antibiotics for UTI. They weren't able to check for sure as she was not being compliant, but we suspected that was a strong possibility. She gets them a lot as she has kidney disease.

The baby is one thing she is very aware of. I stayed down there for a few days and every time I went in her room she reached out for my tummy and asked if she could touch my baby. On one occasion she asked my Auntie "Where's my little granddaughter?" and when my Auntie said that I wasn't so little she laughed and said "No, she's not is she, she's 5 months pregnant!" so that's something that seems to be sticking. Although she's completely lost the concept of 9 months gestation and keeps asking when I'm bringing the baby down to see her or whether it can cry yet.

Amazing that Sebastian is 5 months now! Doesn't time fly? He was born just before I got my BFP, whilst working on the Olympics.

Can I very belated join this thread? I've had 5 MMC and after a break of 20 months am about to start TTC, hopefully with Prednisolone.

I'm lucky enough to have one DS aged 9 with special needs. We've been trying for 3 years.
Shitting myself at starting again, particularly as I'm not living in the UK anymore so all support and any subsequent MC will have to be dealt with in my very poor French.
I'm going back to the consultant shortly to ask about Prednisolone. I was undecided last time I saw him but now I'm determined to try it for the next pregnancies.
Makes me feel a bit weepy at the thought of going through all the anxiety and pain again..

Hello, welcome to the thread. Sorry to hear you've been through 5 mmc's. Shitting yourself is very understandable! We can all empathise with you there. This is my 7th pregnancy and the first one I've got this far with.

I hope you will be able to take heart from our list (the latest of which, I think, is on the previous page) and see that there have been a fair few success stories on the immune treatment.

I wish you Bon Chance!