TTC or pregnancy on prednisolone or similar part 12

[teamdozie]

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!

Team how have you been?

Had SO scan today on CD12 and have four nice big follies this time, so here's hoping that this is our month!

Tum good luck tomorrow.

All good with me. Had 12 week scan today and saw a healthy baby. Low risk for Downs (1 in 989) so feel reassured. They've said I'm actually 13 w 4d which is impossible as by their conception date I conceived when DH was out of the country and had a period 2 days later. I know it was a period and not an implantation bleed as I had an implantation bleed a week after I ovulated. But the ultrasonographer was 'sure' and so my due date is now 7th August. Am wondering if the steroids could have made the baby big for dates but am also trying not to stress for once and enjoy the good news.

Waves to all xx

Morning all!

Not been on for a whole! Been trying to control my spaz attacks! Lol!

Tum thinking of you today!
Village I'm good thanx! Brilliant news about the follies!! And great that draining the cyst went well and didn't affect this cycle!

MrsP that's great news! I'd enjoy the fact you have one week less till you meet the little one!!

As for me I have another scan on Thursday! Panicking about it! Can't stop thinking the worst!

Having a bit of a spaz ladies!!! Freaking out and I'm not sure what about!!!

Not feeling as sick anymore! Have a bit of brown! Can someone please press fast forward!!???

Xx

Team it's totally normal to feel like this! Take deep breaths, have a change of scene or go for a gentle walk around the block, symptoms coming and going mean nothing (I've driven myself mad this way in the past)! Deep breaths! Just one more day and a bit till the scan. The brown is probably just old residual blood from your last spotting. Hang on to the fact that your eight week scan was good! xx

Thank you Village
I don't know what's wrong with me! My friend has just told me she is 7 weeks pregnant and all if a sudden this wave of "it's going to work out for her and not me" just came over me!

Sometimes I feel that I'm not pregnant! That this is all a dream!

Tha I you for your encouraging words! 1 1/2 days to go!!

X

Team, I really feel for you. Just try to keep busy, anything that will occupy your mind. When I suffered a lot with anxiety in the past, I would force myself to do crosswords when I found myself getting preoccupied, anything to change the thought processes.
Village, that's fantastic! Did Mr S think all 4 would be released?
Wonderful news, Mrs Pixie. Strange about the dates, but then always nice to be bigger rather than smaller!

team all out-of-control fears are normal once you've had a miscarriage, let alone many mcs - in fact such thoughts are a totally rational response to an almost unbearable state of powerlessness! Don't blame yourself, and whatever happens, don't believe that mentalling will affect your pregnancy in any way. If that embryo is strong it is going to do its thing and thrive, however bad you feel! When I feel anxious in pregnancy I do this breathing exercise which really boosts the endorphins:
-You can sit or stand. Make sure your hands are relaxed.
-Drop your shoulders and let your jaw relax.
-Breathe in slowly through your nose and count to three, keep your shoulders down and allow your stomach to expand as you breathe in.
-Hold the breath for a count of three.
-Now release your breath slowly and smoothly as you count to six.
-Repeat for a couple of minutes.
In any case, while trying to hold your breath and count and then exhale without passing out it's fairly impossible to feel anxious
Thinking of you!

Mrs P wonderful news that you have such a strapping babe in there!

brown I have three follicles on the right (size 23, 18 and 14mm) and one on the left (17mm). I'm triggering on Wednesday morning to give the 14mm one a chance to catch up. Yes, Mr S thinks they should all be released - and Mr Village and I have been given instructions for what amounts to a passion marathon this week to make sure we catch them all. Oof. By the way, I searched for my blood type - you'd think that in all the welter of bloodwork I've had done it would appear on a piece of paper somewhere, but no! It's not O, I think, but I can't for the life of me remember what it is... will let you know if I come across it!

tum hope today's scan brings you plenty of reassurance x

tum good luck for your scan

team hang in there, not too long to wait.

mrsP great news! Are you scaling back the meds now?

Great news, Village. I'm very glad Mr S has said that they would all be released, as I had similar results once on letrozole when scanned by Mr G over the road when Mr S was away. I was cockahoop, and the sonographer was also very pleased, but he rather p*ed on my bonfire by saying let's just concentrate on the two biggest ones being released, but then, who can say how many actually did come out?
Group O women tend to have more rapidly waning fertility, with studies to prove it. Sigh, that's me. I've tried this among my friends and the more fertile ones have been group A.

That's fantastic mrs P
team good luck for your scan Thursday.

I went to the doctors today and bawled my eyes out and have now been signed off work for a week. The doctor said I must try to relax and work is not helping.

She sent me for a scan and after a 4 hour wait (!) I was seen. The baby is alive which I couldn't believe and is measuring correctly for it's age. 8 weeks. I have NeVeR got past 6.5 weeks so I am feeling very shocked. So it seems it makes no difference if symptoms come and go. Lesson learned.

tum that's great news.

Village good luck for the DTD marathon!

Village thank you! Breathing exercise was brilliant!
I just need to take deep breaths and everything is fine why wouldn't it be? Symptoms come and go!

Baking I'm hanging on! Not lost my mjnd just yet! Lol!

Brown you are so right! The mind can be your worst enemy! I'm staying positive or at least trying to!

Someone told me to repet this when my mind goes of track! " my past brings me tears, my future brings me fears the present is where I am!" So "Today I am pregnant"

Tum that is brilliant news! So pleased!

Xx

Tum - great news, congratulations on reaching 8 weeks and doing so well, especially dealing with the symptoms coming and going.

Village - positive thoughts to you for the triggering of the fantastic four tomorrow.

Brownstag - well being blood group A and more fertile, has lead me to have more miscarriages, so I guess that is an interesting way for me to think of it.

MrsPixie - great to hear that you are measuring further ahead than behind.

Team - Love your positivism, will add that first bit to my daily "today I am pregnant" mantra!

I have my next scan on Friday, I will be 9 weeks.

Brown, well, I suppose there's no sure fire way of knowing that they will all launch! I'm just hoping for a BFP with one!! Fascinating about fertility and blood types; who knew?

Thanks baking, DH is going away on a work trip all next week and I fear he may need the rest . How are you feeling this week?

Thanks willitbe, the Ovitrelle is chilling nicely in the fridge... Best of luck for Friday!

Tum wonderful! See! Enjoy your week off!

Team keep breathing, nearly Thursday!

I have ovitrelle and letrozole in the fridge- runs out April shall I use it? Will I need to still get a scan? Of course last time I saw mr s was last May but I used to get scanned near home anyway.
All these meds are a lot more than my income :(
Great to hear such positive news on here congrats to you all x

Brilliant, Tum!
Here's the blood group info for anyone who's interested:
www.theguardian.com/society/2010/oct/25/pregnancy-fertility-problems-blood-group

I'm really not sure what to do about the melatonin now. As I mentioned before, I had a night of insomnia on the one night I took it, and then several more bad nights afterwards (as a recovered insomniac, it doesn't take much to trigger a bit of a spell) and several days of feeling very weird and sick in the day. But I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the melatonin per se, but more psychological, or maybe an after-effect of that sickness bug I had the week before. But I'm still wary of taking it again now ...

Here is another interesting article about folic acid affecting response to stimulation:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21123447

brown Very interesting reading about the blood groups. I'm A+ and seem to be very fertile, but of course miscarry a lot. Or I was very fertile, I doubt I still am now that I'm 46! Re the melatonin - I've not seen any research indicating insomnia as a side effect, but of course all things affect everyone differently. Is it worth taking one on an evening you are feeling ok, ie no sickness etc, and seeing what happens? Of course, if you're worried it might trigger your insomnia, then of course the worry in itself might do exactly that!

I did read this, don't know if it's of any help:

This is the really important thing you should understand about melatonin: Melatonin is a sleep and body clock regulator – NOT a sleep initiator. Melatonin works with your biological clock by telling your brain when it is time to sleep. Melatonin does not increase your sleep drive or need for sleep.

Melatonin is called the “Vampire Hormone” because it is produced primarily in darkness and inhibited by light. The levels of your melatonin increase in the middle of the night and gradually fall as the night turns to morning, so exposure to light before bed can push your biological clock in the wrong direction – making melatonin ineffective.

Melatonin treats Circadian Rhythm Disorders (where you sleep the right amount of minutes but your body clock is at the wrong time), Shift Work Sleep Disorders, and early morning awakenings – all things that deal with the timing of your need to sleep.

mel Are you thinking of doing an unassisted cycle of superov, effectively? I can't advise on that one, I'm not sure I would but of course it's entirely down to you! I hear you loud and clear on the cost of the meds, especially once you add neupogen into the mix. My prescription this time (including gestone injections, neupogen, intralipids, dexamethasone and clexane!) is going to cost me an absolute fortune :(

I just don't know what to do as it seems such a waste of money otherwise :/

Hi all, I have been lurking for weeks trying to find the time to catch up properly with everyone's news. I have just re-read this thread and there has been so much positive news on here lately - wonderful.

Belated congrats to Cartoon, Clabbage and BuzzyBee on your new arrivals. I hope they are all thriving.

Great to hear from Delta and Green after Free circulated the list. It really does help the rest of us to keep going when you know how much others have persevered to achieve their dream.

Luna glad to hear that you are feeling strong enough to consider the next steps in your journey.

Choccy delighted all seems to be progressing well for you.

Village so many follicles sounds really promising, enjoy your weekend.

Team,Tumtimes,Willitbe and Mrs P you are all dealing brilliantly with the pregnancy rollercoaster. Keeping everything crossed for you all.

Jemima I hope things are still going well for you too.

Welcome to Dildoos, Desperately, Mattsmum and Smee, I am an old timer on here, but post more on the assisted conception thread these days. This is a wonderful place of support and expertise and will definitely provide you with all kinds of help.

Baking great news about your 20 week scan, albeit a while ago now.

Remembering we are now going down the DE route too, in fact we are flying to Spain for an initial consultation tomorrow. It has taken a while to get my head around it, DH has found it a lot easier, but I think that two months off my 42nd birthday it is now our best shot at becoming parents.

Mel you have a very comprehensive treatment plan. You are definitely doing all you can, which I always think helps the stress levels a bit.

Brown when are you planning on going to Serum? They do sound amazing. We considered them for our DE cycle but Zita West are going to handle my immune treatment and Serum wasn't one of the clinics that they have worked with previously, hence we are heading to IVF Spain in Alicante.

The melatonin chat is interesting. If we were going to try another IVF cycle Dr Ndukwe was going to add this to my protocol this time around, along with DHEA.

Hi Sue, Ari and Free hope you are all well. You are all so brilliant at sharing your expertise with everyone else, especially when continuing your own journey's.

I am intrigued that Dr S seems to be prescribing IVIG quite freely these days when he never suggested it to me during any of my treatments or pregnancies despite me being allergic to soya, discounting intralipids. So many friends forwarded me the article about him and hydroxy - which was so kind of them and if I hadn't known about it I would have been delighted. As it was I got totally irrationally irritated that they didn't contemplate we may have explored every angle and I had taken hydroxy for over a year and miscarried twice on it. Subsequently that made me appalled at myself as they were only trying to help and it is just not like me to react like that. Sometimes I hate the way this struggle changes you.

Going to pop over to the other thread to say hello to everyone over there. Sorry for the absence, think I have just been coming to terms with the next stage for us.

Really hope I haven't missed anyone, massive apologies I have.

Hello all. Glad to hear good news from tum. I measured ahead this time and in fact ds was born 10 days prior to my edd by lmp and four days before edd by scan.
team there were so many days I convinced myself it was all over, especially just before scans and most notably after I had my first mw appointment and went through my history. But.. I have the proof lying in my arms that I was wrong!

For those of you who asked about my treatment, my nhs consultant is not a pred fan. He discussed it at length with me and sent me a load of bumph from the Lister clinic about its merits. I believe that he would have prescribed it if I'd really wanted but something always niggled that this wasn't my 'real' problem. The pattern of my mc's didn't really follow an NK cell loss. He gave me fragmin (same as clexane) because I had a raised anti nuclear antibody count. I added high dose folic acid as I had a previous trisomy. (Found through testing foetus). Finally, I had been following a low carb diet for about 6 months. I suffer with a touch of fibro myalgia (autoimmune) which has improved massively on the diet which makes me wonder if the NK cells were produced due to an intolerance. Does that make sense? I still find it interesting that although Prof Quenby has found evidence to support steroid use, it is not for the reasons Mr S states.
It was a huge risk not taking pred and I had moments where I thought I was insane. But you know what, it's all a risk isn't it when you are like us? My consultant basically said..you are a fit healthy over 40 with a propensity to miscarry, you will probably miscarry again (which I did) but I will do everything I can to look after you and help you to have a healthy pregnancy. He said that he could guarantee that there was little risk to my physical health in continuing trying but only I could decide what my mental health could tolerate. I just found his candour very refreshing. No magic wand or promised land. I could weep now thinking of his kindness and care!

Sorry for lack of personals. I mean it when I say I think of you all often x

wow clabbage your NHS consultant sounds like a real diamond, I love that he was so positive and kind about the whole process. It makes all the difference doesn't it.

Its so true about the physical side of things versus mental health. I feel if anything holds me back it could be mentally and I never want to under estimate how I am feeling. I would never have accepted being signed off for a week a year ago, but I feel so differently about the whole process now.

Clabbage I have to say again, I am so happy for you! Congratulations.

BEllyD hello again - lovely to hear from you. Thanks for your nice comments. I too was forwarded the hydroxy article no less then 4 times. Only one person actually texted me first to see if it was appropriate to forward on. As soon as she said she had something to send onto me I knew what it was (having seen it several times) but I accepted it as she was so sensitive in her sending on. The others that sent it on to me, not so much. But like you say, I know they are only trying to help and mean the very best. Its a tough one isn't it.
The very best of luck with IVF in Alicante. When is that?

Thanks guys for all your positive comments, I know I have said it before but it is so appreciated.