Immune/NK issues - aka Pred Thread no.20!

[harrietm87]

Hi all, thought I'd get the ball rolling on the new thread.

Welcome all with immune/natural killer cell issues.

It's been a while since a new thread so thought it might be helpful if we all added our stats:

I'm harriet, age 30, TTC#1.
3 mcs (2 at 5 weeks, 1 mmc at 9 weeks).
Hypothyroid and high NK cells.
Cycle 2 on pred!

Oh Poppy, I'm sorry- that's a bummer x But you have a great ovarian reserve which feels like it should be connected to good quality eggs, so when it does happen it should be a nice strong pregnancy now you have the meds helping you along. I'm glad you're starting to anticipate your next try already :)
Putting good vibes out to the cosmos sl that your DP makes it home for the next cycle and that you don't have much longer to wait until you're on the crazy preg train!

Tee, how exciting! Are you using the ovulation testing kits with the smiley faces? They worked great for me 😊 Good luck with the trying #BonkingForBabies 🙌🏼

Harriet, the fatigue is extreme isn't it? I presume it's just that all your energy is going into making a new person, I mean it's a pretty complicated thing. I have been going on gentle walks in the county side when I can. I really feel like a good walk amongst nature provides calming and strengthening energy, it always helps ground me a bit. There's been some great studies on cortisol levels dropping after walking in the forest for a couple of hours so gentle exercise plus stress management all in one :) When I was at your stage, I couldn't walk far without feeling uncomfortable pressure/pulling in my pelvis and dizziness too so I took it really easy. I personally think at this stage if you're feeling delicate, take it easy but remember to move around to keep the blood flowing. Just my thoughts, mr S would probably tell you to swim the channel if you want lol

Stuck, so the next scan you get is 12 weeks, 3 weeks away? Seems like a long time to wait but some prefer not to keep having scans so it depends on what suits you. How are you feeling about it all?

I'm feeling ok thanks Luna, more settled than I was before week 9 but still insanely worried. Glad you're excited about some more premeditated intercourse this month 😂 Wooot! I actually reached a new low this week and had to trim my moon face fluff! DH couldn't ignore it, just kept staring at my glistening golden flowing handlebar! I caved- took my body trimmer and trimmed that crap down ✂️

Xxx

Justla that made me LOL 😆👨🏼✂️
I just use the one step cheapy opks. They seem to do the trick, I generally get a strong line on roughly the same day each cycle. I used to temp which would confirm OD but I sacked that off a long time ago when my pattern was established.
Totally agree with you re. woody walks. We spent a week in Scotland and the peaceful surrounds definitely flicked a switch for me. Will make a point to schedule in more here on the weekends. Have booked a massage for tomorrow, yay!! 💆🏼 x

Luna- Thanks for thinking of us! You're right in the prime fertile window- exciting! Hope you can catch that golden eggy this month! I'm just laying low I guess with the scan day approaching - 3 days! I rang the GP today to say I was pregnant (because last time I couldn't get my NHS 12 Week scan and had to go private)... But as it was ringing I started thinking about how awful it would be to have to tell them if I miscarry, so I hung up! Pretty much sums up my headspace at the moment. Confused!

Harriet- I agree that the pred makes you feel gross. I put on so much weight at the start with DS. 9 lbs first trimester, 21 by the end up the second trimester! BUT at around 20 weeks I decided to get healthy for baby and turned my eating around. I ended up only gaining 5 more lbs (so 25 lbs total) which is bang within the guidelines. So I just gained most my extra padding at the start :-P I stopped excercising in the 1st trimester (despite being active) due to a SCH. But then at about halfway I made sure to walk 3 miles a day everyday right up until I gave birth. I felt fit as a fiddle straight until the end and think it contributed to my smooth labour. This time around I've continued running as my body is accustomed to it, but will be amending things if/when necessary. I reckon you'd be fine with some regular walking and it'll really boost your confidence.

So fat hairy moonfaces we shall be :-) What a sight to encounter in the woods on a darkening autumn evening (may the country folk of Surrey beware...) - although... we will look cute in our leggings/dungarees and oversized shirts

Drttc glad you are OK.... and playing hang-ups with the GP - poor little poppet, I feel ya

Scan is booked for tomorrow, not in so much pain but I am now on amoxicillin as a precaution for infection.
I am ok and think my body might be gearing up to o but I am not tracking this month and will start when AF rears her head..
off to a christening Sunday so I am focusing on that. It's just me and dh for 2 nights as dd is with her boyfriend until she goes to work on Saturday.

Glad you are feeling a little better Sheepy, and that you are avoiding infection at least.... Enjoy the christening and time with your hubby :-)

We will

Oh I'm so glad you have your scan booked Sheepy, hopefully your instinct is wrong this time and you are all clear and ready to start the healing process. Hope the christening goes well, you certainly seem to be an incredibly tough cookie even if you don't feel it right now 🍪

Drttc, great to hear how you turned the weight gain around! I would like to think it doesn't matter as long as baby is growing but it does really, for health and recovery reasons etc, you've given me hope :)
3 days until scan 🤞🏻⭐️

Tee, massages and woodland walks sound perfect! I'm not sure if it's a med induced moon-beard, but hopefully you won't suffer with it! Although, it's actually been a source of amusement for me amid all the REAL concerns I have lol

Luna! With Halloween on its way, I don't even need to get dressed up! The way you just described it, I'll look like teen wolf or Texas chain saw massacre 😂❤️

moonbeard bahahaa :-)

Thanks drttc that makes me feel better re weight gain/exercise. Maybe I will start running again. I was pretty speedy before but haven't been on a run since May! I am so bad at swimming poppy, which is a shame as I know it is so good for you. I should probably get some lessons or something. I have to take 25mg of pred every day for the first 12 weeks - I think your dose is lower isn't it?

So exciting drttc only 3 days to go til your scan - you're only 1 day ahead of me I think so I will be so interested to hear what they can see at that stage.

luna your lucky DH! I am very lax with bikini maintenance - it's pretty much au naturel for me right now! Not sure DH really cares though which is a relief! I've also been too scared to have sex since getting my bfp, but really need to get over that!

sheepy sorry I've missed this but what is your scan for? Hope it goes well.

Harriet I have an instinct that it might not have been completed my last miscarriage so insisted yesterday for a scan to confirm if there are either cysts or the miscarriage is as I think it was incomplete. The two nurses at the urgent care centre were brilliant and agreed with me but had to get approval from gynea first.
I have good days and bad days and thankfully DH is awesome and we support each other. I am currently designing my own MAR sheet to keep a track on my meds. I am dreading the christening as although they are extremely good friends and we are godparents I dont feel happy standing there

Harriet- glad to motivate you! I'd definitely encourage taking things very easy and not to push yourself at all. Only try to get the blood flowing while taking in the fresh air!

I'd be 5 weeks +4 during the scan and that's what I was for my first scan with my son. For him he was measuring exactly at my dates and we saw/heard his heartbeat! You wouldn't necessarily expect to see a heartbeat that soon but you should 100% see a gestational sac. So although I'd be thrilled to see a heartbeat, I'll also know this haven't worked out at all if they don't find anything in there (which happened once at a 6 week scan).

Shelly I'm so sorry to hear about this. It must be particularly hard putting on a smile for a christening at the weekend. Really hoping your scan shows things have completed and that you can have a good time this weekend x

Sheepy not Shelly! Autocorrect..

Harriet, yes I'm on a lower dose than you, 5mg a day but split into two doses morning and night. My doc told me to split the dose because I complained about the symptoms. I've lost a couple of pounds already. We are probably using it for different purposes though, that why our doses are different. Swimming lessons would be a great idea! I loathed swimming until about three years ago when my friend got me into it on holiday. Changed my life!

Luna, I found this on Pinterest, this is kind of what you're going to be going for, right, for the reveal when it's time? There was on with a woman who had wrapped her bump in Christmas lights, but feel that is a step too far...

pin.it/yLsugRh

DrTTC, sorry to hear about your torturous phone call attempt. I reckon we have all developed some TTC/MC phobias lately and it's understandable. Not long now until you will have some answers. We are all thinking of you.

Heard back from my endocrinologist who said basically chill a bit with the cycle tracking and be reassured that the progesterone measurement is reassuring and he'd expect me to be successful soon. So I've decided that given all my blood results and previous pregnancies, my body is trying pretty hard to reproduce and I should give it more credit and have a bit of faith in it.

Told DP on Skype tonight hat I'm not pregnant. Apparently he'd been confused and waiting for an update since Thursday! Bless him! I thought he knew me well enough that he'd know within seconds if I was, but I think he thought I was still in limbo. He said he wanted to give me a hug but I felt like it's ok anyway. Much easier than last month.

poppy, here here for giving our little bods some credit!! They are trying so hard - and our minds need to support the effort!!

And YES, exactly that Reveal - in fact, I shall be walking around holding my stomach like that all day every day from 6 months 😅

Love that reveal!!! Lol.

That's interesting about splitting the dose poppy. I was told to take it in the morning so as to be as far away from bedtime as possible because of the insomnia risk. Haven't had any problems with that mind you!

Glad your endocrinologist was reassuring- I agree! Sounds like you and your body are doing everything you can so only a matter of time before everything works.

sheepy good luck today. Get them to check you thoroughly while you're there. I really feel for you with the christening - don't suppose you can get out of it as a godparent.

I took a clearblue digital this morning, really against my better judgment as I know how unreliable they are, but thankfully for my sanity it showed 3+, which is bang on as I'm 5+1 today. Phew!

drttc I had pretty much the same with my GP. I phoned to book a thyroid blood test as my dose may need to be adjusted due to pregnancy. When the receptionist asked why I was booking it (normally only needed every 6 months and my last one was April before my mc) I actually lied and said I'd been having hypothyroid symptoms because I just couldn't bear to say I was pregnant!!! Will have to fess up at some point, especially if I do need to increase my dose!

I remember the day I toook the same test and I'd gone down a week 😔😔 was frantically searching for a positive reason... but I know why... glad you are reassured harriet - what torture waiting for the results of that little bugger!!

Harriet that's great! Nice to get a little reassurance, I never thought of doing that early on. I'm thinking of being naughty too and picking up a Doppler (baby heart rate monitor) online... I've read it can make you panic if you can't hear a HB but figure heck, my life is one big panic at the mo anyway so- meh! I could provide a little comfort when I need it, any thoughts?

Poppy I love the reveal look! I'm gonna go for the flowing pink dress that appeared below lol.... or maybe just sit a naked barbie on my tummy and go for the wrecking ball?
Has DP had his swimmers tested Poppy? Sounds like you are all primed and fertile which is great 😊

Sheepy, good luck today. Perhaps you could tell the parents at christening that you are ill and will come for ceremony but have to leave after so you don't spread the illness. This is one of those times that you are absolutely granted a good lie.

Drttc hope you're doing ok, 2 days until you know a bit more x

Seeking, how are you feeling?

xxx

JustLa, a Doppler is bound to make you significantly more anxious, no?! I'm deleting all my apps now, I need to relax.

Never thought of having DP's sperm checked as he has 4 kids with his ex and got me pregnancy twice in recent months with just one shot each time. (I know this because of work schedules, opps were thin!) Although he did say it's always possible something could have changed x

Which auto correct wouldn't keep correcting pregnant to pregnancy! Both are valid 😣

Morning ladies,

Good luck with your scan today sheepy, hope you get some answers.

I did Tracy Andersons pregnancy project for maybe the first 4 months, then got bored and quit. But I did walk 3/4miles pretty much every day because I have a massive dog! Also did a bit of preggo yoga but I found it all a bit weird and hippy!
I probably put on about 2 stone but didn't really weigh myself too much.

Just I really wouldn't recommend a dopler. Midwives don't use them until 16 weeks and for someone who has no medical background it can be really confusing. You may be getting your own hb or if you don't hear anything you'll worry. From 18-20 weeks you'll start to feel movement which will reassure you. I know you just want to know that all is ok but I think having your own dopler is more likely to make you more paranoid.

Our reveal was at 16 weeks, with a very gorgeous baby grow from JoJo that has little rainbows on, alongside our scan pic.

6 days until my scan.... feeling very disconnected still.
Had my booking appointment with midwife yesterday who was lovely. Just hope I don't have to make that horrible call to tell them it's over.

Fingers crossed for you Drttc. Really hope you see a heart beat but you know that it's still quite early.

Dh and I were talking about the christening, we are going to go but make excuses for not staying for too long, we are really good friends with the parents and they were one of the few people that knew we were pregnant as it was not easy to hide. The scan is going to be a thorough one and we want the results today. Or at least tomorrow.
Pain is worse today but the side effects of the pred are kicking in so sleeping less and hungry, still once this is all sorted I will be on the Miranda diet, move more eat less going to be tough on a 12 hour shift but I will do it. Did consider getting the bike out or putting it on the resistance bar

Thanks Poppy. Awww bless your DH! I agree with giving your body some credit and faith right now. It's hard to view our body as our friend in this situation but it really is the only one we have- So it's good to treat it kindly (I'm trying to do this!).

Thanks JustLa and Seeking!

Seeking I agree with you about the Doppler. This is as someone who used a Doppler religiously with DS and will probably use it again if I ever get the chance. It's nearly impossible to locate the heart beat in the first trimester and causes so much stress! I'm a glutton for punishment and did it anyways but I wish I'd let myself relax.

Ah Harriet we really are on the same boat. Except I'm an idiot and tested the clearblue at 4 weeks +4! I did end up getting 3+weeks and have now continued testing since as I'm terrified it'll go down. Today was my last test and now I wait until Saturday... ugh! I've also now noticed that I ovulated up to 3 days later in my cycle than I did with DS. So I really need to manage my expectations of what a positive scan will look like.

Good luck on your scan Sheepy x