Immune/NK cells - pred thread 30

[Sezmarelda1]

Starting a new thread as the last one was full. Please tag anyone I may have missed from the old thread...

@Sophi81
@InvisibleDreamer
@birdbybird
@Ralowi
@HoldingOn2Hope
@MyEasterEggs
@Tgrf55

@Tgrf55 can I ask if you're planning on getting a flu jab this autumn? Sorry I know it's a bit off-topic, it's just that I've got an appt for a flu and covid booster next week. I'll be 14 weeks pregnant and two of my losses were at 14 weeks so I'm really struggling to decide whether to go ahead with the appointment or cancel/postpone. I know they are both supposed to be safe vaccinations to have but that fear and suspicion of everything never goes away...I especially want to avoid my immune system over reacting at such a critical time, but equally going without the vaccinations puts me at risk of that too. It's a double edged sword 😧

@Sezmarelda1 i know, it's so hard to know what to do for the best when we are already so worried 😟 i was planning on getting a flu jab but not the covid booster. I've had covid twice and also had 3 covid jabs so i think im set 😂 could you maybe wait until late Oct for the jabs so that you are further along? You may feel more confident then. How are you feeling at the moment? Im in a bit of a panic today because i have a really sore lower belly. It almost feels like a bruise in there or a pulled muscle. Im sure its just stretching but every little thing sends me in to over drive. It doesnt help that im weaning off of the steroids, that's making me so paranoid too! X

Thanks @Tgrf55 , it really is so hard knowing what to do for the best. I've been considering just having the flu jab and skipping the Covid one, that's what I'm leaning towards at the moment. I've had Covid once and it was extrememly mild (virtually asymptomatic apart from a rough throat), but I miscarried 2-3 weeks later so I've always wondered if there could have been a link.

Sorry you're having a bit of an anxious day. I have good days and bad days but I feel like I'm coping well on the whole, I feel like I'm doing everything within my power with all the extra meds this time, and that seems to be helping my mindset compared to previous pregnancies, but I still feel like I'm on high alert and overthinking everything. Did you get a doppler in the end? I'm using mine daily at the moment because I lost two babies very close to this stage, and it definitely helps to give me some reassurance between scans x

@Sezmarelda1 yeah i think maybe skipping the covid booster isnt a bad idea. Its still a new jab too. It just makes me feel uneasy and like you say its such a mild strain now anyway. I decided against the doppler because i knew i would be obsessive with it especially if i wasnt very good at using it! I have a midwife appt next week so im hoping she will listen for me. Then i see dr edge the following wrek for 16 week scan. Ive taken a paracetemol and the soreness is a little better but still there. I think im just having one of those days where ive convinced myself of another missed miscarraige. Its so hard to enjoy it isnt it. X

@Tgrf55 @Sezmarelda1 just checking in to catch up on all things immunes and say it’s great to see you reaching 16 and 14 weeks. My first FET cycle has finally come around and transfer is Thursday so it gives me hope 🤞🏻

@MyEasterEggs good luck!! 💞 im down to 5mg of pred a day now which is nervewracking but the clinic keep telling me the placenta is protecting the baby now so i just have to trust them. Its scary though when something has got you this far and then you have to stop taking it!
Let us know how you get on. Xxx

Best of luck with the transfer on Thursday @MyEasterEggs , I have my fingers crossed for you!!

How are things going for you @Ifitistobesaid ?

@Tgrf55 how are you feeling now? What gestation did you start tapering the pred? I'm under Prof Quenby and she wants me to start tapering off at 16 weeks. I'm not sure if that's because of my late miscarriages though, or just how she generally prescribes it. I'm nervous about tapering, but like you say hopefully it's already done its work in the early weeks of pregnancy.

@Sezmarelda1 hey, how you feeling? I’m still super anxious but I have a midwife appt on Thursday so I’ll ask her to listen for a heartbeat. I woke up this morning feeling normal and had a panic and then I had a wave of sickness and feel slightly more calm now 😂 I started tapering off at 12 weeks - tomorrow is my last day! Really nervous but I asked the clinic so many times and they also said they’ve never had any issues from people tapering off so fingers crossed. 16 weeks is a long time, how are you feeling with side effects? My face was quite puffy by week 12 on the pred but other than that it wasn’t too bad really. X

@Sezmarelda1 thanks for asking, I just had the repeat beta hcg test this morning so should know this afternoon if it’s been rising appropriately.

I have a feeling this is going the same way as my last miscarriage. With that I had spotting around the time my period was due and the pregnancy tests took a while to grow strong. It did progress but was measuring behind and had a slow heart beat until about 9 weeks. I then needed a D&C a month later due to retained products. So it dragged on for months even though the signs were there from the start. I really want to avoid that if possible.

@Ifitistobesaid I really hope and pray that it's a positive outcome for you this time 🙏🏽🤞🏽

I had a similar mc to what you've described last year and it's went on for 3 months just not nice at all.

I really hope the spotting is implantation bleeding and that your hcg comes back doubled xxx

@Tgrf55 I've not been too bad with side effects from the pred. It's caused me some issues with my potassium level which we're treating with some extra potassium medication and monitoring with regular blood tests, but apart from that I've been fine.

I've had a bit of a worrying morning and unsure what to do. I used my doppler this morning and the baby's heart rate sounded really fast compared to normal and the number on the screen was much higher than usual too (around 200, when it's been around 170 the last couple of weeks). I've tried it 4 times to make sure it wasn't just a one off, and I even tried just after doing a short mediation to relax me, and each time it's been fast. I called to speak to my local early pregnancy unit to see if my recurrent miscarriage consultant could review me (she said to call anytime I had a concern!), and one of the nurses has just fobbed me off and told me the heart rate is fine, without even getting me in to check it. The RM consultant was always so insistent that if I was worried about anything she would see me, even if I was worried for no explicable reason. Now there's a genuine concern and they won't see me 😩

@Sezmarelda1 I actually just got back from seeing the midwife because i just got myself in to a massive panic. She told me to go and see her and listened in with a doppler to the heartbeat. Why don't you give your midwife a call and see if she will see you? I HATE epau but i have had horrific experiences there with my MMC and ectopic so i have no time for them. Your midwife will probably be more helpful. Maybe your doppler isn't working properly? Don't worry until you have had someone else check it out. xx

@Sezmarelda1 hope you’re ok and can get checked out soon.

I had my hcg bloods back and they’ve gone from 152 to 1571 in 4 days so I can relax a bit…for now!

@Ifitistobesaid wow! I think you can def relax :) Easier said than done though and i'm not one to talk after my visit to the midwife this morning in tears. But that is more than doubling every 2 days so really, really promising! Keeping everything crossed for you! xx

@Ifitistobesaid that's very promising 🙏🏽 xx

Hey! So it's been three months on Dr.Shehatas plan and unfortunately no luck for me. On my plan it said to check in and have a consultation at this point so I contacted the clinic and they are trying to book me in with Ms. Edge. I remember seeing some comments regarding Ms.Edge and wanted to see if you guys could advise whether I should book in to see her or wait over a month to see Dr.Shehata.

I'm pretty disappointed with the whole process if I'm honest and feel like I'm not being monitored at all. I think I'm going to move to another clinic as I feel a bit let down by Shehata. I wasn't expecting to be pregnant by now so it's not that, it's more the lack of communication and now changing consultant when I wasn't made aware this could happen. I also resent paying the same prices for a consultant with not as much experience as Dr.Shehata but perhaps that is just me!

Would be really grateful for any advice ☺️

@Mabelledox I have only seen Ms Edge once for a saline scan and she was very nice but I agree with you we shouldn’t be paying the same price to see her as Dr S. As far as I know she is not a consultant herself, she’s a senior specialist doctor. For the prices we are paying and the complexity of what we are going through we should be seen by experts.

@Ifitistobesaid I'm so pleased your hcg is rising well, that's a great result! What's the plan for you going forward? When are you due your first scan?

Thank you @Tgrf55 for your reply yesterday, it seems anxiety is getting the better of us both at the moment. I got myself into a right state and almost felt paralysed with fear. The phone call with the EPU literally took all the strength I had, so my partner called them back when he got home from work and pleaded with them to see me but they still wouldn't. I'm not keen on my community midwife (she missed the signs of one of my late losses last year). I don't have a lot of trust in her, but you are right I still should have called her anyway. I have a scan in the preterm surveillance clinic on Thursday so hopefully if there is something wrong they will pick it up then and I will keep checking with my doppler in the meantime. I've used my doppler twice today and both times sounded normal (to my untrained ear) but I still feel very uneasy. How are you feeling today?

@Sezmarelda1 It's really difficult to stay sane so don't be too hard on yourself - i have been terrible the whole time. Honestly i hate EPAU they are just useless. Sorry your midwife isn't great, i know some of them aren't - i lucked out with mine this time round. That's great it all sounds normal on the doppler today, that must make you feel a bit better :) Try and stay as calm as possible until your scan but i know it's so difficult. I have my scheduled midwife appt on Thurs and i'm already worrying she won't find a heartbeat even though i was just with her yesterday listening to it!

@Mabelledox I would see Dr Edge. I have nothing but good things to say about her, she has a lot of time for you and she is so lovely. She knows her stuff too. I agree its expensive and for that price it should really be Shehata. If you had been on the plan longer and not fallen pregnant then yes i would say see Shehata but Dr Edge is fine to see in my opinion. She has done all of my pregnancy scans and i trust her. She is also more qualified than Shehata in fetal medicine (i think) or something like that. That's my opinion but i have had a good experience with the clinic overall and felt looked after.

My scan this morning went well and the baby seems to be fine, so it's not clear what was going on with the fast heart rate earlier in the week. They took some swabs and a urine sample from me to check for infection just in case, and I have another scan on Monday. The heart rate sounds back to normal on my doppler so I will just continue to monitor it for now, and try my best to relax!!

I hope your appointments today go/have gone well @Tgrf55 and @MyEasterEggs !

@Sezmarelda1 thats great news! So pleased for you. Would you maybe try to not listen to the Doppler so much or does that make you too anxious? Completely understand if it does.

my midwife appt went well thank you, heard the heartbeat again. Sounded different this time but I’m happy I heard it! I have my 16 week scan on Tues so praying all is well with that too. X

I feel like the doppler gives me much more reassurance on the whole, and because my two late losses were right at this stage I feel like I need to keep using it for now. I'm starting to feel some little movements so hopefully once those are stronger I can put the doppler away for good!! Good luck with your scan on Tuesday @Tgrf55 !

@Sezmarelda1 Completely understand, getting to the same time frame as a previous loss is really frightening. Do whatever it is that makes you feel better! Amazing that you are feeling movement! Unfortunately as i have a front placenta i probably wont feel movement until around 22 weeks 😞

I had a front placenta with my successful pregnancy and definitely felt movement before 22 weeks, so it is possible you'll feel something sooner @Tgrf55 🙂

@Sezmarelda1 glad your scan went well!

@Tgrf55 good news on the midwife appointment and sending you lots of love for the 16 week scan. That’s a tricky milestone for me too.

My transfer went well and I’m travelling back today with our first wee embaby. Please let this be the end of six years long, hard years of fertility struggles 🤞🏻