My journey with elevated NK cells and how I got pregnant

But let’s go back a little bit. By this time I had my Fallopian tubes checked and they were all clear. At my GP I requested hormonal testing, a test for chlamydia and to check some vitamin levels including vitamin D. My husband had a sperm analysis and the results seemed good as well. Hmmm, I would like to see them a bit better, but I can write another article on the semen’s criteria today and fifty years back if you want to. So my husband decided to adjust his lifestyle as well a little bit to get even better results in the future (and he did!).

Thanks to the Fertility Awareness Method I knew exactly when my ovulation was coming and how long my luteal phase was, so there wasn’t a possibility we would miss our fertile window. The length of my luteal phase wasn’t ideal, it was mostly 11, sometimes 12 and on rare occasions 13 days long which for getting and staying pregnant isn’t the ideal length. With my clients I like to see the length of the luteal phase to be in between 14 to 16 days. In the meanwhile, I was actively working on prolonging my luteal phase with all tools I knew and know. If you don’t know how long your luteal phase is I would advise starting charting your cycle now.

We got to the point where our fertility clinic in the Netherlands wasn’t willing to do any more testing and the only suggestion we got was to go through IUI or IVF. From the beginning we knew we didn’t want to walk down this path (even though I would be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about this option on especially hard days). We were left without any help. Next to our name in our file there was a note “refuse to cooperate”. Sounds good, right?

Elevated NK cells

All seemed good after going through the immunology testing in Prague. Here are a few things I got tested for: CRP, IgA, IgG, IgM bpn, ANA, ANA screen CTD, anti-tTg, APLA screen, anti-PS/PT, anti-annexin, anti-ovaria, anti-sperm, anti-zona pellucida. There were only two concerning things. Lower AMH (1,46 ng/ml), however this is one of the parameters I really don’t care about as it can change constantly and I am so glad my doctor thought the same. The second thing were elevated NK cells.

What are NK cells to begin with? A type of immune cells that have small particles with enzymes that can kill tumour cells or cells infected with a virus. An NK cell, also called natural killer cell, is a type of white blood cell. The normal levels are considered to be below 18 %, mine were at 24,84 %. Which is actually good in normal life as it means pretty strong immunity system. However, when it comes to fertility there is a concern with the NK cells elevated, they might prevent the embryo from implantation as the body recognizes it as a foreign object and therefore a thread.

So, what now? There is not much research done on this topic and therefore not many options of treatment. One of the ways is to temporary lower the immunity by corticosteroids. I started taking them (in the form of Medrol, you might have heard of Prednison which is a bit older but similar) for 6 weeks and then I was supposed to go back. Well, the result of the test after six weeks was NK cells at 28,2 %. Yep, even higher than before, I guess my body didn’t really like the medicine. The doctor did also some extensive testing on how the NK cells react with my husband sperm and the results were good.

I wasn’t willing to continue the treatment as I was afraid of the possible side effects and my doctor shared my opinion. I started using Pentomer Retard instead. Mostly patients who have trouble with blood circulation benefit from this drug.

What have I decided to do in the meanwhile? To strengthen my immunity. It might seem like the opposite of what I should be doing but after doing some research I came to a conclusion my body might be reacting with the NK cells so elevated to something bad happening in my body. Like inflammation. So to the supplements I have already been taking and to my routine I have been doing (I could write an article about that as well, right? 😃) I added a few things.

Working on it

From the supplements I decided to go for L-Lysine, an essential free-form amino acid which supports healthy immune function and collagen synthesis. Raw vitamin C (never take synthetic vitamin C!). Ultra Cordyceps, an herb used for centuries in China as a rejuvenating tonic that improves energy and support function of various organs and system. Chlorella and spirulina.

When it comes to my routine, I became really consistent with castor oil packs (from the end of my period until ovulation) and fertility yoga (as a yoga teacher focusing on women’s health that should have always been my priority, but let’s be honest, the time and motivation isn’t always there). I continued with vaginal herbal steaming twice to three times a week from the end of the period up to ovulation. Acupuncture, moxa that I got from my acupuncturist and acupressure. We just got back from our wedding that took place in Greece 🥰 and I finally had time to meditate and just enjoy all these treats.

Despite the fact I have been working on prolonging my luteal phase, it wasn’t happening. And I decided to start taking Utrogestan which is the hormone progesterone either in the forms of oral pills (my choice) or vaginal suppository. Yep, sometimes even a women’s health practitioner needs drugs. Disclaimer, it is super important to start taking progesterone after confirmed ovulation, otherwise it can block ovulation and mess up with your menstrual cycle overall. You definitely don’t want that. Again, thanks to the Fertility Awareness Method I knew exactly when to start taking Utrogestan.

There it was, BFT

Long story short (omg, I’ve written a lot today, sorry!), two months after the wedding, actually the first cycle after the wedding, I took a pregnancy test. I didn’t really want to, but I needed to know regarding the medicine I was taking. In case it was positive, I would have to quit Pentomer and continue with Utrogestan. If it was negative it would be the opposite, quit Utrogestan and continue with Pentomer. Yes, there it was, big fat positive. Ironically enough that was the last pregnancy test I had left at home, even though two years back I bought a bunch of 25 on Amazon.

In case you are dealing with elevated NK cells or any other fertility challenge, I don’t want you to take this as a dogma or a protocol to follow. I hope it will more of an inspiration for you not to give up, continue digging deeper, and continue working on your health. Sometimes (often) there is an underlying condition that prevents us from getting pregnant. If I took for granted what the doctors at the fertility clinic told us and gave up, I don’t know where I would be now. Maybe in the infinite loop of IVF cycles. Maybe going through an adoption process that was coming to our minds more and more often. Or maybe I would be pregnant anyways.

It’s your path and your journey

You never know what is waiting for you, but I believe if you trust your intuition and go with what feels right, you cannot go in the wrong direction. I know your baby is out there, waiting for the right moment to join your family. I am here if you ever need me on your fertility journey.