Recurrent mc clinic

[Littlemissimpatient]

How did you find yours? I was referred in June, appt given for July then they realised they had booked me into wrong clinic so they sent an appt through for sept which they have now cancelled. They hope to see me in Nov or Dec but the consultant only does the clinic for 4 hours a week and she might not be doing any clinics in dec so it will be next year!
What can I do?! I don't want to complain too much but doubt we could go private. I've had 3mcs and DH has suggested we just try again in meantime but I don't think I could handle another mc Iif we could have avoided it by seeing consultant first. So while you were waiting if you were waiting to see clinic were you careful or did you continue to ttc?
Sorry this is so long!

[purple84]

Hi Littlemiss
Sorry for your losses.
My 1st consultant appt came thru VERY quickly (maybe only 1 month after my 3rd mc) but after taking my history, he told me we were only young (28) and to just keep trying!!! We were not happy with this so we asked to be referred elsewhere which took another couple of months, and now I am having tests etc and they have found a few things and I am still waiting for tests.
We did continue ttc as like u I felt very impatient but we had another loss and now we are waiting (but i am feeling like I just want to back ttc after a couple months break but think maybe best to get results etc as the losses are so very hard) but I do hope test come back very soon!!
x
You could always asked to be referred somewhere else and see if they have a sooner appt?

[Littlemissimpatient]

Thanks purple. What kinds of tests are they doing just now?
Thats interesting about your age thing, that's what I'm worried about too, I'm 27 and DH is 30 so really hope they don't send us away to mc again

[Littlemissimpatient]

Also really sorry to hear about your mc's. Sounds like you have been through a crappy time too.

[CaptainHoratioWragge]

I'm sorry to hear about your MC's.

I'm at home recovering from my third one. There are no words that begin to describe how unbelievably shit it is.

Your date moving/cancellations sound very like my experience at Croydon- it took me a long time to realise that some hospitals are just very shambolic and provide poor care, and to get out of there.

My last PG/MC has been at St Thomas and they are so much better it is frightening.If your hospital is really messing you about ask to go elsewehere, in my experience they don't suddenly improve.

I've got an appointment at thomas' rmc- the waiting time there is apparently 4 months at the moment, but they have already sent me an appointment to take some blood etc in 8 weeks so that this info will be back ready for them to look at during the first appointment, it might be worth asking if your hospital can also do this?

The tests you will be given depend on what issues they want to exclude/identify, which will depend on your history and the dates of your MC's ie how far they progressed. Mine are very much focused on clotting issues because they know from the PM of my 20 week loss that this was the cause.

If you can face writing down the lengths of the pregnancies it might give me more of an idea what they would test for?

[purple84]

Littlemiss if they do fob u off cause of ur ages then definately get another opinion, as my second consultant didn't even mention our ages (my partner was 29 now 30)
I have been found to have PCO (without symptoms) we are also having chromosome tests.....then I don't know yet, but I definately feel more positive with this consultant that he is actually trying to look at everything.
Good Luck
xx

[Littlemissimpatient]

Thank you

I've had 3, at different stages.first was 6/7weeks, second was 5/6 weeks and third was 9 weeks not sure if that helps?
The clinic was great while I was pg, I had 3 scans in last pregnancy but really crap after!

[CaptainHoratioWragge]

Hi,

They will probably test you for thyroid problems, polycystic Ovaries, undisclosed diabetes and the blood clotting disorder Antiphospholipid Syndrome which is a common cause of recurrent miscarriages (i have this).

They will also probably look at you and your DH's chromosomes to check either of you aren't carrying a chromosomal defect called a ?balanced translocation?. (this is a rarer cause of recurrent miscarriages)

They probably won't check for incompetent cervix, or abnormally shaped cervix problems such as a ?bicornuate? uterus or a ?unicornuate? uterus because these tend to cause second trimester miscarriages and your dates are significantly earlier than this.

Again, they probably won't check for inherited clotting disorders called
?thrombophilias? like factor V Leiden, factor II (prothrombin), gene
mutation and protein S because these also tend to cause second trimester miscarriages.

(Obviously this is all affected by your medical history, from this they might have a reason to suspect the cause is for example thrombophilia after all if there is a significant family history) so it is not set in stone.

The only thing they might not test for, but i'd be tempted to look into, is something called natural killer cells. This is quite contraversial- not all clinics believe in them or consider them. But those that do pinpoint them as a major factor in early losses.

If my losses were all in the first trimester and there was nothing else coming back from the tests, I'd personally want to rule it in/out.

I don't know a lot about it as I'm definitely clotting problems, but if you look for the thread about trying to conceive on prednisone, (which is the treatment prescribed for this if diagnosed) I'm sure the lovely ladies on that thread can give you lots of useful info about it.

I would also suggest you get hold of the book "'Miscarriage: What every Woman needs to know' by Lesley Regan ". You can get it cheaply of Amazon and it has a lot of good info in it. (She is the head of the recurrent miscarriage clinic at St Mary's in London which is considered a centre for excellence throughout europe).

Good luck, and stay in touch- we can compare notes x

[nananaps]

Kareotyping is another test, they did 22 blood tests in total on me...all came back as normal.

I went for several appointments, 1st one came quite quickly.

I did continue to try and after 22 months we struck gold, re occurring mc clinic put me on rogesterone injections, asprin and high dose folic acid.....i still miscarried.

In the end they discharged us, told us that there was no treatment, no answers, and no reasons for my miscarriages (7 in total).

What they DID say was that they are unable to tell 80% of women what causes thier miscarriages, they simply do not know.

But we were not ready to give up and i knew i could cope with trying one more time. I miscarried again, so we decided to give up all together.

We felt that mother nature was telling us something.

Anyway, we are in the midst of a miracle at the moment.....its like some one has waved a magic wand over us without any help from the professionals.

[CaptainHoratioWragge]

Kareotyping is the same as checking the chromosomes.

Nananpas, I can't believe you've had to face this seven times and still soldiered on, you are my new hero

[nananaps]

Interestingly, they didnt test for NKC, i would have been interested to see if these were a factor in my losses.

Like i say, i am 21 weeks pregnant at the mo, so we must have done something right this time......or its a fluke, who cares! Im having a baby, a real live baby

[CaptainHoratioWragge]

I am absolutely delighted for you

[Littlemissimpatient]

Sorry for delay been away with work.
Nanapaps that's great news! I'm so happy for you!
CHW thank you for all that info on tests. I have just received the book so will start reading that this wkend. I will def speak to the consultant about killer cells.
Just a bit fed up with it all I think, I can't believe the clinic are messing me about so much. We have spent so long trying to get pregnant, that until I see the consultant we have to try and avoid getting pregnant is a really hard mindset.
On our first visit with consultant, what should we expect? Do they just take case history or will they take some tests there and then? Thanks

[lotsofcheese]

Hi littlemiss Have you thought about phoning PALS at your hospital? It sounds like your reversal has been messed up & you are having to wait too long to be seen - it should be within 18 weeks of referral. They may be able to move things along for you.

I hope you get some answers. Miscarriages are a hellish thing to go through...

[lotsofcheese]

referral even!

[Littlemissimpatient]

I've tried that but apparent the rmc isn't under any referral to treatment targets!
Unless they just told me that to shut me up?!