Recurrent miscarriage advice needed - any point going to my GP?

[SparklyGingerbreadMuffin]

I'm sorry I know this would be more appropriate in the miscarriage thread, but I'm just looking for some general advice at the moment.

Was pregnant in August, started brown v v light spotting in early September which continued for three weeks. Two normal scans (but a week or two behind where I thought I was) inc one heartbeat. Third scan early Oct showed no heartbeat. Proper bleeding commenced followed by erpc.

Now I'm pregnant again. LMP 4th Nov. Light brown spotting started again on Saturday.

So, it's too early for a scan to show anything I think. I don't really want one anyway, they only gave false hope last time.

Is there any point going to my GP? Is there anything practical they could do at this point to help?

Thank you for any advice, feeling pretty low.

[DigOfTheChristmasTreeStump]

Sorry to hear this. I spotted then miscarried in my middle pregnancy, when I spotted then bled heavily next time - worse than a period - I was heartbroken. That DD is now 14 years old, so don't give up hope of your baby hanging on in there.

[lynlynnicebutdim]

At the very least i would call the EPU at your local hospital and tell them you are pregnant again and are spotting. THat way at least the pregnancy can be monitered and if you do need treatment they will have you on record iykwim. Also if it does turn into another miscarriage you might be able to get the EPU to expedite you for recurrent miscarriage testing. Usually the GP will not get this underway until you have had 3 miscarriages in a row. I have always found the EPU staff to be a bit more flexible with this.

If i am doing the maths right you at about 5w. A scan at this time would likley only show a sac which wont tell you much. by about 7w though you could quite possibly see a a fetal pole or a heart beat. Neither are a guarentee of a successful pregnancy but if they measure roughly to your dates it can be a good indicator of the health of the pregnancy.

In terms of treating a threatened miscarriage there is currently no treatment as such unless you have underlying problems such as clotting issues, thyroid etc. That said, spotting in the early weeks of pregnancy is not necessary an indicator of impending miscarriage. THe fact that the spotting is brown indicates it is old blood, possibly left over from implantation. Some times it can be cause by sex irritating the cervix. Sometimes spotting just happens and no reason is ever discovered. Unless it turns bright red then try not to read too much into it. Easier said than done i know.

good luck. fingers crossed for you.

[Ilovepigs]

Recurrent miscarriage is defined as 3 miscarriages concurrently.

I would phone the epau and ask their advice anyway. They probably will tell you there is nothing they can do until they are able to see something on a scan.

If you gets lots of bleeding or pain then go to the hospital.

I hope things work out for you in future.

[mummytime]

Do get it put on your medical records, it will help in the future.

[oflip]

Hi.
I dont think that your GP would consider 2 mcs re occuring mc, nevertheless, you need to go so that this is put on your medical records in case you are refferred in the future.
As i recall, its 3 mcs, under the age of 35, 2 if over the age of 35..but some one will be along that knows better.

So advice is, go, regardless of the outcome.

I know its really hard to not think positive as you have been through this before, its so so hard to think anything other than doom & gloom.
Hugs and fingers crossed for you x

[Bogeyface]

I would also recommend asking for a referral to EPAU. They can take blood tests 48 hours apart to see if you HCG levels are doubling.

Keeping everything crossed for you. x

[SparklyGingerbreadMuffin]

Thank you. I am over 35 (not by much!!). Have a ds, 21 months, didn't have this spotting with that pregnancy, possibly a small implantation bleed which I mistook for a period starting, before I found out I was pregnant, I wish I'd paid more attention to that now...

I had wondered about asking to get my hcg levels checked at this stage, or thyroid level checked as there is some family history there. I'd also read that spotting in pregnancy/ before your period is a sign of low progesterone, and if so could they do anything about that?

It's hard to imagine this pregnancy might be rescuable by something simple but because it's not my third nothing can be done.

I don't know. It's exhausting just thinking about it. I'd like to bury my head on the sand until January and then see about a scan maybe but I couldn't bear it if at that point somebody says 'if only you'd come in sooner...' but they won't will they?

Either way I will get it recorded, of course.

I think I'm resisting calling the gp/epu because I don't want to face this again so soon. Does that sound mad?

[SparklyGingerbreadMuffin]

on in the sand.

[oflip]

Doesnt sound mad at all, its self preservation!

Re hcg levels, i have found that this causes more distress and worry and uncertainty becuase they have always increased for me, even doubled, and yet i have still continued to miscarry. False hope for me sadly

Just take your time, see how you feel, and then decide if you can face a scan sooner rather than later. You could always wait to see if the spotting settles down over the next day or two.
x

[SparklyGingerbreadMuffin]

Thanks oflip. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Self-preservation.

I don't feel up to opening the can of worms that is getting on the treadmill with a gp/epu. I was all for it last time, hopeful, just looking for reassurance, got it (temporarily), world fell in.

This time I think the less I know, the less I (might) worry, less chance of false hope, more chance of getting through Christmas without something hideous happening.

My worry is if I do ignore this for two or three weeks, will anyone tell me if I hadn't that I could have prevented another miscarriage.

My feeling (but total lack of knowledge on the topic) is that there is nothing anyone can do at this point, so if I can sit it out until January, that's what I should do...

I just wondered if anyone out there has experienced this and actually had helpful medical intervention?

[SparklyGingerbreadMuffin]

I'm SkinnyMuffin usually, this is my Christmas name. Sorry to hear your news Baublelugs :( And everyone else on here who has experienced this :( Thank you all for your posts, i'm a bit lost for words at the moment, but thank you.

I'm sitting here thinking the reason I don't want to go anywhere near the epu before Christmas is because if I get bad news that is going to destroy this Christmas and probably take out the next few with it. It isn't fair on ds or dh, or the rest of the family.

I've been to two family functions this weekend and just found it hard to be normal, or think about anything else apart from this pregnancy. I haven't even told dh yet. Total denial going on here I think :(

[SparklyGingerbreadMuffin]

No. TMI warning:

It's very light, just pale brown coloured discharge. Such a small amount as to only leave a patch on a liner.

This would reassure me had it not been exactly the case in September. That time it went on for three weeks as I said, then turned dark red one day, then full on bleeding a few days later.

I am assuming the same will happen this time. You really can drive yourself mental can't you?

[Ilovepigs]

Please dont torture yourself with what ifs. If you are going to miscarry you will-sorry to be so blunt but you shouldnt make yourself feel any worse by blaming yourself. There is nothing the medical profession can do to stop it if it is not a healthy pregnancy.

There is still a chance that this pregnancy may turn out perfectly fine of course. I would wait another couple of days and see if bleeding settles or gets worse and then contact epau.

[puzzletree]

sparkly don't give up hope just yet. I've had two previous successful pregnancies in which I never bled at all. Then I mc in July this year at 9 weeks which started slowly with light bleeding. Am pregnant again and had some bleeding at 6 weeks, obviously was convinced it was another mc but a scan showed all was well, am presuming things are still ok as the midwife heard a strong heartbeat last week at 10 weeks. Good luck, I really hope this time things are ok for you.

[littlemisssarcastic]

I had 3 miscarriages before having DD. I was 36 when I had DD, and at that time, 3 or more were classed as recurrent.

I agree with Ilovepigs wrt there being nothing AFAIK that the medical profession can do to stop you having another miscarriage.

I would try not to worry about brown blood too much, but as everyone else has said, contact epau.

If bleeding turns red, then contact epau straight away, if only for some reassurance that all is ok.

When I had my first DC, I bled brown blood every month for the first 3/4 months. The doctors told me it was no indication of an imminent miscarriage then, not sure if advice has changed since then.

[SparklyGingerbreadMuffin]

Ilovepigs no, not blunt at all, I appreciate your post. I am not inclined to do anything as I also think/ know from experience that at this point all a medic is likely to do is keep tabs on me, they can't really help, and that's ok.

As I say, I wanted to check, with the wealth of experience on mn, if by doing nothing I may regret it later.

My instinct remains to sit tight, wait and see what happens. I will try and rest (not easy with ds!) and eat well in the meantime.

I don't mean to sound as though I have given up hope. I am afraid to hope and am trying to protect myself, that's all.

As my lovely mum would say: We shall see.

[witherhills]

Don't give up hope, doesn't sound like a lot of bleeding at all.
I would go to the epu, if only to get a miscarriage(if it is)on record for going to the gp for recurrent miscarriage. I'm not sure there is anything they can do to prevent it if it's happening. There's no tests to be done now.

I had 2 miscarriages and a very sympathetic GP who sent me for investigation. I was over 35.
With hindsight I wish I had pushed earlier and for more tests, or even paid back then for a fertility mot instead of trusting nature.
Turns out time wasn't on my side, and now at nearly 42, there's no chance

Fingers crossed that it's all ok

[SparklyGingerbreadMuffin]

Thank you everyone. I've reported the thread and asked mnhq to move it to the miscarriage topic where it belongs really.

I continue to wait and see...

[SparklyGingerbreadMuffin]

Just an update. Full red bleeding, like a period now. I did speak to my GP on the phone yesterday, she said she will refer me to the epau.

I'm not having any pain as such, only 5+ 5 today so hopefully it won't be too bad and I can go in a couple of weeks for a scan to check all is clear.

I just don't feel like going back to hospital so soon after the last time, and just before Christmas. I'll see what happens over the next day or two.

[witherhills]

Very sorry Sparkly, my mm was about that time and it really was no more than a period. No pain
I'd still go to the epu to get it on record, but if you've spoken to GP, maybe thats enough.
Good luck with any investigations