Third miscarriage - public or private investigations?

[TirNaNog100]

I'd really appreciate your advice on this.

I've just had my third consecutive miscarriage in slightly over a year. Background - I had a straightforward pregnancy and a (less straightforward) birth of a baby boy in October 2011.

Since then, I have miscarried three times, at six-month intervals starting from June 2012. All of the pregnancies were lost at about 6 weeks, and the miscarriage occurred at around 11 weeks.

I am now eligible for investigations but I want everything to be done as quickly as possible (I'm 36 so time is an issue, though not an urgent one). Can anybody advise whether it is better (i.e. quicker) to go privately?

Sorry if this comes across as very cold but I'm feeling a bit numb just now.

[TirNaNog100]

Sorry for the shameless bump :(

[eurochick]

In my experience it's almost always quicker to go private.

I'm sorry to hear about your mcs.

[TirNaNog100]

Thank you very much, Eurochick

[Witchesbrewandbiscuits]

I would say private if you can afford it defo.

let me know how you get on. I could have wrote your op but with 2mmc.

[TirNaNog100]

Thank you witches.

I wish I had insisted on being investigated after the second mc. Can you do that? I let myself be persuaded that it was bad luck, against my better judgement. Can you push for being investigated now?

[Bakingtins]

Depending on your finances I would say go NHS. I went private after my 3rd ( but not 3 consecutive) miscarriage and we have spent 1k, and that is with my GP doing nearly all the blood tests on the NHS. After 4th MC we were referred in 1 month (waiting time determined by karyotyping results) to the same dept my private consultant works in. Unless you are talking about tests not offered on the NHS they will do the same. I'd save your cash for NKC investigations if the standard work up does not reveal a problem.

[Bakingtins]

And I should have started by saying I'm sorry, and it's a shitty situation to be in. Do come and join the RMC thread for support through the process.

[TirNaNog100]

Thank you, bakingtins. I'm sorry to hear of your losses. I hope things are going better for you now.

[eurochick]

I think the NHS will only usually investigate after 3, but you can pay for private investigations at any time. I had a bunch of tests alongside investigations for unexplained infertility as a lot of the things that can cause recurrent miscarriages can also cause implantation failure.

They can be expensive though, as bakingtins said. I spent over £1k for the tests and consultations before and after, but that did include some tests the NHS won't do, such as for NKC.

[TirNaNog100]

Eurochick: do you mind me asking if the tests gave any conclusions?

[Bakingtins]

Probably worth being aware that even after 3 MC in a row the standard work up finds no reason 50% of the time.

[2kidsintow]

I'd echo the fact that you can be spending £££ on tests that provide no results.

After my 3rd mc I had all the tests on the NHS. They were all clear. No reason. Just try again. And if you've had a previous succesful pregnancy with the same partner, then it would seem even more likely that there wasn't a reason that would show in the tests. Just bad, bad luck.

The tests didn't seem to take so long waiting for results, and we were just waiting for things to get back to normal after the last mc, then starting to try again in that time anyway.

I had 2 successful pregnancies after 3 mcs in a row.

[TirNaNog100]

Bakingtins: Yes, I've been told that recently. It rather inclines me towards going private, where I think there would be more of a motivation to find a cause, as opposed to just ticking the boxes by carrying out the routine tests. Then again, I take your point that it might be better to save the cash for non-standard investigations.

2kidsintow: Thanks for the positive note. Nice to know that you everything worked out well for you (twice).

[Bakingtins]

I don't know if you have the option but I would strongly push for tests on the foetus this time. For me I had no answers after the standard work up after MC3, it was assumed to be chromosome problems and I was told to try again (on aspirin, progesterone and high dose folic acid) It was only on MC 4 that I finally got karyotyping and found I was losing completely perfect embryos which pushed us to go for NK testing. Still awaiting results...
I think we deserve to have answers, and to be given realistic odds of success if we try again, not fobbed off with platitudes.

[TirNaNog100]

Hi Bakingtins: yes, the foetus is being tested this time - I had an ERPC over the weekend and was given the option of having tests done.

It must be hard on you to find out the embryos were perfect: for me (not for everyone, I know) it helped to think that there was an issue with the embryo and that I was being spared greater trauma down the line (though I no longer believe that's the case). I agree that it's wearing to be fobbed off with platitudes and statistics.

[Bakingtins]

It was. We nearly gave up on the whole thing at that point.
I'm sure it is true that the majority of early miscarriages are caused by random chromosome defects and that the embryo never had a chance of developing, and a lot of women find that information reassuring. It's only in hindsight that all the stuff that I was told at the time makes me angry that they were wrong and that I've probably lost 4 perfectly viable babies.
In his book "is your body baby friendly?" Dr Beer suggests that the first miscarried embryo should be tested, in order to quickly identify the women who do have a problem and send them for investigations, and reassure those who lost because of a chromosome problem that it's v likely to be ok next time. It will never happen here because of cost, but it would have saved me a lot of heartache.