TTC after recurrent miscarriage - thread 3

Thank you ladies, your support is invaluable.

@Labmum I'm already on 5mg folic acid because I have spina bifida occulta so am at higher risk for that. Will look into B6.

@Miami81 Thanks for sharing your experience with me. London is a bit far for me, but I'll see what's suggested. I've always had wonderful care on the NHS. It is frustrating that it takes longer though, isn't it? I wish you the very best of luck in this pregnancy. xxx

@Hopefulforourrainbow I've been considering a break for TTC too. I'm really in two minds about it.

I got my results back from Friday's blood test yesterday and the HCG was only at 48. With that and the heavy bleeding I'm sure it's over, but I keep having moments of denial about it. I had another blood test today and am seeing my GP again in a week to talk about the referral.

I saw an acupuncture practitioner today for a free consultation and have decided I'll give it a bash.
She was lovely and specialises in fertility acupuncture.
She encouraged me to get the referral as she said she's hopeful she can help me, but would like to be certain what we're dealing with. As I've had surgeries and endometriosis in the past she said things like adhesions or scarring could be affecting implantation so said I'll probably need scans and stuff.
She also said she doesn't want to offer advice on whether to continue trying before the referral or not, but said that in Chinese medicine any length of pregnancy is seen as the same significance in terms of the recovery afterwards and my body has obviously been through a lot this year; emotionally as well. i.e. sounds like she thinks I should maybe give it a break for a bit. But she said she's going to treat me as though I'm continuing trying regardless so I'm in optimum health for it whenever it happens again.
She also mentioned progesterone levels and we talked about stress being a factor in hormones not being balanced (as I was talking to her about having been very stressed at work these last few months and worrying that it's affecting my ability to stay pregnant). She was keen for me not to put any blame on myself and said that there's no evidence that stress causes miscarriage, but said that we want to reduce stress anyway and balance the hormones etc as best we can to be as healthy as possible.
I actually can't wait to start. My first appointment is a week on Friday. I'll have 1 hour a week for 4 weeks after that (possibly starting in my 3rd week of my cycle to boost progesterone) and then once a month. She said if I get pregnant she'd like to see me once a week again and possibly twice a week, depending, but if it's twice a week she'd only charge as though it was one session.
I was very impressed and feel like it's a way forward for now. Any control in situations like this is something to hold on to.

I just have to think about whether to take a break from TTC for now. It seems like the sensible thing to do... But so frustrating and heart-breaking in its own way at the same time.

@knitkitty sorry you've found yourself here. We're a friendly bunch and can try to help you in any way we can. I have had a mmc, an early mc and a ?ectopic. Tests all came back normal, took a 6 month break from ttc, took b6 last month and I'm now 5+4. On aspirin and cyclogest as consultant said there's no harm in trying them. Terrified it'll all go wrong again but need to try to stay positive and hope all will work out. It took 8 weeks for me to get my first appointment then 12 weeks after that I saw consultant. Try to look after yourselves, plan some date nights, a weekend away or even a holiday if you can.

@knitkitty I'm so so sorry you found yourself here. These ladies are all so lovely and supportive. They "get it", so vent away. I'm glad your GP is supportive and I think given your history a referral to the RMC is the right way to go. Unfortunately these referrals can take a while. I think 3-4 months for an initial appointment, then they'll do loads of blood tests and internal scans and try to piece together what might be happening. With the short luteal phase I had this after my first miscarriage and took high dose vitamin B6 which moved ovulation forward in my cycle and lengthened my luteal phase by a couple of days. Following cycle I fell with my DS. Since him I've had a further 2 miscarriages and was awaiting RMC tests, tried the B6 again and I'm currently 23 weeks pregnant.
Your GP can also prescribe high dose folic acid. They can probably do some initial thyroid and hormone testing which will give you more information to take to the RMC.

I think you're right in having the week off to process things. Please please don't think that this is down to anything you have done. IMO stress, although crappy, will not be a factor in these losses. Take care of yourself, curl up on the sofa with trash TV, lots of tea and your body weight in biscuits. Wallow and feel sorry for yourself.

Good morning ladies,

I've been lurking a bit reading your posts; and recognise a couple of you from other threads. You all seem incredible strong women and very supportive of each other.

I'm 30 and TTC #1
I came off the pill in December last year after 15 years on it.
I wasn't expecting great things from TTC as I have a complicated gynae history.
I have (had) endometriosis, lost my left ovary to a cyst when I was 14 and was diagnosed with uterus didelphys when I was 17. (This basically means I was born with two wombs. There are different versions of it, but I just had one cervix, 2 ovaries - originally, and two wombs joined together). It turned out my left womb, which I was told was the larger one, had no outlet at all to my cervix and after years of chronic pain it was eventually removed during complicated surgery. Since that surgery though I have been really well and not had any complications.

Cut to last December. Came off the pill, expecting not to conceive very quickly, if at all if I'm honest, but full of hope.
Lo and behold I got pregnant in January by some miracle. I started spotting even before I'd taken a test and was sent to EPU after a couple of bleeds. Long story short, the pregnancy progressed somewhat to 3.8mm (but I think much slower than it should have done from dates which don't add up), but I never saw a heat beat and it ended up being a MMC and I had an ERPC on 27th March. (These dates stick in your head don't they?)
I was gutted, but picked myself up.

Fast forward... I had a CP in June. Had a few symptoms (mainly burping a lot which was my first sign with my first pregnancy) so tested and got a faint positive 4 or 5 days before AF, still faint positive 1 day before and then bled as normal when AF was due. Had a faint positive following AF too, but stopped testing after that as it was such a mind f*.

Then September I was burping a lot again and got a really bad cold. On CD34 (cycles aren't regular to the day normally so waited to test) I tested and got a faint positive, but I was really ill as the cold had triggered an asthma attack. The GP had no choice but to put me on steroids and sent me for a blood test to confirm pregnancy as I'd had a faint positive. My period arrived two days later and was painful (they're not usually painful at all). The HCG test came back the following day as it having been 8. So not high, but looked like another early loss.

So, I was thinking I'd had a run of bad luck, the asthma attack probably didn't help and was full of hope to try again.

I really had a good feeling about this last cycle. I used OPKs for the first time and just felt really positive and good about our chances.

I started spotting 9DPO, and when it continued for 3 days I did a test which came back negative (this was a week ago today), or the tiniest squinter in the history of time. I tried to put it from my mind and wanted to wait for another 5 days to test again but as the week went on I was just convinced I was pregnant. Big boobs, bloated, crampy every day and physically exhausted by mid afternoon, the spotting was still on-going, which I'd had with my first pregnancy... I just knew.
Then on Thursday morning I just felt like something wasn't quite right and I started to bleed.
I knew I could have just assumed it was AF arriving late and be blissfully ignorant, but I just knew in my bones I was pregnant and needed to know if I was losing it or having pregnancy bleeding... I just needed to know. So I did a pregnancy test and it came back positive.
I saw the GP who sent me for a blood test and I have to ring for the results today and get another lot done tomorrow to confirm miscarriage. But I did a urine test this morning and the line is a lot fainter. I've been bleeding and crampy every day since Thursday. The blood has been very heavy and deep red, not like my normal period bleeding. No real clots but some stringy bits. But I was only 4 weeks 4 days, so I guess that's normal.

I've taken a week off work. I just feel broken. All that hope and optimism has vanished.
I'm really angry at myself as well for not having taken time to rest and relax when I 'knew' I was pregnant. Maybe this one would have stuck if I'd looked after myself better. Work has been really stressful for a few months and I feel like the stress is to blame for these losses. I know there's conflicting advice about if stress can be a factor in miscarriage or not, but I have read that stress can affect your progesterone levels.

I have a suspicion my progesterone levels aren't great after 3 really early losses and the fact I've never had any sickness or boob pain (or any other symptoms I would consider 'typical' pregnancy symptoms) with any of my pregnancies.
I'm also concerned my luteal phase isn't long enough at 11 days, but I know it's under 10 they're usually concerned about.

But my biggest worry is that this is all happening because my womb isn't the shape it should be and can't support a pregnancy.
Dr Google has informed me that there is an increased risk of recurrent miscarriage, late miscarriage and pre-term birth. But there are also success stories out there.
I just don't know if I should give up seeing what I'm up against or continue to hope that I'm one of those 'against all the odds' stories.

My GP says he's going to refer me to RMC once this miscarriage is confirmed as I've now lost 4 pregnancies in 8 cycles.
How long did you all wait for your referrals? And what are they likely to check first? Is there anything my GP can check before that referral happens? (Would a GP do the CD21 progesterone check?)

Sorry for this long, rambly post. I'm usually a very upbeat and positive person and I hate that fear and hopelessness is winning at the moment. I just feel so alone with all this.

I also feel bad because most of you have lost babies a lot further on than I have and I feel like I've no right to feel as upset as I do. I'm so sorry for your losses.

@goodlordwhathappened sorry it was negative but hopefully that gives you an answer-knowledge is power in my book.

Have everything crossed for you for a BFP in a couple of weeks lovely. Hugs x

@laney79 I've done an frer today and it was negative! I've decided to ignore the pregnancy test and assume it was a false postive :-) fingers crossed in a couple of weeks I get a bfp :-) thank you for your kind words :-) xx

@goodlordwhathappened I'd go and see the gp if I was you, particularly if you have an understanding one. They may be able to help you -mine managed to get extra meds for me and has helped get me seen by a consultant despite not having the required three losses.

In terms of tests the most sensitive I've found bar frers are the clear and simple ones at B&M -says sensitive to 20mlu but show more than my internet cheapies that are meant to be 10mlu. Xxx

Oh and sorry no it wasn't an frer it was one the hospital gave me ages ago x

@Laney79 they said not :-( I'm going to decide the test was a false positive and try my best to ignore it. Think my mental health is battered already by all this and other things. I feel on the verge of breaking down over it all, people think I'm so happy only dh knows the truth. May go see my gp for some help x

@goodlordwhathappened will they not do a repeat blood test for you just to help figure out what's going on? A week waiting would seriously affect my mental health in your situation. Really feel for you. What test did you use? Was it a frer? X

Spoke to hospital and they have said as my bloods were hcg 2 last time they have discharged me and so must be a new pregnancy! I can't see how this could be possible at all ☹️ The nurse on the phone even said to me it was super early so she also thought it was unlikely 😑 have to do another test in a week and ring them. :-( feel this is never ending

I'm sorry @missmagpie I missed your post. Sounds like you've been through a hell of a time. I haven't heard of the thyroid thing before. Could they put you on meds anyway? Have you tried aspirin and progesterone? There's vitamins I linked in a blog a few posts ago that are meant to be good. I bought them but then got my bfp this month. They're ready waiting for if this goes wrong though!

@Miami81 thank you :-) yeah it is a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions. I can't see how it's a new pregnancy so am going to push them to do another blood test as I assume the last one was wrong.

I know ☹️ And they had been monitoring my hcg for suspected ectopic so I know it fell from 240 on Thursday to negative on Sunday.

We have had sex a few times but haven't used any protection as didn't think I could get pregnant so soon (and tbf we would be overjoyed anyway).

I can't see how the test could have been more sensitive than a blood test. May get dh to get another test tonight just in case it was a fluke. All so odd! Will definitely ring epau tomorrow morning. I guess I just feel like this is never ending...I so wanted to move on and try again, now I am worried the original blood test was wrong or something and I have retained tissue etc.

Oh that makes it more confusing if you passed the sac. I just had bleeding that time. Have you had sex more than once since? Could the test you used be more sensitive than the hospital one?

That's why I'm so confused...I had a scan which showed nothing and then passed the sac on the 22nd (second mc so I knew what to expect). I had a blood test on the 1st which was negative. I am going to ring the epau tomorrow as the bleeding plus postive test is all so confusing to me...can't see how I could possibly be pregnant again already and I only got positive opk on Wednesday. Is it possible to ovulate twice?

Sorry for rambling, I really don't want to get my hopes up that this could be another pregnancy as I don't see how it could be...

I also thought I was ovulating and had a positive opk. Pregnancy hormone can show up on opk too. And I had a bfn in the hospital a week before

I had a similar experience and my miscarriage that they said was complete turned out to be ectopic. Call the epu. They should get you in for bloods and a scan.

I'm even more confused as this morning i felt really sick so (I have no idea why) I did a pregnancy test which came back positive? How can I have a positive test if I had a negative blood test a week ago? And also I thought I ovulated Wednesday as I had a positive opk then?! I'm so confused and sad :-(

Hi everyone. I hope you don't mind but I just need to tell my story and ask for advice because I am feeling really alone and helpless. Your stories are all so sad and I am glad you are finding some support here and thought maybe I can come into the fold?

To summarise my situation, I have been trying for my second child since June 2016. Between April 2017 and January 2018, I have had 5 first trimester miscarriages. They range between 4/5 weeks and 11 weeks. The last one was when I was under the recurrent miscarriage clinic and I had an ERPC for an anembryonic pregnancy.

At the clinic I have been diagnosed with a thrombophilia and more recently they found I have peroxidase thyroid antibodies, but apparently my thyroid function is normal.

I was injecting Clexane for my last pregnancy but that meant I bled a lot during the ERPC and it sent me anaemic.

It took months for me to regain my strength after the ERPC. I was functioning on a day to day level but just didn't feel strong like normal. I decided to go for acupuncture and it really helped me.

It is now 9 months since I last got pregnant and I am starting to get jittery that it won't happen again. I am still going for acupuncture, taking my vitamins, OPK testing, but I am nearly 36 and can hear the tick-tock.

I have booked an appointment with my GP for next week to talk about getting all the blood hormone tests done to check everything is fine.

Is there anything else I could do to help myself? Has anyone been in a similar position and can reassure me or advise me?

Thank you. After 3 mc in 8 months we took a 6 month break. We're hoping it's helped! I'm driving myself crazy just now worrying it's going to go wrong again. Can't decide if I'm going to poas again this weekend to see if I get a 3+ on cb digital. Symptoms seem to be coming and going which is freaking me out a bit too. Really need to try to relax!

@Hopefulforourrainbow thank you :-) it just panicked me as I've never had ovulation bleeding before. Fingers crossed for a bfp but I'm thinking I may have a break if it's not this month. Spending all my time obsessing can't be good!

Crossing my fingers for you :-) hope your little bean is ticking along getting big and strong :-)

Xx

Hi @goodlordwhathappened so sorry you've found yourself here too. I wouldn't be concerned by that. I've had random bleeding throughout my cycles since mc no 1 and quite often have bleeding around about when I ovulate. I was seen by gynae and was told it was hormonal and nothing to worry about. Hopefully you'll get a bfp in a couple of weeks!