Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Struggling to conceive after miscarriage

84 replies

WildflowerPetals · 06/12/2020 21:05

Hi everyone,
I had a missed miscarriage back in April - baby had stopped growing around 6 weeks but I only found out at my 12 week scan.
Me and DH have been TTC ever since but haven’t had any success yet. I’m now on my 7th cycle since the miscarriage.

I had some hormone bloods done at the doctors but they all came back normal and they won’t do any other tests until we’ve been trying for 12 months.

I just wondered if anyone else had struggled to conceive after a miscarriage? Or if anyone had any suggestions for me?

A bit of information about me...

  • I’m 27 (28 next week) & DH 29
  • TTC #1
  • 31 day cycle with 10/11 day luteal phase (although this months has been 12)
  • Usually get positive OPK around CD19
  • Myself & DH have been taking conception vitamins since the miscarriage
  • Stopped taking contraception (POP) around July 2019

Any help would be appreciated x

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Thread gallery
6
Koalie · 10/05/2025 11:01

@littlefox90 Hi lovely. So sorry you’re going through this. I can’t remember if I mentioned this above but my periods were SO light after my MMC, I always suspected something wasn’t right but never ended up getting to the bottom of it. Even went to see an Ashermans specialist in London who ruled out Ashermans for me. In the end we went for IVF and had my little boy in Dec 2023. I’m now 31 weeks pregnant with a little girl (also IVF.) After giving birth to my son (via c section) my periods went back to normal so no idea what that was all about. I expect we would have conceived natural again eventually but after 2 miscarriages and all the unknowns, we decided on IVF to give us more control and hope. X

Owlbeok · 10/05/2025 07:48

@littlefox90 hey, an update from me is that I now have a 3year and 1 year old. Honestly I'm not sure why it took so long after my mmc to get pregnant. I remember thinking it would never happen but then it did. Got pregnant with my second with no issue. Hope this is helpful.

littlefox90 · 09/05/2025 21:59

Hi everyone, came across this post as I had a MMC last June and it's been nearly a year TTC since with no luck. I wondered reading through if any one would like to update all these years later!

Justkeepswimming20 · 24/07/2022 21:31

@Owlbeok you give me hope!

Justkeepswimming20 · 24/07/2022 21:31

@Koalie sorry to hear that.. 😞..maybe because we are 3 years older...i had day 21 test which was ok and abdominal scan which is ok..we said we will give it until Oct/Nov to seek further tests as I think we will just go private..just been taking vits, opk testing and pre seed oil so far..

Owlbeok · 24/07/2022 20:31

@Justkeepswimming20 sorry to hear about your mmc. It took us around 10 cycles after mmc to conceived again after d&c. We have a 6 month old now. We had literally just started with a napro fertility clinic to being investigating more when we conceived so I still don't know why it took that long. We had conceived quickly the pregnancy I had the mmc on. Sorry I have no guidance but hopefully my story gives some hope.

Koalie · 24/07/2022 10:53

Hi @Justkeepswimming20 :) sorry you find yourself here. I did manage to conceive but my second pregnancy was an ectopic which I have just had resolved with methotrexate so now I have to wait 3 months before I can try again 😭 … so next month will be a year since we started trying for baby #1 and I’ve had 1 MMC and 1 ectopic in that time. We have just had my OH’s SA results and he has low motility and low morphology so we are going to spend the next 3 months working on that. I assumed there would be no problem with him, as we fell pregnant the first month trying in August but I was wrong to assume that and wish we’d had him checked before now. Hopefully it won’t take us as long to fall pregnant again next time we try 🤞🏼

Have you and your OH had any tests? X

Justkeepswimming20 · 23/07/2022 21:36

Hi all..i know this is an old thread but I am going through this right now..i have been trying to conceive #2 for nearly a year (i'm 36)..i had a mmc in Jan 22 and still no luck..had a break this month as DH was away but back tonight...did any1 manage to conceive since you last posted? x

Original poster
WildflowerPetals · 24/02/2022 09:39

@Koalie The symptoms for APS are quite vague, the only symptom I had really was the 2 MMC's. I have a family history of stroke and DVT's, although I'm not sure if I mentioned this when asking for the bloods. Yeah, progesterone can be a cause as well. I'd had that, along with other hormones, tested after TTC for a year after my first MMC, so I knew they were all okay, but you should ask for those too.
I totally agree, I had to do all the research, asking and chasing myself - It can make you feel very lost and unsupported.
I can't think of anything else I asked for, just the APS and hormone bloods 😊 x

OP posts:
Koalie · 23/02/2022 17:31

I am feeling much better now, thank you.
That’s very interesting - so you didn’t have any symptoms of the disorder? How fortunate that you asked for the tests!!
Perhaps I will start making a list of things I should be asking for. I know that some people who miscarry have low progesterone and that further miscarriages can be prevented by suppositories so I was also planning on getting a home progesterone testing kit for whenever I fall pregnant again. I feel like as grateful as I am for the NHS, we certainly seem to have to take matters into our own hands when it comes to fertility and ttc.
Were there any other tests that you asked for that I should perhaps add to my own list? Sorry for all the questions and thank you so much for your help :)
X

Original poster
WildflowerPetals · 23/02/2022 17:21

@Koalie You're welcome 😊 Oh no, that's rubbish! I hope you're feeling better now.

Basically, I was desperate to have any sort of testing done and I looked through loads of different forums on here to find out what sorts of tests people had done. From this research I knew that APS can cause miscarriages, and I knew that blood clotting disorders was one of the first things tested for when you get referred to a miscarriage clinic. So, I thought I'd try my luck and see if my GP would do the tests after 2 miscarriages (instead of the standard of 3), and luckily she was more than happy for me to have the bloods done x

OP posts:
Koalie · 23/02/2022 16:28

That’s incredibly helpful, thank you so much! I actually got covid a week after I ovulated this last cycle and it brought my period on 5 days early ! .. not the two lines I was hoping to see on a test. Hmm
I hope you don’t mind me asking but what was it that prompted you to request bloods for APS? X

Original poster
WildflowerPetals · 23/02/2022 14:15

@Koalie Sorry for your loss and that you're struggling to conceive again.

I had the vaccine on day 11 of my cycle, which for me is around a week before I ovulate. It's interesting you've seen others have said they believe the vaccine helped them conceive, I wonder why that is. I've read of people saying the vaccine effected their period so I wonder if that's why.

When I spoke to my GP I requested bloods to test for APS, so she ran a full blood clotting screen. The test that picked up my specific clotting disorder was the Thrombophillia screening (which is a coagulation profile). I think if you ask your GP for bloods to test for APS, Lupus and other clotting disorders, they should just run a full screen that will include many different tests.

Hope this helps x

OP posts:
Koalie · 23/02/2022 10:05

Hello @WildflowerPetals
Thank you for creating this post! It’s really comforting to know I’m not alone. I hope you and your baby are doing well.
My husband and I fell pregnant first time trying in August 21 which resulted in a MMC and ERPC in October. We have been struggling to conceive again ever since and not knowing why or what’s going on in my body is so frustrating!
I was very interested to hear about your success after having the vaccine, as I’d also seen a couple of others in the Flo app say it helped them conceive.
Please could you share exactly what point in your cycle you had the jab in order for it to work for you?
Also, with regards to your bloody thinning disorder - what type of blood test was it that revealed this? Just so I know, should I need to request bloods at any point. It’s such a minefield, I have no idea where to start!
Thank you in advance :)
X

Original poster
WildflowerPetals · 05/02/2022 17:50

@tar08 So sorry for your losses and that you find yourself in this situation. I'm currently pregnant for the third time, I'm 14 weeks which is the furthest I've ever got!

Have you had any investigations? I had bloods done and found I have a blood clotting disorder called Factor V Leiden, which most likely contributed to the miscarriages (I'm currently on blood thinners to help support this pregnancy).

One weird thing I noticed was when I fell pregnant (the second time) I'd just had my covid vaccine. Since I was struggling to conceive for the third time I thought I'd try time my booster jab for the same time in my cycle as the time before, and it worked! I've no idea why this made a difference, but I've heard that the jab alters some women's cycles so it might have something to do with that and/or the vaccine affecting my blood condition.

Sorry I can't be of much more help. But if you have any questions just let me know x

OP posts:
tar08 · 04/02/2022 07:03

@WildflowerPetals firstly I am so so sorry for your losses and secondly I know this is an old thread. I have just come across it and your situation sounds exactly the same as mine, ttc #1, had a chemical pregnancy in June 21, then a mmc in Aug 21 as baby had stopped growing at 9 weeks. We are on our 6th month of trying with no luck now which I know isn’t really really long but when you’re living through it you really start to give up hope. I wondered if you minded sharing if you had managed to get your rainbow baby yet?

Original poster
WildflowerPetals · 16/06/2021 17:29

@Emilou89 I don't know why you can't TTC for 3 months when having investigations, I assume it's so they can complete everything rather than possibly having to stop half way through. I agree, 3 months when TTC seems like such a long time but it's not really. Me and DH have decided we're not going to push for the investigations just yet, we're going to TTC and if we do then I'm going to take aspirin, as apparently that's the first thing they try at the recurrent miscarriage clinic anyway so we may as well try get one step ahead! Then at least we know if we MC again, we'll definitely be referred to the clinic. However, if we struggle to conceive again I might revisit the idea of having investigations.
Sorry they won't do the blood test again, I never understand why GP's are sometimes so reluctant with blood tests. I've never heard of that, is it something you can get without a prescription? TTC seems so simple doesn't it yet when you're actually in the thick of it, it's really not! X

OP posts:
Emilou89 · 15/06/2021 12:20

Oh @wildflowerpetals it's a tough one isn't it, I find the whole decision making process really hard. I can't understand why (it's probably obvious) but why you can't ttc for 3 months whilst having investigations? And in this scenario that feels like a long time doesn't it! Despite in the grand scheme of things it really isn't! But it's the length of time it takes to fall that I find really hard and sorry if this seems insensitive but since my mc I just feel like it was all such a waste of time. Have you given it any thought on what you plan to do? Hope your getting on OK?
The GP is reluctant to do the test again yet, she's told me to give it a bit longer, relax and then we will test again and she will look into things from there. I'm contemplating myo-inositol but I'm abit nervous incase it completely alters my cycle. I'm not the most regular and not ovulating this month is going to make it longer but I don't know if this month is a one off... Argh all the decisions. Ttc has turned me into a fruit loop I'm sure haha! I wish I could just forget about ttc and all the things I've learnt. I much preferred it when I was naive! X

Original poster
WildflowerPetals · 10/06/2021 09:41

@Emilou89 I'm doing okay thanks, how're you? EPU said they can't refer me to the recurrent MC clinic until I've had 3 as it'll just get rejected but they said my GP could refer me and they might accept it. The only thing is, we wouldn't be able to TTC for 3 months while we had the investigations and I think we just want to get on with trying again. However, it took nearly a year to conceive last time so if it takes that long again then we might as well have had the tests - I'm in two minds about what to do. I think if your bloods confirm you didn't ovulate then you have them done again the next month, and if they show your not ovulating they investigate further/prescribe you something to help you ovulate.

OP posts:
Emilou89 · 09/06/2021 15:35

Thank you @wildflowerpetals So sorry to hear you are dealing with this awful experience again. How are you doing? Will you GP do any tests for you, or are you giving it some time? (sick of worrying and hearing about time haha!) @dustyrose32 huge congratulations! I hope your feeling OK, I imagine its an anxiety ridden yet exciting time! Genuinely really pleased you posted because it's happy endings that give me hope to be honest. Thank you for sharing!
I had 21 day bloods this month which confirmed I didn't ovulate (I assume that anyway, they came back abnormal, I'm awaiting a GP call on Friday, so reading between the lines I think abnormal usually means didn't ovulate) so I don't really know what happens next. I assume I won't be offered any meds to help me ovulate because I already have a child. I've already changed my diet massively. So I guess I just wait and keep hoping!

Original poster
WildflowerPetals · 07/06/2021 20:39

@dustyrose32 Congratulations! How far along are you?

When me and DH conceived again (after 11 months) all we did differently was have less sex and tbh that month we didn't even really try - I wasn't tracking my days and just generally had given up. I really didn't think I'd get a positive that month so was so surprised when we did. Unfortunately it ended recently in another MMC but maybe there is some logic behind relaxing and not "trying" so much, which I know is VERY annoying to hear as it used to annoy the hell out of me when people would constantly say "just relax!". I know it's sooo much easier said than done. You can only relax properly when you're ready or when you've given up. I'm just scared it's going to take us nearly a year to conceive for the 3rd time x

OP posts:
dustyrose32 · 07/06/2021 17:06

Hi @Emilou89 and everyone on this thread. I posted here a while ago and was really low after not being able to conceive after a miscarriage.
I hope it's ok, but I wanted to come back on and let you know that I am pregnant again. It took 14 months and I didn't do anything differently than any other month (apart from maybe have sex less!!)
I'm still worried this will go wrong but cautiously optimistic and wanted to offer a glimmer of hope to anyone who is finding it difficult.
So many told me it would happen quickly after the miscarriage but actually I found that really unhelpful as I kind of expected it for the first few months before I started spiralling thinking something was wrong which was not good for my mental health.

There's a lovely lady on Instagram Alice Rose who helped me through the emotional side. Sending so much love to all, you are so strong xxxxxxx

Original poster
WildflowerPetals · 06/06/2021 11:24

@Emilou89 So sorry for your loss and sorry you find yourself here. I got a positive pregnancy test in April, a year after my previous MMC. Unfortunately, I'm now going through my second MMC. Really hoping it doesn't take that long to conceive again as going through it for that long takes it's toll on you. I also hate that you get told your more fertile after a MC, being told this it made me feel like something was wrong with me when I'd not conceived after 6 months. At 32 I don't think your age will be much of a factor at this point (from what I've read), has your DH has his sperm tested? I hope you get your rainbow baby soon x

OP posts:
Emilou89 · 05/06/2021 17:22

Hi Everyone, so sorry to read all of your sad situations. Miscarriage is awful. I am so lucky that I have a DC but TTC#2 has been so hard. I started ttc in Sept 2019, fell in July 2020 (after what felt a lifetime, my anxiety was through the roof) sadly I miscarried at 12+4 (bleeding started at 11+5) it took until Dec/Jan 21 for my cycles to return and I've been trying ever since with no success. I wish I had never heard that your supposed to be more fertile, because that certainly hasn't been the case for me. I'm so worried that was my last chance. I'm 32 but DH is older. I refuse to give up hope but it's so hard and I feel this whole process is unbelievably cruel. It's your positive stories that keep me going. So I really hope there is more positivity on this thread and you are all on your way to achieving your rainbows or we can get through this journey together!

Original poster
WildflowerPetals · 09/03/2021 18:56

@Owlbeok It’s good you have a GP who is interested in this field and will take your concerns seriously.
I’ve had some hormone bloods done last Sept but that’s because I was having some strange symptoms around my period and thought my hormones might be off - other than that they’ve not offered me anything.
I tried to make a GP appointment today to see if they’ll refer me for fertility tests yet but they’re booked up for the next 2 weeks, I have to ring in the morning to try get an appointment for 24th March, that seems so far away though! It seems so unfair we have to wait for these tests especially since we’ve already had a miscarriage 🙁

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread