To feel exploited by private fertility miscarriage clinic - need advice

[notaurewhatusername]

Posting for traffic and really stressed about this.

I'm 8 weeks pregnant and feeling distressed about my experience with a private fertility clinic. After getting pregnant naturally, I sought their care for early monitoring. They prescribed intralipids and steroids, insisting on fortnightly visits costing £800-£1000 each. When I tried to reduce costs by arranging NHS scans in between theirs and therefore reducing visits from fortnightly to monthly, they became uncooperative and sent me some quite shitty pressurising emails.

Recent research has made me doubt their treatment approach, especially regarding intralipids and steroids. When I expressed these concerns and asked for flexibility, the clinic responded with stern emails and ultimatums about prescriptions. They seem more focused on maintaining their expensive scan schedule than addressing my well-being.

This is my 7th pregnancy after previous losses, and I'm torn about how to proceed. Should I continue with this clinic despite my reservations, switch entirely to NHS care, or seek a middle ground?

I'm worried about the right treatment and don't want to risk another miscarriage, but the clinic's behavior feels unethical. I have NHS appointments coming up and would appreciate any advice on this. Thanks

Sorry, not trying to worry you. I just remembered that I was pg when I first went and that one didn't work out. But the first afterwards did. As I said before though not as many scans seemed required back then before I was sent off to just the NHS - maybe around 9 or 10 weeks?

@Iggi999 it's ok, NHS won't give extra scans before week 12 generally unless bleeding -

Prof Regan used to say, I don't know if she still does, that regular reassurance scans led to better outcomes for her patients.

Actually i think I saw statistical evidence on this. A bit of medical handholding in the early weeks seems to be effective. Bizarre, but humans are funny creatures!

NHS offers reassurance scans if you've had 3 or more previous miscarriages (or prev ectopic or molar pregnancy etc). I had my first reassurance scan at 6 weeks and am having a second one at 8 weeks on the NHS. My local EPU is very good though, and has a self referral. Some places you have to get referred by the GP, but they should all offer at least one reassurance scan for free on the NHS (although may not if you say you've already had one privately).

They certainly didn't offer them to me in that situation, though this was 10 years ago. (And in fact refused when I asked)

Oh I think things must have changed over those 10 years then, because I've been in a few different units that all offer reassurance scans (we've moved house). I think because like someone said there is evidence that reassurance scans improve outcomes (one consultant said that to me too) then they must have changed policy to offer them.

@Cosmos24 the NHS treatment I've had is really disgraceful.

I booked a GP appointment to test my HGC levels at week 6, told him my history of miscarriage and thyroid conditions and said surely I should be able to get a scan, to which he said categorically no, unless there's bleeding to which I had had some a few days prior but as it had stopped they insisted no scan.

I then went back to the doctor week 7 and said there was bleeding. They asked to check my sanitary pad!!! I showed them (there was no bleeding at that time). But I explained it was bleeding earlier in the day and for this reason they booked me a scan at the EPU.

I then attended the EPU and because there was a heartbeat and things looked fairly normal, despite once again explaining all of my history they refused a follow up scan!

I had to make the nurse speak to her manager and they eventually backed down and booked me in.

In the meantime, I called the midwifery department to book an appointment and explained my history to which they explained I should definately be having closer monitoring and an endocrinology and consultant care given my history!!!

This of course isn't helping the trust issues I have, I'm really unable to trust anyone right now which is why when people say stop googling, I feel I have no choice as no one seems to care about my health except me.

I really feel for you @notaurewhatusername . 11 years ago I was able to get regular (weekly!) reassurance scans with my 8th pregnancy via the recurrent miscarriage specialist midwife, at st Thomas’ . You’ve referred to Tommys but I don’t know if you mean the charity or the hospital. If you can get in with the right nhs team they will really look after you (I did it in coordination with my Dr S treatment). My GP wasn’t really involved at all as with so many miscarriages I was well beyond their scope of expertise.

@Twinklefloss the NHS have been so cruel, honestly. I've had to fight for everything!

You'd think someone who has had six miscarriages and a history of thyroid condition could get something without having to bag and plead.

I wonder if these feelings are anxiety based and will continue for the whole pregnancy.

Right now, your worried about early pregnancy miscarriage. But I wonder if, once past first trimester, the worry will just move to something else.

If it was me, I'd be focusing on calming and controlling the anxiety. Treating the cause rather than the symptom.

@Pterodacty1 I don't suffer from anxiety generally, my feelings and actions are due to the misinformation I'm being given.

As I'm not a doctor, it's challenging at times to work out what the right thing to do is.

OP, nevermind all the immune stuff - what's happening with your thyroid treatment? Are you under the specialists in your maternity services?

I've had SUCH bad advice from fertility clinics, from private obstetricians on thyroid treatment in pregnancy. Despite what pps have said, you do need to know what the standard treatment is - because drs do give shit advice sometimes. I was kept on far too low thyroxine. If you're going to spend money, go see a specialist quickly. Mine went apeshit when he realised that the fertility clinic at his hospital hadn't raised my thyroxine in early pregnancy.

However, once in NHS - brilliant cross disciplinary care including thyroid.

@Corksoles no, this is the thing - the NHS don't care. I went to see my GP at six weeks and told him about my thyroid linked to previous miscarriage he has just told me to wait until my midwife appointment.

I then pushed him to at LEAST give me a thyroid blood test.

I had a thyroid blood test privately at six weeks which was normal, and an NHS one last week which I am waiting results from.

Outside of this they insist I wait until Tim I have seen the midwife (a week from now, then I'm on holiday for a week), in order to then be referred to endocrinology and consultant.

I don't think that's right, given my first miscarriage was at 9 weeks because of severely undetected overactive thyroid (three times the normal amount).

We are all different but if it helps reassure you a bit, I had three miscarriages and now have two daughters after going to the CRP. The regimen is quite strict and it is very much their way or the highway but it did work for me.
The second time I didn’t start the regimen until after a positive test and the first I was in the US when I got a positive so please try to relax about your holiday. The second time I didn’t bother going to the NHS until after the 20 week scan because I had been treated so badly by them.

Take care and enjoy your holiday, I have all my fingers crossed for you

@Snoopysimaginaryfriend thank you x

Oh, this is terrible. I've no idea about overactive thyroid treatment but my GP and a private obs both told me that my thyroid was in the normal range and I didn't need to do anything. However, the normal range (at least for the underactive) shifts up significantly in pregnancy, so they were all massively undertreating me. Underactive thyroid has a proven link to miscarriage, and like you i had a history of miscarriage. It's completely insane that it was missed.

@Corksoles exactly. My GP and private doctor have said nothing about my thyroid, not told me to keep an eye on it or anything.

My NHS GP didn't even suggest getting tested, I had to ask for it myself!

At the earliest I'll get seen by endocrinology and a consultant at 10 weeks now, as I'm already 8 - midwife appt is Friday this week then I'm on holiday,

Obviously a lot can happen in this time - so to be fair I suppose I ought to be glad for the private treatment I'm getting on reflection. At least it's something.

An endo consult will be much much cheaper than DrS. In your shoes I'd book myself in with someone (sorry - have forgotten if your holiday precludes this, although if you have recent bloods I wonder if you could do a online call just to make sure your treatment is right for pregnancy). I only needed one consult.

@Corksoles would you find a private one? Do you know any?

I had had my IVF at the lister so just looked up one of their endos and paid a hundred or two quid. He was a bit creepy though so I definitely wouldn't recommend him.... You could just look at Doctify.

I was told to increase my thyroid medication any time I got pregnant. I can't remember who suggested it first - not the GP though

@notaurewhatusername I'm sorry to hear your experience, that sounds awful. I think probably a lot of places only do one reassurance scan, but they should definitely offer at least one with your history without making a fuss. That's bad of the GP not to refer your without bleeding.

After that I guess it's not crazy money to get a quick private one (the cheap ones are more like £100 I think), definitely worth it for the reassurance.

Re: thyroid, you're right, it's really important to get that in the correct range while pregnant, esp as overactive is a lot more serious than underactive. Have you had your bloods checked by the GP at all? I took a photo of the normal ranges for thyroid bloods in pregnancy that was in the wall of the clinic the other day, I'll see if I can post it. This way even if the GP doesn't know the right range for pregnancy you can double check it's correct on here.

@Cosmos24 thank you so much for this.

I just checked I haven't had the results from the blood test done with my GP yet, and they only tested for two of the three areas 🙄

However, I just checked the private one I did on the 9th August and all are within those ranges you posted at least x