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Support thread for women who are pregnant or TTC after a termination for abnormalities - Thread 6

999 replies

Treaclepie19 · 16/03/2020 10:15

Welcome to the newest thread of support for those ladies who are pregnant or trying to conceive after terminating for abnormalities. Since this thread first began (almost ten years ago!) there have been stories of heart break, sadness and fear, but from these stories there have also been stories of happiness, success and most importantly, hope. Here they are, our thread babies, and may the list continue to grow:

@Mishtabel - Bella 22/01/10
@Linspins – Franklin 22/01/10
@Shangrila – baby boy 01/02/10
@Cantdothisagain – Babycan't 12/04/10
@Katerina100 – baby boy 06/10
@NumptyMum - Josie 28/06/10
@Allstarsprincess – Frank 30/07/10
@Katiecubs - Felix 13/08/10
@GinaFB – Alexander 03/01/11
@LittlePoot - Jacob 02/02/11
@Coffeeandchocolate – Coffeebean 22/02/11
@Rushingrachel – Oliver 02/03/11
@Crazycatlady - Lawrence 08/03/11
@Dramamama - Isabella 13/03/11
@VivClicquot - Phoebe 28/04/11
@LisbethSalander - baby boy 7/11
@Stormbird – George 24/07/11
@Sarahmia – baby girl 25/07/11
@Eavers – Jacob 11/08/11
@Grandj – Eliot 01/09/11
@Babylily – Miles 05/09/11
@NatzCNL - Sienna 26/09/11
@Manitz - Sacha 28/09/11
@Cherrybug – Kade 02/11/11
@Ghislaine - Charles 14/01/12
@Mrsbigz - Callum 19/01/12
@MyangelAva - Isabella 21/1/12
@Bezzyk - Minibez II 2/2/12
@Katerina100 – baby girl 19/04/2012
@flower11 – Hannah 18/10/2012
@Bluecat83 – Noah est 24/10/2012
@katiecubs – Seth 05/02/2013
@Havingkittens – Alfred 14/04/2013
@ghislane – Frederick 22/10/2013
@lostlove – baby boy est 10/04/14
@AliBingo – baby boy est 06/05/14
@LuckyAugust –baby boy 26/01/2015

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
Treaclepie19 · 16/10/2020 00:05

Lots of love everyone xxx

OP posts:
hardyboys · 17/10/2020 15:29

Hello everyone,

I have recently discovered I am pregnant again. My last pregnancy was twin boys, one of whom was diagnosed with a very rare brain abnormality through ultrasound and MRI. The cause is believed to be a autosomnal recessive gene, but frustratingly the genetic testing never found which one.

If I am perfectly honest, I can barely remember any of that time period. I just feel a bit like I'm going mad. I cannot recall what was explained to me and use that information to reassure myself.

I am only 5w pregnant but already sick with anxiety. My understanding is that with autosomnal recessive conditions, there is a 25% chance it could happen again. My biggest worry is the fact that they didn't find the problematic gene last time, so even if we had testing this time there is nothing to compare it to?

I know no one can answer or give me any indication of the future, but it feels good just to get it out there, in a space where people can relate.

Love to you all. I'm sorry this has happened to us

Kiki275 · 17/10/2020 17:44

@hardyboys I'm so sorry you find yourself on this thread but you're so very welcome. I lost MCDA twin boys this year through TTTS so I sort of know exactly what you're going through.
Have you spoken to a midwife yet? Hopefully, even with a singleton pregnancy you'll be offered increased monitoring to look out for any signs of similar problems. It must be so worrying. I sincerely hope everything goes well for you xx

Redhead43 · 17/10/2020 18:24

Sorry you find yourself here @hardyboys you’re in very good company and very welcome. I hope everything goes well for you. Hopefully you’ll have an early scan soon to start helping put your mind at rest a little xx

hardyboys · 18/10/2020 10:08

Thank you @Kiki275 and @Redhead43. I am so sorry about your twin boys @Kiki275.

I have my phone consultation with my GP on Thursday. I've spoken to her before about other issues and she's lovely, so hopefully she will be understanding and helpful and I can be seen swiftly. I have since moved areas, so will be under a different fetal medicine unit. Not sure if I should (or could?) ask to be referred to my previous unit. Just thinking it might be easier in terms of accessing records and continuity...

Xxx

JennyMY · 18/10/2020 10:52

@hardyboys So sorry about your loss. I lost one of my twins last month to Edwards Syndrome at 17 weeks - it's been heartbreaking but my FMU have been fabulous. I think maybe you should ask to be referred back to the unit you were with as it can be awful having to go through everything and all the details again and worry about miscommunications. For me the continuity of care through my pregnancy with the surviving twin has been valuable, and while yours is a new pregnancy it could offer you reassurance to know that the doctors already know your case and the details of your previous pregnancy.
I really hope everything goes well with your new baby. Sending love xx

Kiki275 · 18/10/2020 10:59

@hardyboys the choice is entirely yours but personally I'd go for whichever is closest. If you need to get there quickly for any reason, then closer might be better. If it's of any reassurance I was under Manchester St. Mary's and referred to Birmingham Women's and the communication between them was fantastic. Even between them and my local maternity unit was brilliant x

Redhead43 · 18/10/2020 14:30

I think your previous Fetal med unit would be happy to see you this time round aswel like
You say they have your notes they know your story. You can only ask and the worse thing they’ll say is no. Is it particularly far away from you? Xx

hardyboys · 18/10/2020 16:39

Thank you for the replies. I have only caught up on the last few pages of the thread but I am planning to go through tonight and read about the rest of your much loved babies.

@JennyMY I am so sorry about your twin. It is a very bittersweet thing to lose a twin. Take care of yourself.

I was originally under FM at Oxford and it would be around an hour drive to get there from Birmingham, where I live now. As @JennyMY said I felt like i didn't want to have to explain myself, as I found when I had my appointments at my local hospital, they always tried to second guess the consultants diagnosis and it was really draining.

However, I'm reassured to hear what @Kiki275 had to say about Birmingham Womens, especially with regard to communication. This means I could have my FM and normal appointments in one place, which I guess makes the most sense.

It just occurred to me that I haven't shared my full story, which I want to do incase anyone comes across this thread who had a similar issue.

At a 16w private gender scan, the sonographer noticed that my son had an odd shaped cerebellum. We were referred to FM in Oxford who advised a double amnio and another scan at 20 weeks. The odd shape was due to a cyst in the back of his brain, which they hoped would just be reabsorbed.

Unfortunately the 20w scan revealed it had not reabsorbed. They said it wasn't possible to understand more without an MRI which was scheduled for 30 weeks. They seemed confident all could be well, it just depended whether or not the cyst was putting pressure on areas it shouldn't.

We carried on with hope in our hearts. Got all the stuff twins need etc but unfortunately the MRI revealed that the cyst was pushing on his cerebellum, squashing his vermin and basically meant he would be severely disabled. He was diagnosed with a condition called Pontecerebeller Hypoplasia, which is believed to be inherited. They could see from the MRI that he wasn't swallowing already and had 4 times more fluid than his twin. We spoke to the peadatrician, who explained abouthis condition and we learned his life expectancy was short.

We decided to opt for the injection to stop his heart. I couldn't bare the thought of him dying alone, more than anything else. As it was, he died having only known the love and comfort of the home he shared with his twin. I carried them both for another 2 weeks, to give his twin a better chance of avoiding NICU.

I have moments of sheer panic that the doctors were wrong, and it was all a huge misunderstanding and wrong diagnosis. I can't quite get my head around the late diagnosis and how something so catastrophic could be so sneaky. How come normal scans didn't show the damage? The genetic testing came back inconclusive and they wanted us back for more but at that time in our lives, we just needed to try and enjoy our other son. We never discussed having any more children with the consultants, so no one told me that this could happen again and I feel hugely irresponsible right now :(

Redhead43 · 18/10/2020 17:08

@hardyboys it sounds like you’ve had a really tough time please don’t be hard on yourself. You’re not irresponsible at all. You did the right thing at the time enjoying your son and spending time at home as a family which was most important at that time not at hospital where you will have spent enough time enduring heartache. Good to have a positive recommendation for Birmingham hopefully that will make the transition easier xx

Kiki275 · 18/10/2020 22:30

@hardyboys did you get an 8 week postpartum review with your consultant? Were you also assigned a bereavement MW? After I lost my boys I had a telephone appointment with the consultant at my local maternity unit. This was brilliant as he went through everything including the odds of it happening again etc. I felt like having lost both I fell off the radar so to speak and aftercare was difficult to arrange. Thinking about it, loosing one must have been worse as the part of you grieving for your son would have been overlooked in favour of his twin x

Kiki275 · 20/10/2020 07:47

AF has arrived fully today (brown spotting yesterday) at CD 24 8 DPO.
I'm so upset! I don't even know what this means 😢 x

NoCallerID · 20/10/2020 12:36

Oh @Kiki275 how shit!! I'm so sorry! Can you get progesterone from your gp? Or try the 20mg Agnus Castus? I've started on this recently after taking 4mg for a few months and it's shortened my follicular phase but lengthened my luteal phase.

I'm currently in my home country and had a scan with the head of gynaecology here. They discovered that I might have a fibroid which could cause the implantation to fail but she's given me a prescription for progesterone to see how I do on this first. Since she can't monitor my cycle I was advised to only take it when I get a positive test. I'll continue with the Agnus Castus until then as it really seems to help.

Kiki275 · 20/10/2020 13:53

@NoCallerID I might speak to the GP. I was tempted to call earlier but my husband (quite truthfully) said that we're under a lot of stress right now which won't be helping. What worries me most is that since my TFMR every period has started with old, dark blood. I don't get why this would be. I can't help but worry it has something to do with the frequent bleeds I had when pregnant with the twins. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll look into them both xx

Redhead43 · 20/10/2020 15:45

I’m sorry @Kiki275 😥 really hoped you’d catch this month. Your husband is probably right with the stress levels however, it might not be a bad thing to just chat these things through with your GP even if it only puts your mind at rest for this new cycle. Since delivering my boy my cycles are shorter and sitting around 25/26 days xx

@NoCallerID glad the Agnes castus is working for you. And you have some extra information from this scan that should hopefully help with your next positive test. Where is home? Sorry if you’ve already mentioned this is earlier messages - Hope you’re having a nice time away xx

NoCallerID · 20/10/2020 21:24

@Kiki275 have you ever had a follow up scan? I just always felt something wasn't right and no one in the UK would listen so we went private with the head of gynaecology at the hospital where my sister has been a midwife for 20 years. If you feel something is off, push to get scanned.

@Redhead43 ah thank you! I feel I can take something from it for sure. Got my phone appointment with the recurrent miscarriage clinic next week too. Home is Germany.

Kiki275 · 20/10/2020 21:32

@NoCallerID I haven't had a scan since. I couldn't get a GP appointment but I have got one tomorrow with an Advanced Practitioner. I'll see where that leads. If not, I might try getting back in touch with the bereavement MW or the consultant at the hospital and try a different approach. If I can still see my 4 termination sites and clearly the surgery sites, then there may still be scarring inside?
I'm letting my mind run riot now. Really need to stop worrying, it hasn't been all that long ☹️ x

Balajake · 21/10/2020 09:59

I’m still not pregnant after my TFMR. Been trying since I lost Millie in March but despite timing sex, using opks etc nothing has worked.

Seems like I will never get my rainbow baby 😔

How is everyone ?

Kiki275 · 21/10/2020 12:38

Just spoke to a nurse at my GP, she’s said to come in for a blood test on cycle day 21 to check hormone levels. I’ll also get my thyroid levels checked too as been meaning to do it for ages

@Balajake have your cycles settled?x

Balajake · 21/10/2020 13:27

@Kiki275

Just spoke to a nurse at my GP, she’s said to come in for a blood test on cycle day 21 to check hormone levels. I’ll also get my thyroid levels checked too as been meaning to do it for ages

@Balajake have your cycles settled?x

Yes my cycles have all been normal since the termination. I hope you get some answers too
Kiki275 · 21/10/2020 17:08

@Balajake I hope you get your rainbow baby soon too xx

NoCallerID · 22/10/2020 20:12

Oh @Balajake I'm so sorry. It's so frustrating!

@Kiki275 glad they're having you in for tests! My gp only offered general blood tests, we have to wait for the recurrent miscarriage clinic to see whether I can get hormones checked or not.

NoCallerID · 22/10/2020 22:06

Also, I actually went through with it. And I’m so happy I did. 💙👣

Kiki275 · 22/10/2020 22:28

@NoCallerID they're perfect and so very lovely x

Redhead43 · 22/10/2020 22:48

@NoCallerID 👣❤️Perfect! Hope it didn’t hurt too much like you were anticipating xx

@Kiki275 glad they are looking into a few things for you and you get some helpful answers xx

@Balajake I’m sorry this journey is so hard and emotional xx

Thinking of you all