Repeat chemicals or misreading tests? Opinions!

[CycleGirl20]

On 3 different months I've had very faint lines on frers over the last (unsuccessful) 18months. The lines have never got stronger and I've wondered if I'm having chemicals or just being over optimistic with the lines. We're planning IVF next month but I'm not sure if these are worth mentioning to my clinic in case lines this light don't really count.

I can only see the line on the first picture, so I do think that one possibly was a chemical. Definitely mention it to your ivf doctor so that they're aware. I'm not sure they may do much. I first had an nhs ivf consultation last year after 3 losses (2 mmcs and one chemical) and they didn't offer any additional medication or anything.

We didn't do ivf at that point as ironically I got pregnant and then had my 4th loss just as we were about to start treatment, so did lots of extra tests and on the basis of those, my ivf meds protocol is very different to the initial one I had.

Good luck

@VenusStarr thanks, that's interesting that they changed the meds. How did it go with new meds?

I've got an overactive immune system @CycleGirl20 so am on lots of immune meds, but my ivf clinic put me on aspirin and clexane too.

I had a chemical pregnancy after my fresh cycle, but had poor implantation, so did more tests (endometrio) which were all fine and just in the middle of a FET.

This has literally just happened to me this week. That test looks just like mine. I had another chemical back in April and a mmc at 11 weeks pregnant in July. I had a blood test this time however and it confirmed I had conceived but the HCG level in my blood was very low (7). Urine tests stayed positive for 2 days and then turned negative. I'm now waiting for my period to turn up so definitely a chemical pregnancy. I'm devastated as it's now our 3rd loss in a row and I'm panicking something is really wrong.

@VenusStarr where did you get your investigations done? Was it at the ivf clinic? I don't know what to do as obviously I can conceive but the pregnancies don't last?

We've been trying for 13 months and I'm convinced I've had other chemicals that I don't even know about as I didn't pregnancy test every month as just assumed if my period came it meant it hasn't worked. Once I started testing early that's when I discovered the chemical back in April and was prescribed progesterone which I'm convinced help me conceive my pregnancy in May (which I lost in July). They've also given me clexanne and aspirin to start once pregnant but just worried whether I should be getting further tests done? Xx

I'm sorry for your losses @WillowTree0721 have you been diagnosed with a clotting disorder? All my nhs tests came back clear, I was under Tommy's, but they didn't prescribe anything and I had 2 losses under their care with no insight into why. My first 4 pregnancies were natural conceptions but over a 3 year period, we do struggle to conceive.

After my 4th baby was tested chromosomally normal, we went private for immune tests. We tried naturally for 6 months on an immune protocol but as I'm 38 now we decided to start ivf.

It might be worth talking to the clinic that prescribed the clexane and aspirin to see what they think now you've had another loss. My private specialist reviews my meds if I have a loss xx

@VenusStarr I'm so so sorry to hear what you've been through too. It must of been heartbreaking for you.
Thank you so much for replying to me.

• I've not been diagnosed with anything yet but with my pregnancy in May I had scans at 6 & 7.5 weeks pregnant and there was a heart beat and baby was absolutely fine so something went wrong after that point. They did send baby off to check for molar but it all came back ok. They didn't do any genetic testing as they said I didn't qualify as it's my first loss (in their eyes).

My gynae consultant said he will give me clexanne and aspirin as a precaution next time I conceive "just incase" it was anything to do with clotting. I've not had any tests though to check. Because I've only had the one MMC they are saying I have to have 2 more before I'll be investigated on the NHS and they won't include the chemicals. Im 37 in December and I don't want to waste anymore time. I've had 3 unexplained losses in a row so I'm now thinking this can't just be bad luck. My NHS gynae clinic don't seem to think it's a big deal and to just carry on trying. Do you mind me asking where you had your private investigations done? And how much am I looking at? I've already had a Hysteroscopy, laparoscopy and HyCoSy last year due to abnormal bleeding so although I didn't have them at the time for pregnancy related reasons I know that everything was found to be normal so I think I probably need to be looking at private tests for clotting? Maybe immune issues? Wishing you all the best for your ivf cycle this time xx

@CycleGirl20 Wishing you all the best for your ivf cycle next month too xx

I hate how the nhs is so inconsistent @WillowTree0721 my recurrent miscarriage clinic did count chemicals. I wonder if you're gynae consultant can do the standard recurrent loss testing. That looks at lupus anticoagulant, antiphospholipid syndrome, thyroid and vitamin D. If they won't, maybe ask your GP to refer you?

We have spent a lot with our private doctor, I'm with Dr Shehata at the CRP Clinic in Surrey (we live in the Midlands). The initial testing was about £3k, we chose not to do sperm dna fragmentation, but he does offer that. I got my results within 2 weeks and started my treatment straight away. So although it's costly, it was worth it to get answers finally. I need a preconception plan, so pretty much spend around £500 a month on various medication.

I've never seen a heartbeat, my babies stop growing in week 6. My last one was ahead of his dates by a day, so I so wonder if I'd would've seen it if I'd had a scan earlier..
It's so hard to know what to do for the best. There is a thread on the conception board with lots of women who have done immune testing for recurrent losses - it's the pred thread. I occasionally post on there xx

@VenusStarr thanks so much for sharing all of that. I'm going to give it another few months and if it happens again I'm definitely going to push for the standard recurrent loss testing. If they won't help me on the nhs I think I'll go privately. Is it Dr Hassan Shehata that you see? I've just been googling and his name comes up a lot. I can't work out where his private clinics are though? I can get to London on the train if needed as only a hour away for me. Do know if he has a clinic there? X

Yes that's my doctor @WillowTree0721 the clinic I see him at is in Epsom, Surrey. But he does work one day a week out of Harley Street too. You can see him on the nhs but it's a long wait and we decided we didn't have time to wait due to my age and that we do struggle to conceive naturally.

I'm on the full complex immune protocol, so hydroxychloroquine, intralipids, prednisolone, aspirin, with cyclogest. With my ivf I'm on lubion and clexane too. He does work very differently to the nhs, but I do believe if I can get pregnant the plan can work for me. I hope you don't need to, but let me know if you do book in with him x