Has anyone been to the recurrent miscarriage clinic?

[dilydaly]

We're 6 years into our infertility journey, we've had 5 miscarriages (2 were early on).
We've were referred 7 months ago and been told another 12+ month wait to be seen.
It's possible I'm pregnant (too early to test yet) and I want to do all I can to give it the best chance. I've done as much research as I can and read about baby asprin, which I'm already taking (75mg but I've read 150mg is better?)
I'm also taking all the right vitamins etc and I'm also taking high dose folic acid. How much folic acid were you advised to take? I saw one lady say 10x the usual amount?
Is there anything else people who have been to the clinic can tell me? Anything I can buy over the counter?
Many thanks :)

Hello @dilydaly, I am sorry to hear of your multiple losses, you should call your nearest EPU when/if you get a positive pregnancy test, they may be able to do a reassurance scan relatively early on given your history.

Where are you based, a 12+ month wait sounds outrageous! I think I was seen in under 3 months in London. They will do blood tests, a 3D scan (make sure it is a 3D ultrasound not just a regular one) to look for structural abnormalities and sometimes other tests depending on your history/presentation. There is new research that shows progesterone pessaries may be helpful in women who have had multiple losses and your GP may be able to prescribe these - show them www.tommys.org/about-us/charity-news/prism-trial-bleeding-early-pregnancy-and-miscarriage

I would really recommend reading Professor Regans book "miscarriage, what every woman needs to know" it explains in a good amount of detail the possible causes of miscarriage and potential treatments (although she is not a fan of progesterone), it will help to go armed with knowledge into the consultations.

@Sar7h

Hello *@dilydaly*, I am sorry to hear of your multiple losses, you should call your nearest EPU when/if you get a positive pregnancy test, they may be able to do a reassurance scan relatively early on given your history.

Where are you based, a 12+ month wait sounds outrageous! I think I was seen in under 3 months in London. They will do blood tests, a 3D scan (make sure it is a 3D ultrasound not just a regular one) to look for structural abnormalities and sometimes other tests depending on your history/presentation. There is new research that shows progesterone pessaries may be helpful in women who have had multiple losses and your GP may be able to prescribe these - show them www.tommys.org/about-us/charity-news/prism-trial-bleeding-early-pregnancy-and-miscarriage

I would really recommend reading Professor Regans book "miscarriage, what every woman needs to know" it explains in a good amount of detail the possible causes of miscarriage and potential treatments (although she is not a fan of progesterone), it will help to go armed with knowledge into the consultations.

Thanks for getting back to me and sorry I've only just seen the reply. 12+ months would be putting it lightly, they're only now seeing women referred in 2019 :( I wasn't pregnant after all (when I posted the original post) but I'm currently 4 weeks 3 days but this morning I've had some brown tinged discharge, so I assume it'll end up the same as all the other pregnancies. I'm trying to stay positive but it's so hard, every twinge is sending me into a panic then I panic more because I know I shouldn't be panicking. No point contacting EPU now as it's still too early to scan, so it's just a case of wait and see. To top it all off, I have covid. Thanks again for getting back to me, I will print off the article, but last time I was pregnant and contacted the GP for progesterone pessaries she looked at me daft and refused.

Could you go private op? Some GPs can also refer to dr Shehata who looks at a variety of Mc areas like immune issues.
It might be worth going private for mc tests if the wait is so long on the nhs though

@Cherry79

Could you go private op? Some GPs can also refer to dr Shehata who looks at a variety of Mc areas like immune issues. It might be worth going private for mc tests if the wait is so long on the nhs though

I'll certainly look into this, thanks :)

@dilydaly could you ask your GP for a referral to Tommy’s? I requested my GP refer me on 15th March and I have a phone appointment tomorrow.

The Coventry one your GP would need to send an E-referral to Professor Quenby’s Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic at University Hospital Coventry, under the Gynaecology Service.

I was prescribed 5mg folic acid. Make sure you’re taking vitamin D too.

I'm so sorry to hear of your previous losses and I really hope that everything is ok at the moment from what you've said on your previous comment.

I have been having fertility treatment for years. I've had several miscarriages.
I am now pregnant but only after having tests done to see why I was losing the other pregnancies.
I paid privately for blood tests.
It turns out it was my blood clotting. So now I'm on 150mg aspirin per day. And Clexane blood thinning injections daily and the pregnancy has continued. I also had progesterone pessaries for the first 12 weeks. I'm on 400 mg folic acid (the Active one from Holland and Barrett) and 10mg vitamin D.
Prior to this for my last IVF round I was taking 400mg of CoQ10 Pharmanord Gold per day to help with egg quality.

I am under the recurrent miscarriage team in manchester therefore have regular scans etc.
are you possibly able to pay for private tests? I was told the wait through the NHS would be a long time (I was undergoing another IVF cycle and didn't want to wait any longer) so I paid £800 at the fertility clinic I was at in manchester and the results were back within 2 weeks. I wish I could have had the tests sooner but they wouldn't do them until I'd had 3 miscarriages.
I hope you're ok x

I'm pleased to say that although it turned out I wasn't pregnant when I wrote the OP, I conceived the following month and am currently 5 weeks and 4 days.
After 6 years I've learnt a lot by myself due to my GP's being fairly rubbish and referral waits for the recurrent miscarriage clinic being shocking.
I've already put myself on 150mg aspirin daily, I take more folic acid than needed and get all other vitamins through a pregnancy multi vitamin.
After previously being refused, I managed to convince the GP to give me progesterone pessaries, 400mg twice daily.
I think if this pregnancy doesn't succeed then I will look into going private.
Thanks for your comment and hope your pregnancy goes well :) xx

Didn't know you could be referred to Tommy's? What does this do?
I'm in Wales and have been referred to my local recurrent miscarriage unit, god only knows when we'll be seen though.
I'm currently on more than 5mg folic acid and get my vitamin D from my pregnancy multivitamin :)
Thanks xx

@dilydaly it’a professor Quenby’s clinic I think she’s one of the leading consultants on recurrent miscarriage in The UK. She reviewed my blood test results and my plan from my local hospital (lubion, blood thinning injections, progesterone pessaries) and added in metformin. But if you’ve not had bloods etc they will do them. They also do research trials and I think NK cells testing.
I was able to do both alongside each other and see both local and them, so might be worth a look to see if you can get an appointment there quicker!

Oh I'm so pleased! Congratulations! 🌸

I'll certainly look into this, many thanks :)

Thank you :) another 6 weeks of worry and we'll be on our way! 😄