5 consecutive miscarriages & now I can’t conceive

[Tryingforthird]

Hi I’m hoping some of you will be able to help me. With a history of cancer and a lot of subsequent treatment, I know I’m very lucky to have a 5 yo daughter and a 3 yo son (both via C-section) but I’m desperate for more. In the last 2 years, I’ve had 5 consecutive miscarriages and one failed IVF attempt. I haven’t been able conceive at all in the last 10 months. I feel like there are two different issues there - I went from getting pregnant successfully but miscarrying each time, to now not being able to conceive at all. I’ve had numerous tests, bloods etc which shows nothing to explain my situation. I’ve been on lots of medication to help but even that hasn’t helped (progesterone/aspirin/DHEA/Letrozole)

I’m just wondering has anyone been in a similar situation, with both of those issues, not just one. I don’t know what else to try/do to get pregnant (and stay pregnant).

Thank you 😊

Have you considered immune issues, dr Shehata or dr Gorgy threads might be useful. Best of luck

Just bumping for you.

Sorry to hear about your struggles, can only imagine how challenging your experience has been.

There can be multifactorial drivers for infertility. As you've alluded to cancer treatment often has detrimental impact on fertility but there's also age, egg quality, sperm quality and a number of lesser known factors. Its positive that your bloods have come back normal but 5 miscarriages is atypical (depending on age?), I would seek to investigate the cause.

I honestly think the best thing would be to not put yourself and your family through the emotional stress and expense of IVF, and just accept what you have.

Hi OP I have been struggling to conceive #2 and I have been taking supplements from the book 'it starts with the egg'. Have you had any recent tests at fertility clinic for AMH, follicle count, factor V Leiden/Thrombophelia and husband sperm count? I am hetrozygous for V Leiden so I have a 5-10% increase in blood clotting risk which could poss have been a contributing factor to mine.

Our results all came back fine aside from that but due to age we where advised to go for the IVF which I was meant to start now.

Anyway I got a positive test a few days ago after 7 months of trying after my last MC - so still v early days but I believe the supplements have extended my luteal phase which I think was a factor too and I am hoping with the rest of the supplements have improved my egg quality and will help this one survive.

I did check with my doctor at the clinic that the supplants I was taking were safe and not too higher doses too.

Wishing you luck OP it's a very stressful situation x

Supplements*

I forgot to add I’m 38 yo. But doctor thinks because of treatment my egg age would be 43.

Thank you for the advice. I did have bloods done. My AMH levels were extremely low following cancer (0.1) but I did conceive my two children. The ob gyn said it’s not all based on Amh levels though. I might look into my husbands sperm quality. That was okay many years ago (in 2010) but can that diminish in quality the way the female eggs diminish?
also. I’m 38 but the doctors think my egg age would be about 43 following treatment. It’s 10 years since cancer treatment though.

Hi OP, I'm not sure how the Drs have decided the age of your eggs to be more like 43 but if that's the case then I would assume it's just mother nature then. I think we're sold a false idea of how easy it is to get pregnant as you get older and 43 is definitely the age when it would be incredibly hard to keep a pregnancy and multiple miscarriages are probably due to that? Poor egg quality? I'm basing that on the idea of if you'd asked as a 43 year old woman, not a 38 year old one though. Do the doctors not say the same thing? I think the idea is that more eggs would be abnormal and therefore the body often causes a miscarriage if the embryo is developing badly?

sperm quality can def diminish too after 12 yrs... maybe get that checked too.

my partners had changed between 5 years.. Still all "normal" but some of the aspects they tested (morphology being one off the top of my head) were slightly worse (but still OK) and some were slightly better

Thanks so much for your messages
I really appreciate them
i got bloods done and they ruled out menopause (that was my main worry)
I know as you age it gets harder and also more likely to miscarry with poorer quality eggs but I would have accounted maybe 2 miscarriages to that…. Not 5 since many women in their 40’s do have babies. Perhaps it’s a lot fewer than I’m thinking though and you are correct with it being Mother Nature. I’ll also get my husbands sperm checked. Thank you for that. This forum is so helpful. People are so kind taking the time from their busy lives to help and advise others :)