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Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum. See also legal rights and support after baby loss.

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Original poster

Recurrent Miscarriage Clinics

68 replies

hana · 26/10/2003 17:28

Wondering if anyone has had experience of such a clinic? Have just had another m/c. Lots of questions. Have only hd 2 m/cs, my third loss was a termination as the fetus wasn't 'developing' , had too much fluid around heart and back etc etc
Am asking GP to refer us to the clinic (at St Mary's? in London) Do your m/cs have to be in a row? Will they take a self-referral? Can you go privately? Is there a long waiting list? I have ordered Lesley's Regan book as well after seeing a few reviews here. Looking forward to reading it.
Oh, I really want some answers about what is happening to me. Us I mean.
hana
x

OP posts:

Quackers · 13/02/2004 13:52

Glad you;re ok Hana, good luck with the smear! We're used to being prodded and poked now - unfortunately!!!!

Quackers · 13/02/2004 13:54

BTW, BUnny, I posted on ttc thread about your ov. I just can't see him proving you DIDN'T without the 21 day test, hope he's wrong cos your OPKs and temps were correct. One may be wrong on it's own possibly but not the 2 together surely, even the booots leaflet you get with OPKs says the 2 togther are very reliable. xxxx

Brunhilda · 15/02/2004 19:55

Dear friends, You may not know me (Ihad 2mcs, baby then mc lasst December). GP sending me to consltant but I have a 10 to 13 week wait for first appt. GP said do not ttc as you wait. I have waited one cycle and am now decided do not want to wait any more and wil go against what GP said. Dh in agreement with me. Either we get pg again and it is OK in which case no need for clincic or we do not or even mc in which case no matter about the pgncy. Could I ask, are you folks ttc as well as going to mc clincs? If so, does that cause probs?

bunny2 · 15/02/2004 20:49

Brunhilda, I think the reason for not ttcing is so the clinic can carry out blood tests necessary for their investigations. Some blood test results will be affected if you are pregnant when the blood is taken. Lots of luck to you in conceiving.

Quackers · 15/02/2004 21:06

Hi Brunhilda, the lesley Regan book sees no reason for women waiting for appointments not ttc. She says it's wasted time and the majority will have a healthy pgcy next time regardless. It can affect bloods as Bunny says but I know I would have carried on trying as you just don't know what's around the corner anyway in life. Good luck!xx

eyelash · 16/02/2004 09:14

Brunhilda

I had my first appointment at the recurrant miscarriage clinic at the Womens Hospital in Liverpool in December. When I was first referred in October my doctor said to carry on ttc and to take baby aspirin as a precaution. We got pregnant quickly and again had another very early miscarriage (3 days past when period was due) before the first appointment. But because I already had a referral I was looked after very well by the hospital. At the first appointment at the miscarriage clinic the nurse asked if we were still ttc as she felt it was a waste of time not to. She said we could take the baby aspirin as a precaution. We actually decided to take a break as 3 in a row had taken its toll but I am now 7 weeks pregnant. Mainly because we relaxed and didn't feel we had to use a contraceptive. I have already had two scans and will be scanned every two weeks until 14 weeks. Baby is growing well and it was an amazing feeling seeing the heartbeat on Friday. I guess what I am trying to say is if we had waited we wouldn't have suffered another miscarriage but I also wouldn't now be pregnant. All my tests came back clear at the end of January so we are hopeful this pregnancy will work out.

Finally there are alot of tests your doctor can do while you wait for your appointment. I would suggest you get a list from the consultants office. My doctor did alot of the preliminary tests and it saved 6 weeks of waiting.

Good luck.

BosworthBear · 16/02/2004 09:56

I was just reading the thread and thought that I would mention that there is also a recurrent miscarriage clinic at Leicester Royal Infirmary, I'm not sure how common they are but we were lucky enough to have one in our area. It is run by a gentleman called Justin Konje, again you need to be unlucky enough to have had 3 mcs in a row, but the staff and treatment given there is wonderful. We had 1 ectopic and then 3 mcs before our DD and DS were born (now 2.5 and 6 months), both succesful pregnancies were supported by baby aspirin and fragmin (a blood thinning agent) It seems that my blood clots too easily and causes miscarriages. Baby aspirin is used very commonly but i'm not sure how often it is supported by fragmin?
I hope that this information is helpful to anyone in the Midlands area and gives a little hope in what is a very painful time.

Quackers · 16/02/2004 10:23

That's really useful Bobworthbear! Didn't know about that one!
I second Eyelash! I tried again and had another but then tried again and was successful. I know I have said this before before I take great comfort from theses stats by Lesley Regan:
20-25% of women will have 1 miscarriage
5% will have 2 in a row
1% will have 3 in a row
Even after 3 in a row the chances of a successful outcome next time are 75%!!!!

Jezebel · 10/06/2004 00:24

Hello all, I wonder if anyone can help. Some of you may know me. I have had 2 mcs, 1 baby, 2 mcs. I had an appointment with a consultant today for recurrent mcs.

I was really disappointed. She said that the only treatable condition that might be behind my mcs is thrombophilia. Although she has done a test for it she does not think I have it. She said that all other conditions are not treatable and therefore she will not test.

I need more answers than this. Firatly I cannot belive that there is nothin more to be done. What do the folk at St Mary's and in Liverpool do? Secondly, even if I have a condition that is not treatable I would like to know and then can make plans accordingly (according to the likelihood of another successful pregnancy).

Another point is that the products of my last mc were analysed and were genetically normal. Does that mean that the problem is with me?

So many questions. Can you help?

serenequeen · 10/06/2004 00:45

not surprised you would like more answers she sounds very insensitive. hope someone comes back to you with some specifics soon.

Original poster

hana · 13/06/2004 12:11

jezebel, you poor thing, she sounds really insensitive and not at all helpful. Is there any chance you can ask for a second appt with a different consultant? As far as what to ask, I don't have a lot of answers, but the Lesley Regan book may provide some clues as to what you should be asking for. Also, you could do (yet more?) reading on the web for some ideas. I suppose the extreme would be to find a private consultant if the NHS aren't interested.
Can your GP refer you to either St Mary's or the otehr one? Is she understanding? They have a very good website (St Mary's) that might help too.
This isn't fair at all, and not at all what you'd expect. I'm sure that Bunny and Quackers will answer too and give you some better answers.
Thinking of you jezebel -
hana

OP posts:

gingernut · 13/06/2004 12:23

Jezebel, so sorry to see this. Your consultant sounds very unsympathetic. I can't answer your questions but I'm surprised that she thinks that it isn't possible to treat any of the conditions you might have. I thought lots of conditions were supposed to be treatable (e.g. antiphospholiipid syndrome?). I don't know much about this subject area but I definitely think it's worth you doing a bit of research and possibly trying to see someone else. And why doesn't she think you have thrombophilia? Hopefully one of the others will come on and give you some more concrete information and in the meantime I'll be thinking of you.

Jezebel · 14/06/2004 01:23

Thank you! I am taking low dose aspirin and having s period and thinking of trying again maybe in July. I am going to get the Lesley Regan book and have been reading the St Mary's website which is excellent.

The consultant said that there was no point going private as there was no more that could be done in terns of treating any of the potential problems privately. I understnad that. But even if there is no more to be done I want tests so that at least I know what we are up against and what our odds are.

So, we want to try again soon, and keep on and on trying and maybe, if we lose any more, get a referral from the GP to go to St Mary's if they will have us.

Jezebel · 14/06/2004 01:24

Hana, I hope you are doing well! Thank yo uGingernut and Serenequeen!

Quackers · 16/06/2004 23:48

I'm sorry I have missed your posts Jezebel. I haven't been on these threads for a while. I think the first step as you are doing is to buy the Lesley Regan book. You will know for sure what tests are done and what has already been done. She says 80% ( thereabouts) have no known condition and that they are down to 'bad luck' even after 3 or 4 or more. However she does test for many things and it;s worth knowing what your are entitled to have tested. Both Liverpool and St Mary's test for the same things. I believe St Mary's wait list is much longer but even so they do all the bloods at your GP's and then you're ready for the full days testing when you arrive for you appointment. I do hope you manage to get a referral. If they find nothing Lesley reckons your chances are very high of having a healthy baby. I clung to alot of what she said. Although I was reluctant to believe I would have a healthy baby. I'm hoping to deliver in about 6 weeks. I truly hope your time will be this time too and good luck with getting your treatment. xxxxx

Jezebel · 17/06/2004 00:29

Quackers, where has the time gone? I am really thrilled for you. Thank you for your advice.

Quackers · 17/06/2004 13:50

Thankyou. All the best xxxxxxxxxx I'll be watching out for an announcement soon all being well!

eyelash · 17/06/2004 18:04

Jezebel

I had my referral accepted to the Liverpool Women's on the strenght of one ds, one miscarriage, ds2 and then two miscarriages. Would you consider ringing St Mary's/Liverpool and asking them if you could get a referral would they take you on. Might be worth a go! and if favourable changing consultant or at least getting a second opinion.

I was looked after at the Liverpool clinic and they were brilliant. As Quackers said the tests they do are all explained in the Lesley Regan book. Liverpool was fantastic - I was referred early October 2003, my doctor did alot of the tests at the same time, I was seen in November and already pregnant (I had rung them to check if we could still keep trying and they said of course!), they supported me through a very early miscarriage in December. All my tests came back clear and I am now just over 24 weeks pregnant with ds3. The support they offered was great and I had bloods and scans done fortnightly up to the 12 week mark.

The only thing they suggested you do while you wait to be seen is to take the low dose aspirin just in case you have the blood-clotting problem. As it turned out I didn't but it didn't do any harm.

Hope that helps and it gives you some hope.

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