Your experiences of testing 'products' after ERPC please.

[Bakingtins]

I've just had 4th MC diagnosed last week, currently waiting a week for completely pointless 2nd scan, after which I hope to have an ERPC because I want testing of the fetus. Given that I was scanned at 7.5 weeks and measurements were too small and no HB (didn't actually say at what stage it was) I guess the baby didn't develop for some days or weeks before that, and I've now had to wait another week for 2nd scan and then an unspecified time for ERPC, what are my chances of there being anything there for them to test? I'm on progesterone which is artificially stopping the MC and been told to take it until 2nd scan, but I'm guessing that tissues will be breaking down every day since they stopped developing?
I'd like to hear your experiences of whether you got any information from cytogenetic testing of "products" (sorry, horrible language) and at what stage of pregnancy.

Hi Baking. I think I said this on the other thread but for completeness i will post here too - my positive chromosomal analysis of products came after a mmc was picked up at 9.5 weeks and fetus measured about 6 weeks (although they can shrink apparently). The erpc was carried out around 5 days after the scan so I would have been 10 weeks. Consultant was surprised they found something as apparently its quite rare that something comes back. From what I've read it's important that the person who stores and sends the tissue knows what they're doing so make sure you bang on about it to everyone that you want testing. Hope you're doing ok today.

Thanks Tea. Think I've become a bit fixated on getting something positive (some answers) from all of this. I hope I'm not going to be disappointed again.

Hi Baking,

Sorry, had no experience of testing etc, but after all the support you offer on this forum, I couldn't just read and run.

Thinking of you and hope that you get all the answers you are searching for. x

I know getting answers seems like the only positive thing that can come from all this. However even though my mc last year had a chromosomal abnormality I still went on to have another mc and think I'm about to have another now. it is good to know it wasn't viable - although we all just want an actual baby!!

I feel like we've got down to 2 possibilities - that as consultant thinks I have "unfussy uterus" and am accepting flawed embryos (but really, four??) or that I have some undiagnosed auto-immune type thing and I'm destroying normal and potentially viable embryos. It makes a big difference to where we go from here which is the case.

I'm probably in a similar position - clotting and other tests all clear (presuming they were done correctly) & I also got pregnant 1st time every time except this one. My next step would probably be immune testing but I'm not 100% sure where to go and the cost does worry me. I agree though that surely if you're uterus is unfussy then at some point it would work (as possibly mine did with DD?). The other problem is that its quite possible to have more than one issue!! (I am such a pessimist aren't I?!)

I think as I have 2 children that's part of the argument for the "unfussy uterus" theory - that if it's a healthy embryo I can carry to term. But why if it's just bad luck would I have 3 unhealthy embryos in a row? No genetic probs with me or DH, I am an old bag (38) but have good ovarian reserve and not perimenopausal - surely all my eggs can't be scrambled?

I have no idea Baking I agree it doesn't make sense but none of this does. I wonder whether some people (me!) have poor quality eggs but there's no way of testing egg quality as far as I know unless you do IVF and they look at embryos but IVF has a high mc rate too so not sure that's hugely accurate. If our mc were caused my lots of different chromosomal abnormalities I wonder whether some people are more predisposed to that and medical science just hasn't figured out why. My mc don't fit the clotting or autoimmune patterns so I wonder if I've got dodgy eggs somehow. Maybe in 20 years they'll have more answers!!!

Hi Baking, I am so sorry for your loss. I had an MMC diagnosed at just over 9 weeks and an ERPC the following day - my (private) consultant was keen on genetic testing as I'd had a normal scan just under 8 weeks. We were able to get a result about 4 weeks later that showed a missing chromosome (Turner's syndrome). I think it does depend on how quickly they get the tissue and in my case I think they developed it artificially for some time in order to get enough advanced material for a result. We did have to pay for this (ERPC under health insurance) but hopefully you won't. Am not sure if that is any help - it reassured me that it was just 'random' but having had a subsequent (very early) mc I am now not so sure. But in my case any information helps! And I also find being labelled 'unlucky' by medical professionals (scan after second mc) really unhelpful!

Should add that I also have a three-year old son so also know I can successfully carry to term. Good luck - I really hope you are able to get some answers!