Recurrent miscarriage support - tests, treatment, trying again - thread 8

[Bakingtins]

Welcome everyone, pull up a chair! A thread for anyone who has suffered multiple miscarriages and is in need of company, information, moral support, tea or sympathy.

Can I suggest we start page 1 with a recap of where we are all up to, because my fuddled head can't keep track?

Thanks Downstairs I have a few co-codamols from my DH and am trying to ration them to make them later last. I don't like the woozy effect but I am enjoying a couple of pain free hours...

Tanny I don't know if you want to hear this, so feel free to ignore, but it would probably be really useful to get genetic testing done on any "products". I don't know if it will be possible if there was no embryo developed, but it might be worth trying to catch the sac i used a sieve for analysis.
I'm glad you don't have to have any more invasive treatments, it feels strange to be saying how great that it's just a miscarriage, but better than the alternatives you were facing.
In your shoes I'd wait until you've had your RMC testing before trying again, easy enough for the consultant to say "just try again", not so easy when it's you going through the emotional and physical mill. You might end up with no diagnosis and the same outcome, but you might be the 50% where there's a specific treatment available.
Sending you and

Hi Baking, I don't think there's going to be anything to save tbh, judging by the scan. If the sac is intact it might be possible, but not sure...

I am incredibly sad and angry at the moment. My hormones are all over the shop and I am so tired, but I am relieved and feel that I will be able to get better support and care the next time round.

I intend to wait, honest! Only I am almost entirely driven by my hormones, so will have to fight them off with a big stick when I ov, otherwise....

Hot water bottle and cup of raspberry leaf tea for me I think.

Tanny that is so normal. I had mine in September now (was the same as yours, a sac but mine kept growing so had to have an erpc) but even now I hear pregnancy annoucements, see small babies and sometimes feel anger'/upset at what would of been. Certain milestones trigger me off to, like what would of been 12/20 week scans etc. I'm expecting my due date to be very emotional. But we are all in this together, you can come chat here anytime.

tanny I have had pathology done on an empty sac and it did identify a reason. So it may be worth asking.

So sorry you are having such a rough time Tanny. We are here...

Soooooooooooo I think the Bloomers may have messed up. AF visited at the beginning of last week, ended in due course, DH rallied to give me a bit o'nookie for my bday, then again on Monday. Egg white mucus on tues which is generally the sign for me that I'm ov. We are not supposed to TTC and so now I'm anxious about getting in trouble! I seriously doubt I'd be so fortunate to conceive so easily... But would it be that bad to be pg without the results of our tests? I recognize that it would make managing the pregnancy more difficult. But is it the end of the world? I am seriously putting the cart before the horse here

LB you are not six, you will not be "in trouble"! You've had your tests, haven't you? I bet they already have most of the results, I'm sure they could be speeded up if there was a good reason why you needed to know quickly. 12-day-wait it is!

Thanks for the reassurance Baking . I have had one batch of blood work done, have another batch scheduled next week and am meant to get the results of all of this by mid Jan. I'd be comfortable calling them to ask for the results to be pulled forward but I'm just a bit nervous about being out of the country. I know it will be fine but my last mc started when I was flying back from overseas and I just can't shake that fear. Again, cart before the horse ..... Enough about me, how are you feeling these days? And hello to everyone else as well!

I'm ok thanks. I feel much better off the steroids, and I think first trimester exhaustion is also wearing off, but then I have panicky moments about not feeling pregnant (never happy) I'm fatter with bigger boobs but that could just be all the extra food I've been troughing on the steroids. I saw obstetrician this week and see MW in 2 weeks, hoping she will try to find a HB for me.
We've told family now, but I'm reluctant to tell anyone else. DS1 is v excited and keeps telling random people (including his headmaster ) I'm still not expecting to get a baby at the end of it all.

Baking, your last sentence about sums up this entire thread: all the joy has been zapped out of the process. Sigh. Carry on we must.

LB I know exactly what you mean. There have been times when I have thought 'screw it' (literally!), but there is always the fear of doing the wrong thing and missing something you should have known about, intervention-wise. I guess we just want to give ourselves the best chance. But you've got to live your life, too.

Well, having felt my libido return within 24 hours of having the IUDs removed (now, they were a passion killer, I think that's how they really work!), and making amorous advances for the next few days, I think I OV'd on Tuesday. Now I'm in split minds over what I want the outcome to be. If something happens, great (scary). If not, cheese and wine for Christmas! I guess I have 11 or so days to wait and see! Nearly cried at Nativity dvd yesterday. Is that bad?

I wonder what any of you know about having a thin endometrium. Is low progesterone the only cause? Could I be pre menopausal? The scan a couple of weeks ago showed a very thin lining, and I'm wondering what I can do to improve it.

This mc is following a similar pattern to my last one, so I don't think it's linked to not enough time in between.

I bled normally on Wednesday, but by yesterday has already reduced to a pink smear.

I am still getting a bit of cramping, but nothing like the pain I've had before.

Until this last one, I really did think I just needed to keep trying, and I'd get there eventually, but now I think I've got a world of causes to work through.

Gah! It's so hard to keep going.

Does anyone else get to the stage where they forget to reevaluate if it's worth it?

Sorry. Ranty Tanny from lack of sleep and drop in hormones I think.

Tanny although all the GPs/books say 'try again straight after' to be honest I don't think they factor in if it's happening time after time. I certainly needed several months (forced while waiting on St Mary's/partial molar) to get my health back and TBH I'm glad my hand was forced.

tanny it's normally low oestrogen that causes a thin lining if it's a hormonal thing. Progesterone given later in the cycle can help maintain it whilst implantation happens, but it has to build up in the first half of the cycle and ideally be >10mm. Was yours measured? You can be prescribed oestrogen supplements, or take DHEA which is an oestrogen precursor. Pop across and ask on the TTC on prednisolone thread on the conception board, the ladies there are world class supplement experts!
The other causes that were mentioned were poor blood flow, which acupuncture may help with (also exercise, good sleep and lack of stress - yeah right!) or physical damage to the lining during ERPC etc.
Bizarrely enough, an "endometrial scratch" which I had done after uterine biopsy at the implantation clinic, is supposed to improve lining for several subsequent cycles. I got pregnant one cycle after mine but who knows if it helps.

Tanny, I have what has been described as 'abnormally thin' lining, often getting only 2mm at day 21 since LMP. I have twice had to take oestrogen for recovery from gyne surgery on one occasion I got up to about 2 cm(!!!!) which was, to be fair, after a particularly complicated MC with multiple ERPCs. I don't think it usually thickens it up that much.

I asked Prof Regan about it and she didn't seem too worried in my case as I get to about 6-9 weeks so she didn't think it was an implantation issue. However, I have been having acupuncture for a few months and have had reflexology in the past. I also had a cranial osteopath manipulate my pelvis to try to get more blood flow to that area (I had a coccyx injury from years ago and apparently things were out of whack). Maybe those things help, maybe not.

I agree with Baking about the phenomena that 'scratching' the lining actually stimulates it (I am hoping my IUD removal will have had the same effect), but I expect that that puts you in a catch 22 situation as you might be wanting investigations, which you may have to wait for.

Of course, everyone's issues are different, but I reckon that if there are tablets/herbal remedies/certain foods that can help, then I say go for it.

Baking, I have decided (probably, inevitably, foolishly) to 'see what happens' for a couple of months and hold fire on going to Prof Q. She's next, if I'm still looking for answers in a few months. Thanks for the info. Hope I don't live to regret it...

Waves to all!

just did you think the acupuncture etc helped? The suggestion seems to be that you can get an idea from AF what your lining is like, though I guess a measurement is the ideal.
Hope your surgery and IUDs have done the trick!

Thanks Baking, I don't know if it helps or not, but I am much better at switching off and relaxing now, and I think that probably helps. I retain a health skepticism along with a 'try anything reasonable' gung ho attitude... :)

• healthy.... YKWIM...

BTW, when I say I have decided not to see Prof Q, what I really mean is I DTD in the 'window' and now cannot say for sure I am not PG, so I will need to let this one play out and try to retain some self control next month if I want to see her...

Just hmm never considered blood flow/injury as a factor. Fascinating! My lining has always been distinctly average (in a good way- theyre like "lining - Xmm - normal for cycle day tick") but I sometimes do get short cycles and do have back pain from injuries aggrivated (they suspect) by sticky blood.

AF has showed up 2 days early (although still 11 days post ov so not of medical concern) as expected. Tbh I have not been my usual vit b/d addict self this week. Possibly accounts for it. But it does mean we get to ttc over the festive season AND I get to go to my boozy work party next Friday ;) lol!

Hi to everyone hope you are all ok just quickly had a read through trying to catch up! Sorry cant namecheck everyone I'll keep up from today.

Just a quick one as I can't be bothered to do much I'm lying in bed still, in the middle of full blown ms I vomited up everything I ate yesterday and I feel like it's going to be the same today. I had to miss my pregnacare last night as I was so ill now I feel bad for not taking it I might have to switch to just a tiny folic acid & vit d tablet hope that will be ok. I have a scan tomorrow so I'm nervous about that too I'm 10 weeks today fingers crossed it's all ok.

Good luck for your scan butterfly it will be another milestone ticked off.

I have boozy work do tonight, could be awkward as not many people know I'm pregnant. Can't even really claim I need to drive as it's v local. subterfuge required!

Thanks Baking could you buy your own drinks and drink something you could pass off as a short with mixer? Hopefully once people have had a few they won't notice :)

You're right. I'm probably not that interesting. gin and tonic it is.

Hope you get some sleep tonight, I always get scan doom and can't drop off.

Baking have you someone you owe a lift to? Have used "need to give xyz a lift" as a ruse for local dos before. Darn nosey folk. You could fib you're on antibiotics or painkillers? Or do what Butterfly suggests and have a tonic n tonic!

Butterfly sorry you're feeling rough. Sanatogen pregnancy vits are much smaller than pregnacare if that helps? Glad your body is being very pregnant though (sounds weird but meant in a reassuring way!!). :)