Recurrent Miscarriage Support - tests, treatment, trying again - thread 10

[bakingtins]

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

Can we start the thread with a recap of where we are all up to again, please?

Sorry! Twilight I'm on my phone and knew I'd get it wrong! And Longest and JBrd ...

Twilight I am sorry, my post crossed with yours. I hope your dh is OK. What a nightmare. I have been thinking about resipsa too who hasn't posted for a while. I hope her dh has had some positive news about his treatment.

JBrd That is rough. I always used to have dreams about babies before dd (have been broody forever!) and they were quite upsetting when you woke up and found out they are not true. Have not had one recently, thank goodness, but often dream about my dad who died 8 years ago now and it's always a jolt. Cruel really.

Thanks everyone. I thought about refusing to babysit but actually I wouldn't feel any better sitting at home knowing she's at her scan and not babysitting. At least with two toddlers tearing about I will be distracted, though might rope another friend into helping me in case i feel a bit teary.

Luckily it wasn't clothes my friend gave me back but rather more prosaic stuff like a moses basket stand. It's the thought of going up to the loft to put it back and seeing all the clothes and things up there that is worrying me but perhaps will get dh to do that. I remember comforting myself when feeling nostalgic about putting dd's first size clothes up there that I'd be getting them down for another baby one day soon. Little did I know it might not be as easy as that.

Yes, I meant agnus castus. One thing that has frustrated me all along with ttc is that my cycle is a ridiculously long 42 days which slows everything right down as I don't even ov until 4 weeks into my cycle. I am ludicrously impatient at the best of times and I can't help but think there must be a link between my cycle and the miscarriages as it suggests a lack of progesteone (maybe?), but my gp has never really acknowledged my concerns. Coco on this thread recommended vitex agnus castus for stimulating progesterone and triggering an earlier ov and I thought it was worth a go while I waited for my appointment as if I could get my cycle length down I'd be in a better position to conceive again once I've got a diagnosis and treatment plan. But then I got my private appointment sorted and am now thinking it was a bit silly to mess with my hormones right before I am due to be tested. Might stop taking it now, although I can't help thinking maybe it's that that's helped me get my hg levels down as it took weeks and weeks last time. Does anyone else have any experience with agnus castus or with a very long (but regular) cycle? Mc was 2 weeks ago cat.

just just read your blog
Agree on the aspirin thing. St Mary's told me not to take it...

And in fact, i tend to bruise easily, so i think my blood may be thin enough as it is...

longest my issue isn't long cycles, it's a short LP, but I had the same problem of wanting to bring Ov forward as it wasn't happening until CD22 then AF arrived by CD29/30, not leaving much time for anything to embed anywhere. I never tried Angus Castus (was next on my list to try but then I finally got the fc appointment for clomid so never got round to it). I had acupuncture and took high dose Vitamin C and B6. This is supposed to be the less aggressive method of boosting progesterone. For the couple of cycles I tried it pre IUI it did bring Ov forward a couple of days so might have continued to improve things.

barking I think taking some pressure off while you're having fertility treatment is a great idea. I reduced my hours at work last year and it really has helped.

jbrd I'm sorry to hear you had that dreams. Sometimes it's hard when it's on your mind and you go to bed all churned up. Did you say you have acupuncture? I had lots of horrible nightmares for years but treatment really has helped with that.

Sending a TFI Friday smiley to all you ladies :)

X

Waves to all!

Just popping by to say hi. Some of you may remember me.

Thought it might be reassuring for some of you to hear I've made it to THIRTY ONE weeks pregnant so far after treatment at St Marys.
Turns out I'm a cut-and-dried-should-have-been-tested-miscarriages-or-not APS person: one with the joint pain, rashes etc'.
So for me it is aspirin and heparin when pregnant, aspirin when not if I get flare ups.
I would agree don't take it unless diagnosed! But, if you ARE diagnosed, bear in mind it treats most of the symptoms so as miscarriages can be caused by these, I would take it if they say you should (if they are reliable i.e. a clinic not a random GP!).

Best of luck everyone.

Tiny I bruise very badly indeed, a while after any bump... Mr Rai said it could be another symptom (all rather complicated, about when the bruise forms etc'). Of course now on heparin covered in fricken bruises!!

Squiz Mr Rai did seem interested when I mentioned the bruising but all my bloods came back clear... pregnant and non-pregnant!

I joke that i just need to look at a chair and get a bruise on my leg

Thanks tiny and tanny.

Tanny don't worry about lack of symptoms. I was told by Mr S midwife that pred masks symptoms of breast tenderness and nausea - do nothing to be too concerned about. Only a week for your scan!

Squiz- congrats on making it to 31. Wowee how time flies! Is it a girl or a boy?

Hi squiz!! Wow, 31 weeks! Were has the time gone?!? Hope all is well with you and bump and that you are able to enjoy the pregnancy a little bit. Not long to go and you'll meet your DD! Hope you won't mind me saying that I am totally jealous...

Cat No, I'm not doing acupuncture... I'm hoping that the dream was just a one off!

longest I hope you won't mind me saying that in your shoes, I'd wait before starting to take anything until you've at least had your first AF again after you mc... Your body is still readjusting, esp if your mc was only 2 weeks ago. Be kind to it (and to yourself!). Believe me, even if it doesn't seem that way, having even a little break from ttc can be a blessing in disguise. And the consultant might be able to suggest an treatment to help regulate your cycles.

I have tried taking Vit B6 in the past because at one stage, I was panicking that my luteal phase was too short and that this could be an issue for implantation. But I stopped because at the high dose I was taking it (which was still lower than the one recommended for ttc!), it was making me feel really awful, so bad I actually threw up at work. Self-medication is not without risks...

Little girl (having said that an ante-natal friend had paid for a gender scan, had a scan, told one gender... IT WAS THE OTHER ).

squiz when my daughter was born, the first thing I asked my husband (EMCS, he was the first to hold her) was - is she still a girl?

Apparently boys are usually boys, girls may not be

Thanks tiny and tanny.

Tanny don't worry about lack of symptoms. I was told by Mr S midwife that pred masks symptoms of breast tenderness and nausea - do nothing to be too concerned about. Only a week for your scan!

Squiz- congrats on making it to 31. Wowee how time flies! Is it a girl or a boy?

DH all appendix free and back home moping on the sofa safe and sound. What a relief. It was all a bit of a shock truth be told.

Hi squiz - lovely to hear a success story, especially one that's post-St Mary's input. Fingers crossed the rest of us will be where you are very soon. All the best for the rest of your pregnancy and beyond.

JBrd - sorry about your dream. Haven't had one like that but I can imagine waking up was pretty bad. Very cruel.

Hope the week flies by Tanny.

For those of you who've been through St Mary's, I got an appointment by phone but haven't yet received an appointment letter. Appointment is the last week of July and was booked one week ago. Should I be concerned? Anxious about missing it and being discharged!

Twilight all their letters are pretty late because of a new computer system which is a massive PITA for everyone patients or staff . But whenever I've turned up at the right place/time, they've not needed to see a letter. :)

Thanks Squiz. Congratulations on being on the home straight. You posted some stuff on the pregnancy after miscarriage thread on the day I miscarried that really helped and I quoted you on here the other day. Come and tell us when your lovely little girl is here.

Very glad to hear thatTwilight. What a shock eh?

Good luck to everyone going through a career change. That sounds very courageous. I agree though about a break. You would think work would be a helpful distraction but I have found I have felt much better on the days I have not been in work.

My sonographer said the opposite actually- that a foot or the umbilical cord can be mistaken for boy bits but if you get a girl at the right angle there are three stripes that are unmistakable.

Hello all, I am new here and wondered if I could pick your brains for advice/opinions/thoughts, on my recent St.Marys treatment plan?

Sorry for all of your losses, and thoughts to all those who are in particularly low places right now - pretty sure we have all been there.

History:
March 2011 - DS no issues, healthy 3 year old

June 2012: MMC - picked up on scan at 11.5 weeks, died at 7.5 weeks. ERPC

Sep 2013: Termination for medical reasons - I was 13 weeks. At 12 week scan a number of problems were found, given 90% chance of death in-utero. Karyotyping showed chromosomally normal - unknown cause of problems.

Jan 2014: MMC discovered at 9 weeks, no embryo seen, sac only, measuring about 6 weeks. MC at home this time, caught products (sorry-grim) found to have trisomy 22, common cause of mc.

All St. Mary's tests normal.

Now: bfp and 6.5 weeks. Went for appt at St.Marys this week. Was 6+1, sac measuring about right, yolk sac seen, but no foetal pole/heartbeat. Told may be normal/pregnancies develop at different rates etc etc, but obviously preparing self for worst.

At the same time I have strong symptoms. Then day after appt Dr called to say I am now breaking down clots more slowly (4.2% of clot in an hour, under 5% considered abnormal) though my clot formation is normal. He has prescribed aspirin 75mg and clexane 20mg.

However,he said 30% of women have clotting issues in pregnancy. Its well known that pregnancy is a risk factor for DVT's etc (last bit is my words not his). But 30% women don't have RMC...and clearly 1 of my losses was due to chromosomal abnormality, 1 due to some sort of developmental abnormality (clotting issues never suggested), so only 1 is unknown.I'm not convinced clotting is my problem.If its relatively normal to get'thicker' blood in pregnancy, and it may not be the cause of my losses, why am I now on medication? I actually don't think he read all my history..feels like a knee jerk reaction.

I tried to ask him questions on the phone, but I thought of most of it later. Long story short,not yet taken clexane, found a mid wife in antenatal clinic today who could see my point and tried to get Mr Rai to see me quickly but he wouldn't without my notes. My Dr from RMC clinic was supposed to call this afternoon to answer questions but didn't.

I am nervous of taking these meds, and don't know what to do.

Thoughts? Thanks for getting to the end I know it's a long one!

Also reading my post back it sounds a bit brusque, apologies, I was trying to fit all the info in and am on a mini tablet with small keyboard!

Hi bootles welcome, and sorry to hear of another woman who has been through the mill recently. I agree that each of your losses sounds different and that makes it hard to assess the significance of the TEG test. I would be asking what the potential risks and benefits are of the suggested treatment. I took clexane in my successful pregnancy for the first 12 weeks though I have no clotting issues, it is supposed to be cytoprotective for placental cells. Baby aspirin is widely prescribed but becoming controversial as a "just in case" treatment because of potential effects on implantation, but if an issue has been identified I personally would be happy enough to take it, you should be past that stage now anyway.

I'm finding it difficult to keep up with you chatty lot, but to everyone especially squiz and get well soon to Mr Twilight

Thanks baking...yes my plan today was to speak to a doctor about risks and benefits of taking the meds, but I couldn't access anyone - they are a tricky lot to get hold of it seems. Good to hear that it can be given where there are no clotting issues,and that is considered safe.

I didn't know clexane is supposed to be cytoprotective for placental cells, that's interesting. Reading back, its lovely to see you have baby Faith now, hope all is going well.

Thanks for reading my ramblings, ladies. :)
Squiz! Lovely to hear from you. Wow, I remember back after Christmas, good for you!
How is Mr Twilight?
One... Week... Left! Will hopefully get a new laptop soon. Mn blocked at work, so need to sort something; phone just not conducive to the convo...:)

squiz that's so heartening to hear. Massive congrats on your happy story and thank you for sharing. Make sure you keep us updated, not too long left now before she's here :)

Xx

Mr Twilight snoring away contentedly loudly next to me. Evidently the ward he was in last night was quite loud and he was woken up to have his vitals done every 30 mins so he's been quite tired and subdued today. It is hard to watch someone go through medical stuff and feel like you're looking on helplessly. Made me feel for our fellas with regard to the miscarriages. In order to compensate for useless feeling I went out and bought him a laptop of all things. It cheered him up no end although I am going to be paying for that 10 mins of impulsivity for about 12 months

Welcome *Bootles, but sorry you find yourself here. I've not been down the testing road yet but there are very wise women on here who will continue to advise you. I can offer slightly useless but hopefully supportive [tea], hugs and discussions about life being unfair. Inl seriousness though, it sounds like you've had a very rough time. I'm sorry for your losses.

Thanks for th advice re. letters Squiz.

I love Mr Twilight . He did give me a bloody fright though. We're used to life being a fairly predictable routine of TTC, 2ww, bfp, anxiety, spotting, terror, scan, bad news, mc, sadness at the mo. T'was indeed a shock longest.

Twilight: thank you, and sorry to hear Mr Twilight has been in hospital..hope he is on the mend and enjoying his new lap top!

The second loss was particularly gruelling, but all losses are gruelling, for all of us - its sad to see so many women have gone through this, but encouraging that there is a place for everyone to safely share. I am very aware that many women on here do not have any DC (yet..), and know I am lucky to have my DS - just didn't want that to go unsaid.

I finally gave the clexane last night..felt wrong to give anything in pregnancy but decided probably the right thing to do. I will discuss further with them next week, when anyway the scan may well show more bad news.

Twilight: I read back and saw you are waiting for your first St.Mary's appointment.. They have a brand new self-login system when you arrive for your appointment, at a computer next to tbe receptionist. Make sure you check with her that you are in the right bit for a first appointment (I think at mine I had a scan first to check my uterus, so you may need to be in that bit).

I say this because this week I waited in the designated spot for 45 mins before politely checking I was in the right place..the computer system hadn't recognised I was meant to have my early preg scan first - the receptionist sorted it, but it is a busy clinic with potential for confusion so best to check.