Recurrent Miscarriage Support - tests, treatment, trying again - thread 11

[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?

this is still NHS...

As Prof Quenby told me to tell my GP it is called "self-funded NHS appointment" - she said they don't do private and we are paying the hospital...

Cloud No I haven't and I now know my fsh May be wonky as I had that positive opk just before my period. Who would I ask about that? My gp or st Mary's? And no we haven't had karotyping yet. Mr Rai reckoned it wouldn't change his treatment plan at this stage but maybe I should push for it? My periods are average I think but who knows really. Definitely not heavy, I wouldn't say, apart from this one which is heavier. Mcs have generally lasted 5 days with only one day of clotting and very little pain but they have been early gestation - 5-6 weeks, though one was missed at 11 weeks and one at 7.

I feel you. Got home from holiday feeling refreshes and have been in a cold filled slump ever since. Not much improvement even now.

Have emailed dh and think we have decided to book a Coventry appointment, though can't until Kerri is back next week. I haven't yet decided whether to hold off ttc until after that. Will wait and see how I feel when ov comes round I think - and will definitely ask again about my hormone levels at my St Mary's appointment next week.

Read a couple of my conception/fertility books last night and ended up clutching hot chocolate sobbing on my own at midnight. Fun.

I know most of you are taking more high tech/medical actions but does anyone have any advice on the less interventionist side, while I wait to see if I get preg/MC a third time? I asked me GP about aspirin and she advised absolutely not. I'm going to try to keep the booze and caffeine down while TTC this time (I KNOW I shouldn't but a glass of wine is such a big way for me to wind down, and I sort of resent having to abstain "just in case"). I take a pregnancy multivit which I bought when I was on hols in Australia, and I'm taking an extra folic acid. Anything else? I was thinking about adding a probiotic and perhaps more Omegas/fish oil. I'm reluctant to supplement too much, I don't think you ever know how they're interacting etc. I'm going to go to my acupuncturist today and sort out a series of weekly sessions. They always try to pressure me into the herbs but a) they're disgusting and b) it's a super traditional chinese place and I'm a bit scared about what they're giving me, for the same reason I mentioned above.

Charlie I am the same. When trying ttc dd I cut out booze, except sometimes when on AF and I knew I wasn't pg. Then I got cross and impatient and decided I was never going to get pregnant without something to regulate my cycle, started drinking again pending my blood results coming back and got pregnant that cycle. I felt really guilty and asked the Dr but she said no way would it have been harmful that early in pregnancy - you don't even share a blood supply and the egg is getting its nourishment from the yolk. So this time I have been much less careful until I have my BFP, but I am starting to wonder if it was the cutting out booze in the months before my BFP month that made the difference with dd, especially as alchohol's a blood thinner and I seem to have thin blood (though Mr Rai denies it - he says it clots fine I just break them down quickly and that's a good thing). In the absence of anything else it's worth a try though eh? I don't like the idea I might have caused the mcs though.

I am also in 2 minds about agnus castus, which I have been taking but keep changing my mind. I am scared about my late ovulation causing poor egg quality and since no one will prescribe me anything else (and Mr Rai said it was fine for me to take) I have been taking agnus castus but like you I am not generally a fan of messing about with things I don't properly understand and I would happily ditch it in favour of progesterone or metformin or if I got a clear answer from a doctor why I don't have to worry.

Working from home (ha - kind of!) and just collapsed in a heap of tears but have come out with renewed resolve and a plan. 1) Will restrict alchohol and caffeine; 2) Will print out all the info I can find on late ovulation and egg quality and thin blood/womb lining and miscarriage and PCOS and take it with me to my St Mary's appointment on Tuesday. 3) I will give them a massive grilling about my hormone levels and thin blood question and get some proper answers about why they are unconnected to my mcs. 4) If I am reassured or referred for hormone tests, great and I will resume ttc this cycle. If not, I will book an appointment at Coventry and hold off ttc till I have seen them.

Wow. So many posts its hard to keep up!

charlie I know where you're coming from with the 'low tech'. I cut caffeine right back - stopped the nespressos, costa-lot, and starbucks and stuck with one cup of instant in the morning, till the morning sickness made me ditch even that. Multivits - just be careful you dont take anything with vit A. I Wwas worried about the generic fish oils but found one specific for pregnancy (pregnacare max???). Also had a bad experience with chinese herbal meds (though a long time ago now) when i found out what i'd been using probably had steroids in. The experience has sadly put me off for life now!

longest 33 too so you're not alone in those thoughts...
(hugs)

After another anxious, sleepless night am going to try and get a half day at work in. I figure, even if i dont get much done (brain feels like mush) the distraction/change of scenery will be good...

on the friday before my BFP (a tuesday) there was a party here at work and I had a few glasses of Sangria (hic) but I haven't been drinking much probably since 2011... had a couple of nights out after E was born but as breastfeeding never went totally mental...

so it might help, it might not, it might mean nothing...
the reason i still drank is that binge drinking chain smoking 18 year olds get pregnant and have their children and why should I not have two or tree glasses myself...

Sigh...

and to those of you complaining of being 33 i turn 41 next week!!
Ahrgh, proper geriatic territory!

Tiny don't worry - I wasn't complaining about being 33 in that sense - more that I think I am still pretty young fertility-wise and I would find it easier to believe I had just been unlucky with chromosomes if I was older, so I am panicking that there is a cause, just not one that is being treated.

longest ditto and sorry tiny wasn't complaining.... (hardly ever get called 'young' anywhere else though!)

Oh crap. Just got letter saying they didn't send enough 'sample' to get cytogenetics.
I really wanted to know....

I'm only 31 but I'm afraid I've damaged my eggs - a couple of years ago I got IPL all over my bikini area. I was getting married a year later and wanted to do something nice for the DH I didn't even think about it in connection with TTC until a friend who has 2 kids was like "oh I've been doing IPL, I wouldn't do it unless I already had kids though" (thanks friend). I was travelling all the time for work so didn't do it regularly like I was supposed to so the hair hasn't disappeared, just lessened.
I've brought it up a few times both with my GP and the EPU and they both reassured me that there's no connection but it doesn't stop me freaking out.

dont worry, i just always feel a bit sorry for myself in the run up to my birthday!

and last year's one was a complete mess where I spent it in hospital with my DD having suspected meningitis (but was only a bad chest infection) and spent 3 days there... so I am hoping this year will be better...

Entitled I am sorry. I had that too and am still gutted about it - especially after all that faffing with seives and yoghurt pots and nonsense.

I have never heard anything like that charlie - Please don't beat yourself up. IPL is just light, no? Your friend probably just got mixed up with other types of radiation.

Tiny - hope your birthday is fab. x

Charlie I agree that IPL will not do any damage, it's just light!

enlightened That's rubbish - any point in complaining about this? That really shouldn't have happened...

tiny Cheer up, I'm older than you Hope you can enjoy your birthday more this year!

I've cut back caffeine to a maximum of 2 cups/day, one when I am in the 2ww. After I found that the Nespresso decaf actually tastes quite nice, it wasn't so hard after all.
I never drank much, but now it's even less, usually a couple of glasses at weekends - this was mainly due to watching the calories, but I just stuck with it. Wish DH would do the same!

I take folic acid (800mg/day), Royal Jelly, CoQ10 and Omega 3, all of which are supposedly good for egg quality... I'm staying away from anything that might influence my cycle, like agnus castus or DHEA, and won't try Chinese herbs (yet) - those are strong stuff, and personally, I want more scientific back-up for the more 'invasive' supplements.
And I force DH to take supplements and do exercise, too

I will, however, take aspirin when I get a BFP (but this is to more to do with my history of DVT than to help sustain a pregnancy - although I'm happy to have that 'side effect' ).
Apart from that, I eat healthily and am trying to lose weight to get back into the healthy BMI range. Frequent exercise, but this again is more for my emotional wellbeing, as it just makes me feel better.

Thanks cloud/lurker - that's reassuring.

I might pump up my omegas. I think I just need to go online & compare my pills with pregnacare (that's the gold standard in the UK right?). I read somewhere that you should drink full fat organic milk as the hormones are not as strong/concentrated as my normal skim so I'm spending all my $$ on that and trying not to have as much dairy generally. Can't hurt!

I'm trying to lose a bit of weight as well, I'm slightly overweight BMI-wise so could stand to lose a few lbs. I managed to lose about half a stone while I had morning sickness on my most recent pregnancy - yay for unintended consequences! It's made me want to really load up on the veggies & protein now, for about a month I didn't eat anything that wasn't beige. I'm a bit paranoid about my weight, I have a bit of a poochy tummy, and right after my last MC a colleague who I don't see very often said "oh do you have some good news...?" It wasn't his fault, he was trying to be nice but it made me feel pretty crappy.

Sounds like we're all doing the right stuff. Tiny hope you have a great birthday - eat some cake for us!

Love talking about this stuff. I'm a total TTC geek!

I have been alcohol free on the whole for about three years but every now and again I do go mad and have a blow out to brush the cobwebs off haha.

I'm caffine free and almost although not completely gluten free. I eat at least five fruit and veg every day and have a BMI of 20. I take 5mg folic acid, CoQ10, Omega 3, multi B vit, C vitamin and a preconception vitamin.

DH has a BMI of 24. I make him take solenium, tumeric, multi preconcerption vitamin and high dose Vit C to keep him fighting fit. We can't afford colds etc druing shag week haha.

I don't know if any of it makes any difference but I figure it's worth trying and can't do any harm.

For the new ones on here we are both 34 and have been trying for DC#1 for over five years. Had two mcs this year following fertility treatment and am now trying meds again.

Tiny how are you getting on? Do you have something nice planned for your birthday? Girl in my office had her 2nd baby at 44 so there's time for us all yet!!!

xxx

On the day I am going to the Shard!

For my 10th work anniversary got given a red letter day voucher so picked going to the shard and then for lunch with DH

then on the saturday was going to have a picnic but as the weather might not be so good shall just have some friends + kids round in the afternoon for a little bit...

Where do you guys get all your vitamins from? I have just been taking Sainsbury's vitamin D and folic acid but think I might look into a stronger dose folic acid at least. Am also going to try and lose some weight - dh is keen too though I think he is a healthier weight than me. My BMI is actually quite high though I am tall and a classic pear shape and Mr Rai just looked at me and said "you're clearly a healthy weight". Didn't have the heart to tell him! I actually lost weight quite easily after dd with breastfeeding but have piled it back on while ttc. Comfort eating is hard to avoid.

I hadn't heard of CoQ10 and Royal jelly before this thread. Will check them out.

Because my first mc was a chemical pg I was fairly sure I'd just been unlucky until mc3 - The idea that I was a recurrent miscarrier sort of came crashing in on me all at once so I feel I am having to belatedly get up to speed.

Oh I forgot, GP recommended that my DH takes a zinc supplement. Apparently it's good for his swimmers. So I've convinced him to do that!

Longest you can only get 5mg of folic acid off your GP on prescription. It's a good one to have though, my consultant is convinced it helps with implantation.

I get the rest of my suppliments from Holland and Barrett. They have a fantastic rewards scheme and the staff are quite knowledgeable so it's well worth taking a look around.

Tiny that sounds like a lovely birthday!

xxx

Catlover/cloudjumper what does the CoQ10 do? I googled and can't find anything authoritative

Sorry - found it. Might as well start chucking that down the gullet as well. I'm going to start rattling!

I buy the folic acid/ttc vits from the supermarket (Pregnacare or Sanatogen) and take 2 tablets instead of one to get the slightly higher FA dose on board. Most doctors will not prescribe the 5mg FA dose, unless you have lost a baby due to neural tube defects in the past.

All the other vits and supplements I get from Amazon, but simply because I'm lazy and can't be arsed to traipse to H&B, as this would involve a trip into town

Royal Jelly and CoQ10 are meant to improve egg (and semen) quality... Apart from doing lots of other good things, allegedly

I am usually quite careful about self-medicating, but let's face it, I'm desperate.

I just take Boots own folic acid + vitamin D but i take two tablets at once...

Ooooh I'll get my hubby some zinc on my way home. He will be thrilled x