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?

Cat, we'll miss you, you have been warm and supportive to us all. I really hope you succeed in your dreams, you deserve to. We are here for you, so please do come back to let us know how you get on, lots of love xxx

Jo everyone sorry I haven't posted in a few days. The D&C really took it out of me. Have had pains and things all week. It's a relief to have it over with but at the same time I'm feeling empty and like a failure. I was longing to become a mum and now I won't be. The bleeding has stopped but HPT still has positive results. How unfair

Hi sruddy sorry to hear you've been struggling. You're not a failure hun. The HPT thing is so hard, I was still having +ve almost 3 weeks after mine, I've stopped testing now, although I'm ferning every day which is a bit weird. Think my hormones are still off (at least if the giant pulsing spot on my chin has anything to say about it!) 4 weeks tomorrow since mine. It's so hard isn't it. Big virtual hugs xx

Just dropping in quickly to say a belated but very heartfelt thank you to bakingtins and tannyLoo for answering my questions about vitamins and bristol rmc a couple of days ago. I just cannot keep up with this thread, sorry not to be able to participate more. Hello to everyone, and very sorry for those struggling right now.

Got my first AF since mc a couple of days ago. Exactly 4 weeks since I started bleeding which I find reassuring, but only 4 days after a v faint pos pg test, which confused me. I had thought that I wouldn't ov and therefore wouldn't get my AF until HPT were negative. Had some crap family news and I need to put my energies towards looking after others right now which will put ttc on the back burner. Combined with it now being my due date for first pg/mc pretty shitty time right now.

cat good luck, and I hope some time to think will be a healing process for you whatever you do next. thank you for the generous support you've given to everyone here.

Sorry to hear so many are struggling. I had my erpc yesterday and it all seemed to go well. I was really scared but want to reassure anyone who is facing one that physically it's really not too bad. I've got the odd twinge and a tiny bit of bleeding but haven't had to take more than a couple of ibuprofen since I've been home.

I even managed a walk around town as there was a food and drink festival happening - the hard thing was seeing so many tiny babies and pregnant women. I swear they have multiplied since I had my bad news on Monday.

I want to see the GP in the next week or so about testing for recurrent miscarriages. Does anyone have any experience of getting a referral after only 2 mc because of being a bit older? I've been advised to wait 3 months before ttc by which time I will be nearly 41. Even if I get pregnant within 3 months, if I mc carry again I'll be pushing 42 and time is running out. Apart from the fact that I don't know if I can face going through all of this again emotionally without knowing it was just bad luck rather than a specific problem.

Also what do they test for? I have no clue. My pregnancy with my dS 9 years ago was so straight forward I just took it all for granted. Can you develop problems over time?

cat Good luck with whatever you decide to do - we will miss your warmth and support. Do come back if you feel up for it!

effin Sorry that you are having so much to deal with right now... When it rains, it pours. I wouldn't worry too much about having AF arrive so soon after a still-positive hpt - it can take quite q while for your hormones to stop running riot after an mc and for everything to settle down again. Wishing you lots of strength for dealing with the family issues - but don't forget to look after yourself, too!

sleeping Go to your GP and ask about testing/referral for recurring mc, it can't hurt. I've heard a lot of stories where GPs have been forthcoming and done at least some tests, even if people haven't had 3 mcs. You might be lucky! They could run some blood tests, to check hormone levels (eg. progesterone) to check your ovulation, as well as for any blood clotting issues (a quite common reason for mc).
I had my AMH tested at some point, but you have to get that done privately, NHS doesn't offer it. But looking back, it didn't really help that much. I found out that I have quite a low ovarian reserve (which is to be expected, given my age - 42), but that does not really tell you anything else. In spite of having a low egg reserve, I ovulate, my cycles are regular, and I know I can get pg quite easily. For me, it's the egg quality that's the issue, but there's not much I can do about that (currently spending fortunes on supplements to help with that ).
Why did they advise you to wait 3 months before ttc again? For physical or for emotional reasons?

anna Don't worry about asking questions here - we all do that all the time, and your question is one of the ones that keeps getting asked again and again. Mc has such a massive impact on your life, and it's different for everyone. We have all developed different coping mechanisms, but it is bloody hard - there is so much good advice on here on every aspect of how to deal with it, so please do ask.

Big temperature drop for me this morning as well, and I have started spotting today, so AF is imminent I'm disappointed, even though I knew that my chances for a BFP were very low this month. I was very shouty with DS this evening as a result and don't want to talk to DH either. Think I might just go to bed as soon as possible...

sorry to hear of so many of you having a hard time at the moment. (((hugs)))

sleeping if you don't ask....much of the NHS testing is just blood tests which your GP could easily run for you. The issue might be they don't know enough about it to know what to test. I paid to see a consultant privately after MC 3-but-not-3-in-a-row, and she sent my GP a list of tests to run.
They do full blood count, thyroid profile, check for diabetes, raft of tests for immune factors like rheumatoid factor and anti-nuclear antibodies, raft of clotting tests for 'sticky blood' / APS, possibly karyotyping ( genetic testing) on both partners. hormone tests ( FSH/LH) on cycle day 2 and progesterone in latter part of cycle. An RMC clinic would do a scan of uterus/ovaries/cervix, and possibly other tests like HSG to look at your anatomy. This is much less likely to be an issue since you've had a child, but I suppose you could have adhesions, fibroids, PCOS develop since.
Like cloud I paid for the AMH as I was 39 when tested, and I also paid privately for NK cell testing/implantation clinic at Coventry when the tests were normal yet I had another MC.
Lots of us have children and have only run into problems TTC #2 or 3, that's not uncommon.

Thank you everyone for your kind messages and support at this crappy time. I'm so sorry that we are all here. I went to see my GP on Friday and she has offered to run the basic blood tests and advised me to wait a reasonable time before ttc. But like you effin my first mc would be due this month and all I want is to get pregnant ASAP to fill the void I feel. I also wanted some advice off of you wonderful ladies.. Since my first mc back in February I often get sharp crampy pains on the left side of my lower abdomen and after my d&c last Tuesday they have started again. Should I be worried??

Mention it to GP, sruddy it probably justifies a scan to check your ovaries etc. best time to do it would be around day 21 (assuming 28 day cycle) then you could ask them to assess thickness of your womb lining too. It should only be a matter of days to get the basic bloods back, so at least have one cycle off to recuperate a bit and see if anything comes of them.

Hi shruddy I developed mittlesmertz (ovulation pain) after my first miscarriage so it may be that

Thanks @bakingtins and @idisnt definitely think I'm going to mention it to gp as it's quite intense this morning and still just that one side. Be best to put mind at ease anyway xx

Cat, wishing you a positive next step, whatever you decide is best for you. My bestest and warmed wishes x x x

... and I've just seen the bloody news headlines, great. Dearest AF has just arrived against the background of my preg friend announcing her mat leave for same due date as my mc3, (she's lovely but it was a bit of a bolt as i did great job of ignoring the passing of time up til now) our neighbour announcing last week she's expecting and now another royal baby on the way means gushing and excessive media coverage of pregnancy. Brilliant. Anyone else want to join me at the bar for a huge drink and moan? I wish I could hear of some good news for one of you on here this week, that would cheer me up :) I will make do with the hope given by tanny and baking :) Not been on here for ages, sorry to be moany. Am usually quite cheery. Fingers crossed for everyone that better times are just ahead. For us all X x x

Ps sleeping and sruddy, I meant to say I'm so sorry you're going through such terrible times right now. I found wonderful support just reading this thread back when. Sorry you're here but glad you found this place. X x x

Royal baby? ARGH.

In positive news, my acupuncturist said I'm getting better, energy wise. Yay! #positivementalattitudeifitkillsme

goodness yes, i just wrote a sweary rant in the due April MC thread as it seems she is due at the same time as me. so if things go wrong for me i will have SO MANY rteminders ahhhhrggh

Duchess of Cambridge expecting her 2nd one!!

I had my first mc before her first one was even born!

tiny I was 'bump buddy' with the DoC for my first mc, and it was pretty awful when the news of the Royal baby arrival were everywhere... Fingers crossed that you won't be in that situation! How are you doing?!

Yeah, that news, combined with AF about to arrive, is a nasty punch in the gut Feeling guilty about my rage, the poor woman has hyperemesis and no privacy for anything but still manages to look bloody gorgeous all the time, even within 5mins of giving birth Feeling pretty hard done by at the moment

I'm ok cloud thanks. get bouts of afternoon nausea so still hopeful...
Next scan on the 18th, can't bloody wait...

I won't rest until I am past the 12w, I think... my first mc i started bleeding at 10w but hadn't had any scans, so no idea when things went wrong... but this is the latest i've been in a pregnancy other than my DD... and that one... but on bad days i think if i stop the cyclogest i will start bleeding immediately...

Sigh....

Oh cloud, yes, those days just before AF are terrible... :-(

I feel exactly the same with the news of a royal baby all over the papers someone somewhere seems to effortlessly pregnant. My first mc would have been due this month I should be big and ready to pop and instead I'm empty. My most recent mc due in march.. Feel so sad. I'm up for joining you all the bar and getting absolutely wasted! Still testing positive on hpt 6 days after d&c..

sruddy maybe stop taking the hpts? I was still reading with a faint positive (or evap line, whatever, don't know) almost 3 weeks later. Surgeon had mentioned on the day not even to take one before 2 weeks because there was a good chance it would still show +ve. I'm pretty sure I'm ovulating at the moment as I'm ferning like mad (28 days since ERPC) so I'm expecting it will be 2-3 weeks before AF shows up. I have NEVER EVER in my life wanted AF so badly. It feels weird after all that time hoping I wouldn't have one!

PS sruddy we're on the same timetable, 1st mc due date is 30 Sept, 2nd March 11 next year. So Freaking Unfair.

I've just got home from work and got a letter from my GP surgery asking me to make an urgent telephone appointment about my recent blood tests. Rung up and some tests I had done in a&e were abnormal. Got a consultation this afternoon

Not strictly miscarriage related but I'm worried!

Hope nothing too bad... could be something like thyroid (where i also got a scared call from my GP) that is easily fixable with meds...

good luckl

Ididn't - Sorry you're worried. Agree it could by thyroid or something. Fingers crossed for a nice treatable explanation for mcs result.

Glad everything went ok sleeping.

Yes, I seem to have developed ovulation pain since my last mc too - thought it was appendictis the first time!

Another grr to pregnant princess -I saw the headline and just thought "AGAIN???". It seems like such a long time that I have been ttc dc2 - I think it is over 18 months now. Dd started her pre-school settling this morning. It went well but is another milestone. I thought I would be on mat leave by now - instead I have had to sign her up for breakfast and and after-school club. xx