Recurrent miscarraige testing

[Gingerbreadmam]

Hi, i am.being referred to my local NHS RMC and have no idea what to expect, was wondering if anyone could advise?

I have had an mmc at 9 weeks, stillbirth at 27 weeks and mmc at 14 weeks where baby had suspected pataus awaiting results

Slightly off topic but my stillborn son had a condition called PFFD, when it was discovered at 20 weeks scan i had to have an amnio and im almost certain dp and i had blood test and were karotyped however dp says he doesnt think he was. It was almost two years ago and we were going through a lot at the time so i think he may just have forgotten. has anybody else had blood tests at an amnio and the babys father too?

I'm in Leicestershire and they said to expect it to up to 12 weeks - so frustrating, especially as they say you shouldn't try whilst waiting in case they need to commence treatment prior to your next pregnancy. I understand how you feel, all my friends are now pregnant (even those with struggles) and I keep thinking they will be having baby number 2 before I've even managed to have baby number 1. It must have been really difficult with your loss at 17 weeks (not saying the others weren't) but to have passed the so called 'safe point". I was devastated to find we had lost ours at 8+4 at a 12 week scan and then most recently a chemical that didn't even make it to 5 weeks. Xx

I must admit my 17 week loss was the most difficult and heartbreaking time of my life. We had tried for him for 3 years and I didn't even know I was pregnant until 11 weeks due to irregular periods. I only tested because I was sick randomly. I think no matter how far you get in a pregnancy it's so upsetting. I always get carried away and start looking at when I'd be due, my latest I would of been due beginning of December and I was worrying about how hot I'd get through the summer , so random but I did think of it 🙈 lol

I'm near Oxford, so I'm sure it's going to take a long time to get an appointment.

My GP said to carry on and try to conceive naturally if I wanted but I'm not allowed to take Clomid that I've been prescribed to help me fall pregnant. This is what I took when I fell pregnant with twins in my second pregnancy.

Fingers crossed we will have our little babies soon xxx

sorry i didnt realise the thread had been busy! just been trawling the topic for an rmc thread and found mine

im no further forward yet, just had an appointment letter for the geneticist. Rang to make an appointment, first available is 2nd August so i was in tears. Poor woman on the phone!

I'm just so confused and gutted at how lengthy this process seems to be. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. Wait and hope to god they find something to treat it or take the risk and try again and hope to god i dont have another mc. Nightmare!

OMG at GingerbreadMam - how on earth can they expect you to wait until August?? I thought my 12 weeks was ridiculous but that's another lovely. I'm 7 weeks down the line now so hopefully not too much longer to wait now. I am in exactly the same situation as you and my husband wanted us to try as we decided if nothing was wrong it was wasted time and if they found something then at least we knew and if I was pregnant we could prepare ourselves, however I'm not pregnant and it's not looking likely at the moment.

Littlefox10 I can only imagine how difficult it will be for you when you find out you are pregnant again. Are you going to try in the meantime and wait for an appointment to come through for your testing?

What's the reason you aren't allowed to take the clomid again? Xx

i know it's so tough.

i hope you get some news soon.

i need to loose weight so the time might not be a bad thing but if this last baby did have pataus and it was just one of those things the risks go up with maternal age so i dont know whether waiting is good or bad.

It's catch 22 isn't it as either way you just don't know what is best. Have you had your first AF since the miscarriage? Maybe wait until that and see how you feel then?. Xx

it's just landed this weekend. before i go back to work thankfully as its painful!

yes i guess. i have a wedding beginning of june and christening in the middle. i would be more than happy to wait until after those anyway. god knows how i will face a christening how i feel right now.

a quick drive througg a seaside town yesterday had me thinking all sorts. i just cant help wondering if that will ever be me. i always assumed i would be a parent when i was ready. never imagined there would be any problems.

I think that's normal - I have days where I feel the same and wonder will it ever be me and how I will live if that isn't the plan for me, it's not worth thinking about. Just remember we won't give up and we will keep going to do all we can to make sure our dreams come true.

June isn't far off though and gives you time to recover physically and mentally and hopefully get your referral through.

I bake cakes as a sideline and I can't tell you how many baby showers, first birthday cakes I've had to do recently..I sometimes think is someone out there trying to push to see how far I will go. X

it's tough but you're right. thanks for your kind words!

oh wow that must be tough. just think of the happiness your cakes are bringing though!

Yes I think we're just going to carry on trying and see what happens. I doubt I'd fall pregnant naturally, as I've really struggled the the past 6 years. They have advised not to take Clomid until my appointment just in case they want to try other tablets. I still haven't received any letter so I'm hoping it will be soon.

Oh that must be so hard for you, but like OP said imagine the happiness your cakes brings! I'd love to be able to bake.

Hope you're both well xx

I've had 4 miscarriages. After the first 3 I was referred to a fertility consultant at the hospital. I had to push for GP referral as they wouldn't have done anything for me otherwise. I already had a thyroid condition so he tested me for thyroid antibodies, caeliac, full blood count, vitamin D, iron etc, a whole series of blood tests. I think my first miscarriage was down to being severely hypothyroid as I had only recently been diagnosed and I was not taking my thyroxine regularly. I have other autoimmune problems including lichen sclerosis, eczema and a period of alopecia although that has seemed to sort itself out. I read online about elevated Natural Killer Cells affecting a pregnancy so I went to a private hospital in London to be tested for high NK cells in my blood (NHS don't pay for that). I showed the NHS consultant my results and he prescribed me 20mcg of prednisolone per day, also clexane injections and told me to take a low dose of aspirin. I'm not sure if I actually needed to clexane, it was more of a try everything method as I had 'unexplained fertility'. I also decided to check out a Chinese herbalist and book a course of accupuncture and reflexology. I did go on to have a healthy full term pregnancy afterwards and I have no idea if that was down to any of the treatments I took or just luck! Wishing you all on this board the best of luck x

how did you go about arranging the nk cells testing? is it just a blood test?

i was prescribed baby aspirin after my son, i would want the injections next time too but wondering how likely they would be to give me them with no results?

im as well as can be expected littlefox thanks for asking. Hope you are too!

6 weeks tomo since moat recent mmc. ive been off all that time due to the circumstances but returning next week. dreading it in a way but know i have to go back at some point.

Thanks both - I enjoy baking so it isn't that bad really and I know someone will be making some for me one day. keep me up to date with your progress won't you?

DaisyLouB - sorry you had to go through that heartbreak but it's so good to hear you have your happy ending. The clinic I am at do test for NK cells but I Think it's part of a trial - I may look into that if all my bloods come back clear.

I've been having reflexology for a few months now and I absolutely love it. I have also had a few acupuncture sessions although I find reflexology much more suited to me. I may look into a herbalist though as I'm willing to try anything. Xx

I googled Natural Killer cell testing and the Lister Hospital in Chelsea came up in some forums so I booked a consultation there explained that I had some autoimmune problems and that I was in the process of being referred to an NHS consultant. He advised to have the NK cells test done straight after my consultation if I wished and the results would be back in a week or so. I had the test done (along with consultation I think I paid out roughly £800 ) it's just a blood test. The results came back as having elevated NK cells. The sent the results to me so I bought the results along to my initial consultation with the NHS consultant. I doubt he would have prescribed me prednisolone without it. I took it for the moment I had a positive pregnancy test. My problem was I was able to get pregnant okay but couldn't sustain a pregnancy further than about 8 weeks. I took the prednisolone until week 11. I was having weekly scans and then I started to reduce the dosage slowly. After I had my first child I then had another early miscarriage but then had a surprise/unplanned pregnancy and didn't take any of these treatments but went on to have a healthy pregnancy and full term baby. Perhaps having a baby can rectify certain conditions in your body that make it unfavourable to carrying a baby. Just as ladies with endometriosis, having a baby can help sort out the endo problems. Perhaps after having my first born it corrected some of the imbalances in my body. i recall having no flare ups with eczema or lichen sclerosis at all during those two successful pregnancies.

that's great thank you. i will get on google as im in the north east.

As far as i knoe.i have no auto immune conditions but funnily.enough with my son who was stillborn at 27 weeks i just stopped getting coldsores. This most recent pregnancy i got my first coldsore since ds was born and have had them continually since miscarrying. I wonder if there is a link?

Thanks @DaisyLouB I think I'll ask about that at my next appointment at the clinic. I'm currently on a SIM trail (scratch in miscarriage) however if I'm not pregnant in 3 months they want to see me again to look at other options. May is the last month before we go back to ththe drawing board.

That's interesting at @gingerbreadman with my pregnancies I've had an eczema flare up around one eye and the pregnancy I got to 8 weeks was the worst and as soon as I'm not pregnant it goes. Xx

well had a bit of a downer moment today - thought i best chase up my rmc referral as its been 4 weeks and gp said 2 for a letter and it seems rmc bounced it back to gp and said i need a genetecist.

Strangely i received a letter over the weekend for the genetecist and was confused about what it was for so that bit is starting to make sense but surely they are two seperate issues?

or does the fact they are missed miscarraiges and an induced stillbirth mean theyre not?

so frustrating and i still havent got to the bottom of whether dp and i have been kayrotyped already or not.

How frustrating @gingerbreadmam. I hate it when you seem to be bounced pillow to post and no one bothers to tell you why.

I hope we both get some answers soon. Xx

Well after my post the geneticist called and gave me more info.than anyone else so far.

she said it is unlikely pataus came from a chromosone issue. It can happen but is very rare. If there is a possibility it will be clear when the results from the baby are back as it will have either standard trisomy 13 or trans something trisomy 13 which is the genetic one.

Her views are we have just had bad luck and we would be better with rmc than them so im speaking to gp tuesday for another referral.

i feel a bit more positive now actually.

Finally received my referral letter. I had to book my appointment and the earliest was 27th June, which is a lot closer than I thought it would be. Just now need to book the time off work. How long does the first appointment take? What sort of things do they ask?

Hope you're well xxx

Hi fox spoke to gp yesterday who is putting referral back in so im still waiting for my appointment.

27 June isnt all too bad. good luck with it all. cant help with what they do im afraid.

Oh I hope you get your appointment soon! I know I thought it was going to be longer to be honest. I've managed to book the day off work too so I don't need to rush back, especially if it's an intense appointment. Don't think I could go back to looking after everyone else's babies when I've just been for an appointment about mine 😞 I love my job but it is hard sometimes. Xxx

That's good @littlefox10 - I am still waiting for my appointment. It will have been 9 weeks on Monday since I had all the blood tests. It's so frustrating just waiting....

good idea fox. forgot what you said you do again?

i didnt think about booking the day off but it is a good idea. i always feel pressured about appointments at worl and like no1 really understands how hard this all is.

nicola such a long wait, have you tried chasing it?

are you both holding off ttc until tests have been done etc? did the hospital give you any advice on that nicola?