what do you do after 5 miscarriages and nobody knows why....

[posh41]

Hi,

I had my first miscarriage in November 2005 and had my 5th last week.
I have had to have 4 D&C's as my body has only naturally gone through the motions once.
None of the pregnancies have got to baby heart beat stage.
In between I have had 3 rounds of IUI treatment which have all failed.
I am 42 and have had all the tests known to man I think up until about a year ago.
I do have a gorgeous son who is 3 and a half who I conceived naturally the 1st month I tried. I sailed through my pregancy but did end up having an emergency c section.
I had been planning to give IVF a go as obviously time is not on my side and my doctor believes I do have a good egg in there somewhere!
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions or knows any additional tests that may help Id appreciate the advice as am very sad and struggling to get out of the black hole I am in.
I work full time and am the only wage earner as my partner looks after our son full time.

Hi Posh41.

I'm really sorry to hear the anguish you have been through.I am currently experiencing my 5th miscarriage....it sucks.
I have three dd's who I adore...but I would dearly love another.

We haven't had many tsts but we did both have blood tests done after my 4th mc ( before dd3 arrived) and they didn't show any reason...

Sorry I can't be of any help, but just wanted you to know you're not alone and I'd be interested in seeing if you get any tips.

Best of luck, don't give up!

Thanks Mumto3girls for your words of encouragement and I am sorry that you are going through it too.

Posh

Hello Posh

So sorry to hear that you are going through this. No personal experience here but I have two close friends who both had multiple miscarriages, with no known reason, and who both went onto have successful pregnancies.

HTH a little

Sorry to hear that

I know someone who has 2 healthy children despite seven unexplained MCs. Try not to get too depressed about it - difficult I know.

Posh

I really admire your courage and I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I had one mc and it took be a very very long time to get over it.

There was a programme last year on the BBC on multiple miscarriages and women were being referred to Paddington Hospital (St Mary's) in London for early pregnancy treatment. Perhaps the hospital can point you in the right direction for further tests in your area should you want this.

Best of luck to youxxxx

Have you had your homocysteine levels checked? It is not something I have personal experience of, just something I read in a book.

See www.homocysteine.net

I'm so sorry for your loss, I have just suffered a mc (last week, first PG) and can only begin to imagine how devastating multiple mc's are.

You can buy test kits for homocysteine here...

homocysteine tests

Might be worth googling a bit though to see if you think it might apply to you. I haven't had mine checked so sorry can't give you any better advice, but just thought as you have had everything else checked... Good luck

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and I will certainly check out the homocysteine test, I have not heard of that one!
Being 40+ can be very frustrating when it comes to investigations as everything seems to cost.

Hope you are enjoying the sunshine

Posh

I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this. I have no words of wisdom just wanted to wish you luck, I went through infertility before the birth of my dd and one mc and I still haven't got over it, so I think you are so very brave to keep trying.

Have you read a book called 'miscarriage - the good news'? It helped me a bit (despite the insensitive title)

hello posh

my db and sil went through something similar and they found through genetic testing on their embryos (that spelling really looks wrong, sorry) that it had something to do with the combination of the two of them that was not ideal. I'm sorry, I don't know more techinical details but basically of say 6 embryoes tested, 5 would not have been compatible with life, so until they realised this, each time they would have a successful IVF cycle, it would end in miscarriage very early on (until miracle baby Neve who was born two weeks ago after 10 years of heartache!)
If you would like me to get some more information please let me know and I"ll talk to them so I can perhaps make a bit more sense.
Hugs and hope to you
xx

Hello MelbourneMum,

Glad to hear they got there in the end!

I think the thing that makes less sense with me is that I had with no trouble at all conceiving my gorgeous son who is now 3 and a half and I had no miscarriages prior.

The product of the 1st D&C they did do some test on and there was no abnormalities which they said at the time was a good sign.
Having said all that it would be very kind of you to get me more information and I will ask my doctor.

Thanks again

Posh

I'm in a similar (ish) position.

After a couple of early mc, around 6 weeks, I had one last January at 11 weeks (think the baby died around 9). The 'products' weren't tested, as the hospital was incompetent.

Then last September I had a missed m/c at 13 weeks, discsovered at the nuchal fold scan. I'd had a scan at 10 weeks showing a healthy heartbeat and right size. The PoC was tested, and showed Edwards Syndrome (a chromosonal thing, like Downs).

Before I got that result, though, I went to a private guy on Harley Street for tests, who diagnosed over-active NK cells, and prescribed steroids for 'next time'. Hurrah, I thought. It will all be OK.

Got pregnant in January, and had a missed mc last week at 11 weeks, having, once again, seen a heartbeat at 8.5 weeks. The baby died at 9 weeks. Harley Street man is mystified, but no doubt one of those harder-nosed Gill Lockwood types would say it's another genetic problem, what with me being old (41). I have yet to have results of this one back from the lab.

I don't know where to go from here. If it's another chromosonal prob, maybe I'll have to do the IVF where they select Ok embryos.

I have had three totally unexplained m/c's despite very extensive testing. I am now due to go next week to see Prof Regan at St mary's (recurrent m/c clinic), and am hoping that an opinion from her will help us decide whether to try again or not. She is very much the leading expert in the field. Her waiting list is long (even though I am seeing her as a private patinet), but she tends to see women over 40 sooner. I will let people know how it goes, but, posh, I think it may well be worth getting her opinion too.

By the way: The NK cell thing is not clinically proven and the Royal College of Obstetricians is keen to stress that tretament for this is not something they would recommend. Have a look at

www.rcog.org.uk/resources/Public/pdf/Recurrent_Miscarriage_No17.pdf

to see what they recommend.

Hope this helps.

Hi
Am so sorry to hear of the hard time your having.
I have had a miscarrriage, told i had endo, and needed ivf which we had, and am bless with a DD but sadly her twin died, due to blood flow problems.
It wasnt until after I had my DDs had a follow up blood test due to a DVT I had to discover I had a blood condition called Factor V (5) Lyden which causes thick blood which can result in clots and miscarriages. I should have been tested for this when we started our fertility journey but i slipped through the net,one reason it is a new condition. So I tell every one who has had miscarraiges to ask for this blood test to be done. My friend had 5 MC and she too has now been told of a blood condition similar to mine. It means you need blood thinners when you become pregnant.
Good Luck and hope this helps, thoughts and love to you x Boopx

It is so hard when you haven't got a reason, or something to fight against.

I had 7 mc's and then two sucessful PG's - my DD was born just after my 40th birthday. Had all the tests under the sun after the m/cs and the only difference in the two sucessful PG's was that I took low dose aspirin as soon as I found out I was PG and for about the first 24-30 weeks. the test for blood clotting problems is apparantly very rough and ready and my gynae told me there was no harm in taking it even though the tests hadn't shown blood clotting problems. No harm in asking your dr if this is an idea for you.

Also I was looking at entirely unrelated stuff and came across PCOS as a condition which can cause m/c's - never knew this. You might want to see if you have other symptoms of PCOS which might suggest you should be tested.

Good luck x

I had 1 mc, then DS1 and then 2 mcs. After laods of tests I had antiphospholipid antibody syndrome and hyperthyroid syndrome. Both increase the miscarriage rate to 80% and 40% respectively. Anyhow, aspirin and clexane (blood thinning) injections helped as did getting the thyroid under control.. and we now have DS2 and DD. Every best wish that you also have a positive ending too... I was in the depths of despair at times so my thoughts are with you.