Recurrent miscarriage testing - 1st app

[Softscoop35]

Hey 😁

In short, 4 pregnancies, 4 losses. Ds (living) was the result of 3rd pregnancy but as he was a twin, my GP has classed that as a loss too.

2 losses from CP
2 losses after seeing heartbeat.

Im lucky that i have managed to get a cancellation for friday after waiting only 3 weeks.

What should i expect from my 1st appointment?

Im also lucky in the fact that my local hospital and clinic where im receiving treatment is where Prof.Quenby is based.

Not sure how relevant that is mind as my app is on the gynae ward.
I have a few questions if anyone could answer?

Would i be eligible for Kryotyping on NHS?
As ive had a child, would i even need it?
I know they test for blood clotting and thyroid, but what else will the test for?

I do wonder if i would see Prof. Quenby as an NHS patient. My bet is i wouldnt. I have a very vague memory of having a chat with her way before i had DS but i could be wrong.

Any advice would be handy. I have a tendency of having high expectations so i want to go in there, kinda knowing what im going to get out of it.

(Ps, i know there is a 50% chance i wont get anything out of it)

Thanks in advance

@StarGal88 that all sounds positive and reassuring for you. I've got everything crossed!! When do you get your blood results back?

Were going to actively try in January but did have sex twice during the window this month so we shall see.

I've got my next appointment with professor Quenby 8th Jan to discuss results.

Xx

@HalGem99 yes hopefully all this helps falling pregnant next time. I got my most of my bloods back all were normal just waiting on 1 of the sticky bloods but I was told that it should be fine as all my other bloods have come back fine.

Hopefully it works for you! Keep me posted. Xx

@StarGal88

Have a good Christmas and here's to 2021 being our year hopefully!!! Xx

@HalGem99 definitely here’s to a better 2021 xx

Update on my blood tests:
After being fobbed off by the EPU nurse for more than a week I spoke to the GP instead. Apparently the bloods taken on the day of the scan were just for full blood count and kidney function as I was having a general anaesthetic the following day, so nothing to do with RM at all really.
The GP was brilliant though. She booked me in for bloods this morning (9 in total!) which will check different hormones, thyroid function, anti-PL Ab, ACA, vitamin D, ferritin, HbA1c - maybe more but that's all I can remember! The GP also promised to call me personally as soon as there were any results.

I also asked about the RM clinic being suspended - it's been cancelled since the start of lockdown1 and will hopefully restart in spring, but even when it does it's only once a month and they only see 6 each time...
I don't want to wait that long so I've booked an appointment with a private consultant for the end of Jan, and I'm hoping to have the NHS test results (blood and foetal tissue) to take with us.

Here's to a much better 2021! Xx

@GreenGecko36 that's so annoying but thank God for your wonderful GP!! At least you've got the ball rolling now and hopefully get some answers. Good luck on your journey. Keep us updated xx

Hi all,

Firstly I’ve just read through your stories and I am so sorry, genuinely to all of you, having to be here, sharing such heartbreaking losses and long journeys to try and find some answers.

Sadly I join you here.

I have just suffered my 5th loss this year.

Just looking for some guidance on what I could try next, and where I could go.

My story, put more briefly, is this -

I am 38, partner 30.
I have children from a previous relationship, my youngest is 6 so last successful pregnancy was when I was 32.

We have been ttc for 15 months now.
Mc at 9 weeks in January
Mc at 6 weeks in March
Mc in June at 5.5 weeks
Mc in October at 6 weeks
Mc this month at just under 6 weeks

After my 3rd mc I spoke to my gp. We were referred to consultant Reddy and I had several blood tests done.

Results as follows
Day 2 - serum prolactin - 144miu/L
- serum testosterone 0.7nmol/L
- serum TSH - 0.9miu/L
- serum LH - 2iu/L
- serum FSH - 5iu/L

Day 21 - serum progesterone - 67nmol/L

Partner had semen analysis done, all good.

I then had a scan where I was told everything looked good, with a good follicle count on both sides.

Then, as expected, because of my age, and the fact I have children already, we were told there was no more than could be done on the nhs and if we wanted anymore done we would need to pay privately.

I was offered an AMH test but told that it was only really worth having If we planned on going down the IVF route, which we don’t.

After my 4th loss when I fell pregnant again I tried to speak to somebody at the fertility clinic where I’d seen Mrs Reddy, to see if they’d recommend me taking aspirin. Nobody ever got back to me and stupidly I didn’t start taking it as I worried I could make things worse.

I then lost the baby a week later.

Here I am.

5 losses and no idea what to do now.

I’m happy to pay for some private tests, biopsy’s etc, but no idea who to contact, what to ask for. I just don’t know. We don’t have an endless pot of money to throw at this, but willing to at least try and get tested for some things.

I just feel due to my age Drs just aren’t as bothered about helping and sort of have me written off already.

@VenusStarr what tests was it you had?

Is there anywhere I can self refer to? Or will I have to try and persuade my gp to refer me again to someone else?

Thank you all x

I'm very sorry for your losses @Rainbowafterrainbow ❤️ I self referred to Dr Shehata in Epsom, it's the CRP Clinic if you want to look them up. He looks at immune factors fod recurrent losses. He can also look at your partner's sperm dna fragmentation - we've not done that yet but if we have another loss we will. But I've been diagnosed with an aggressive immune system, so essentially my body attacks the baby. He does a full range of tests, it's expensive but was worth it for us to find out what's going on as the nhs don't look into recurrent losses that deeply and once you've been found not to have anything for what they test for you're sent away being told its bad luck, keep trying you'll probably get there one day. Dr Shehata told us that we would continue to miscarry if I was left untreated.

Best wishes x

I stopped getting notifications on here so just looked back at the posts I've missed.
We did get out last loss tested and it was a chromosomally normal boy, so for me this supports the theory that something is happening between conception and 6 weeks (3 of my losses have been MMC at 9+3 with the babies stopping growing at 6 weeks or earlier) and one chemical loss.

I had an appointment with professor Quenby at the end of November and sge could offer no explanation to my losses, only that she was doing her trial and that I'm eligible but we declined for 2 reasons, 1 if my biopsy gave positive results, there's no guarantee I'd get the medication and could miscarry again, 2 if I didn't have a positive result I'd go back to care as usual which is progesterone, which I had in my last pregnancy and I bled on it and it was a carbon copy of my first 2 mmcs. We just didn't feel it was an option really.

Dr Shehata is the only doctor who has offered an explanation for my losses. My nk cells are normal (as Professor Brosens found) but it is the way they behave in pregnancy that's the issue. I also have another auto immune condition, so the diagnosis makes a lot of sense to us. I'm not on steroids as part of my plan, but he is prescribing them to others, it just depends on what he finds as to what he prescribes.

Morning ladies! I hope you all had a good Christmas!

Update, yesterday, I was so exhausted, like couldn't get out of bed exhausted, so I woke up this morning and decided to take a test and got a bfp!! We weren't even actively trying and I had quite a few proseccos Christmas day!! Would you be worried about the alcohol consumption if it was you?

Also, I'm shocked that the test came back positive as I'm only 10 dpo, my period is not due until 1st January.

Obviously I'm not getting my hopes up and am preparing myself for another miscarriage because I think that's the only way I will get through it if it happens again.

I need to start the progesterone now and I've heard it can make you really sore? Xx

Please tell me you can all see it and it's not in my head? Xx

Congratulations @HalGem99 can definitely see that! Start your progesterone now. I use the back door and find it OK, it's not messy and I haven't been sore.
Wishing you lots of love for a healthy pregnancy ❤️

@VenusStarr thank you!

I might do it your way actually as I've heard vaginally is sore and messy!

Do you think I should be worried about drinking on Christmas day? Xx

@HalGem99 amazing news!!!! Congratulations!!! I wouldn't worry about the Prosecco on Christmas Day.

I find progesterone absolutely fine. I take it frontally rather than the back door - it's a little messy afterwards as a little always comes out, but I just wear a panteliner for 20 mins or so after then it's all good

Frontally 😂 I meant vaginally. I don't find it sore at all

Definitely don't worry about the drinking @HalGem99 it's still early days so I don't think it's an issue at the stage. Try not to worry about that. Today you are pregnant ☺️

Thank you girls!

The first progesterone is in, I did it vaginally! I am so sorry if this sounds stupid of me but does the tablet completely dissolve or does it come out? It looks like it's made of plastic to me?!! Xx

@HalGem99 it completely dissolves except for a little that will be in your underwear up to about 20 mins after you insert it. I've read it's just the outer shell that comes out rather than the actual progesterone, but I don't know for sure

Congratulations @HalGem99!!

I'm afraid I don't know anything about taking progesterone, just wanted to congratulate you, and say not to worry about the prosecco on Christmas day (I think at that stage there's no shared blood supply yet)

Thank you all!

@Daffodil21 how are you getting on? How far along are you now? Xx

@HalGem99 7 weeks tomorrow. All seemed like it was going ok - I didn't have any bleeding for days but last night I had a tiny bit when wiping. It was bright red, and happened after a bit of thick discharge, which I'm wondering if that was the beginnings of my mucus plug? Nothing yet today but the day is young

@Daffodil21 wow 7 weeks!! Hopefully the blood isn't anything to worry about. I've got everything crossed for you!

Remember a lot of women bleed during early pregnancy and it's very common. Because of what we have all been through, we always see it is a red flag but it may not be. Just take it day by day xx

@HalGem99 thank you. The bleeding this time is different to all the other times, but it's still blood in early pregnancy which let's face it isn't a great sign. Just going to wait it out and see what happens

@Daffodil21 I'm at the stage of what will be will be. No point spending everyday worrying! Keep us updated. Good luck xx

@HalGem99 same. The docs can't understand why I keep refusing scans. I've had 3 offered to me by 3 different docs/consultants and I don't think they're used to people saying no thanks! I just don't see the point at this stage.

Absolutely everything crossed for you ❤️