Hormone tests

[Will867]

I had my first miscarriage recently (blighted ovum) it was my first pregnancy and I am 34, I’ve taken it really hard and all I’ve done is try to look for answers (which I know I won’t find I just can’t help to try and regain control even though I have none). I was wondering if gps will do any hormone tests or anything if it’s my first or is it always only after 3? I’ve looked at medichecks and was wondering if this is the best option to just have some tests to check or if the gp might do some it if I ask. Does anyone have experience of this, I want to start ttc again but am so frightened right now

Hi there, and sorry for your loss.

With a first MC, it is very unlikely you will be given any tests on the NHS, as unfortunately a first trimester loss is most likely down to pure bad luck. You can always try asking with your GP though.

Medicheck tests are extremely expensive, and won't give you any more information beyond hormonal factors that are only relevant for an individual cycle. If you were able to get pregnant quite quickly with your loss (within 6 months) then there is nothing to suggest that you won't be successful in carrying to term next time.

However, it sounds like you need to take some time to restore your emotional wellbeing first. It is hard, but with my loss in April, part of the journey was accepting that in pregnancy, you have very little control over any of it once sperm and egg are together. Wishing you all the best xx

Hi @thankfulbee thank you for your reply it’s very helpful. I definitely think you’re right about working on my emotional well being it’s very raw for me atm. I’ve struggled with my GP as I haven’t found them very supportive. I’ve had a few issues in the past with them and when I went through the miscarriage my own gp was quite rude and unsupportive so I’m now changing GP surgeries. Before I got pregnant I had very low vitamin d, low ish vit b12 and an odd thyroid reading which they put down to a blip. I was treated for all this but was never offered a retest to see if my levels were normal. This was all a while before I got pregnant but now I think back and wonder if I should’ve been tested. I also thought I was missing a period the month before I got pregnant but was 14 days late then the next cycle we started using opks and I got pregnant but miscarried at 13 weeks, before this I’d been off the pill for 3 years and never got pregnant but wasn’t tracking ovulation at the time or really trying to get pregnant. It’s all just made me wonder if there may be something wrong. Everything I’ve learnt about my miscarriage has been online as I don’t feel like there’s any professionals like my gp that I can talk to about it. The epau were lovely but I was in shock and didn’t ask questions was just taken through that I had an empty sac and the options for miscarriage then that was it. These forums help so much.

Hi OP, very sorry for your loss. Did they tell you this was a blighted ovum? I would associate that with a much earlier mc, not one at 13 weeks. I know in the UK you won't get NHS tests after one miscarriage. You can ask for repeated thyroid tests though, as that needs to be sorted irrespective of pregnancy. And you can do some things to help without a doctor - supplements - vitamin D3 in particular, I remember having magnesium and Co-enzyme Q10 as well as B vits - and a generally healthy lifestyle, though I wasn't too good at that!
I had 4 mcs and then a baby so please don't feel like it won't work out for you.

Thank you @Iggi999 . All I was told by the Epau was that I had a silent miscarriage and the sonographer showed me the screen and explained to me that all that there was was the empty sac no foetus etc (which unfortunately I could see) the sonographer said my dates might be wrong and would have to go back in a week, but when I saw the nurse she said that no it was confirmed a silent miscarriage, blighted ovum wasn’t mentioned but after reading up on it that’s what I guess it was and just didn’t miscarry naturally, I had all the pregnancy symptoms plus really really bad sickness. When I went for this scan I was 2 days off of what I thought was 13 weeks (it was 2 days before my dating scan as I went in because I had brown spotting that got worse and pain). It wasn’t explained more than that, I was just told I had 3 options for how to deal with it and sent away with leaflets. I have continued to take my folic acid, prenatal vitamins (Pregnacare conception), vitamin d3 and have started co-enzyme q10 after seeing some had used it on this forum. Would you suggest taking magnesium and other b vitamins? I think I will look at speaking to my new gp to get my thyroid re checked and maybe my vit d again at least. I just want to do as much as I can before I start ttc again and try and get healthier regarding exercise and dietary wise (just wish I could start swimming again as it got me exercising and helped my mood a lot)

That sounds so hard, I am lucky in that my miscarriages were earlier than yours. I would call that a missed miscarriage. It is very difficult to deal with I hope you can be kind to yourself. If your thyroid reading wasn't what it should be you should definitely have it redone. Mine was monitored more as I already had an under active thyroid, whenever I got pg my dose was increased straight away. I don't think extra supplements could hurt (but do check for suitability in pregnancy once you ttc).
Bear in mind the things I'm saying come from a position of recurrent miscarriage, but most people who miscarry only do so once. You might easily have a trouble free pg next time.