4 early miscarriages, help with next steps

[choccrumpet]

Hi all, I've had 4 early losses/ chemical pregnancies in the past 7 months since we started trying to conceive. We are trying for our first child. I'm 28 and have no medical issues that I'm aware of. My partner is 33 and also no known medical issues.

My GP has referred me to my local fertility clinic but the waiting time is unknown. I've had a basic blood test that showed no problems and am having a pelvic ultrasound in a week to make sure everything looks as it should.

I'm starting to think about next steps and whether I should speak to Tommy's myself or go to a private clinic or specialist etc I don't really know what I should be doing or looking into so any advice, experiences, success stories would be really helpful.

I'm sorry for your losses. Had your GP referred you to a fertility clinic or a recurrent miscarriage clinic? You're eligible for test into your losses, so I would push your GP for a referral - Tommy's do see people after 2 losses - there's details on their website about how your GP can refer you.

They typically test for blood clotting issues, thyroid levels. They may also do a scan or hysteroscopy too. The wait for nhs tests do take a while and they ask you not to ttc whilst your waiting for your results.

We've now gone private and found a reason for our recurrent losses (not something the nhs tests for).

Best wishes x

Thanks @VenusStarr I've been referred to a local hospital which has an infertility clinic so I'm not sure which one it is actually and not sure what the difference would be.

Thank you for your advice. I'm looking into private as well so good to know the types of tests the nhs does. I've got a pelvic ultrasound next week so am hoping that either gives me reassurance or some answers. Really appreciate your help. I hope everything works out for you!

OP I'm sorry for your losses. I would recommend a book called Miscarriage by Lesley Regan (she is a professor and deals with recurrent miscarriage) it outlines a lot of the things they will look for. My local RMC clinic did not find anything wrong but a private clinic did (they had something specific they tested for - natural killer cells - that wasn't on the NHS tests, though this was a number of years ago so it might be now).
I had four mcs before conceiving dc2, please don't give up hope - but I would recommend getting all the tests done, taking high dose vitamin D3 and seeing whether low dose aspirin and progesterone might be prescribed.

Thanks @ItsIgginningtolooklikelockdown I've seen that book mentioned a few times and sounds like a good one to look at. Have also heard of natural killer cells so that is interesting. I'm glad it worked out for you!

I'm taking 75mg aspirin this cycle, this may have helped this pregnancy progress to 5 and a bit weeks but obviously wasn't successful. Next cycle I will up this to 150mg as is the new recommended amount. Is progesterone something I need to get tested for or can it be prescribed without a need to check my levels in the first place?

Appreciate your reply, I am trying to keep the hope alive 💕

I would get the book. If I remember correctly it goes through common causes of miscarriage and something might stand out for you. I had an underachieve thyroid and that gave me the suspicion of it being immune related. Having said that many pgs don't last due to a chromosome problem and those ones you can't do much about.
Time is massively on your side as you are still in your 20s (I was late 30s) and I have every hope that you will be posting about your dc before too long But you do want all the knowledge you can get.

Sorry for your losses. I've had 3 MC and no children either. I recommend a book called 'It starts with an egg' by Rebecca Fett. I bought a 2nd handy copy off ebay, just get the 2nd edition from 2019, not her earlier book.

I havent finished it, but it gave good tips above reducing certain plastics in your home, tinned foods, fragrances etc which have been linked to MC. I now take an ubiquinol supplement 200mg a day. I also started DH on a lycopene supplement, which is found naturally in tomatoes and red fruit, but had some links to increased sperm quality. I can't say the changes have helped as yet, but I feel like I'm actually doing someone. We were both investigated and no cause for infertility was found, other than being older than yourself and having old eggs.

So sorry to hear that. Do you know at what stage were your early losses? I had three between 8-10 weeks and subsequently was referred to the recurrent miscarriage clinic. Had lots of tests with them, am now currently 30 weeks and they have been brilliant all the way through.

@Elouera Thank you for the book recommendations and I'm sorry for your losses too. Me and my partner have a fairly healthy lifestyle so personally I think I would drive myself crazy if I tried changing parts of my lifestyle and diet to be even healthier in the hopes that it will help. But I'm glad it has helped you feel better about it and I know what you mean about wanting to feel like you're doing something that might help, I feel the exact same. I'm researching progesterone pessaries at the moment and considering getting a private prescription for them - this is my way of trying to do something because there is very little any of us can do to help. I hope things work out for you.

@Grognonne I'm sorry about your losses, must have been really difficult to go through so many at a later stage. my first 3 losses I was around 4 weeks (literally around my period due date) and the last one just over 5 weeks. All very early so I think there is something about sustaining the pregnancy that I have an issue with or it potentially having chromosomal abnormalities but 4 in a row seems too coincidental. I took aspirin during my last cycle and that pregnancy lasted a week longer than others for whatever reason, I had stronger symptoms than before although still only faint positives. Glad to hear you're doing well now! Did you do anything differently in your current pregnancy?

@choccrumpet I'm sorry to read your post. I am in the same situation. Discovered my fourth mmc on Tuesday and now waiting to see whether it passes naturally or whether I'll have to have intervention again, like my first mc. I have a follow up scan next week. I also took 75mg aspirin this cycle and it's lasted longer than the last 2 did but ultimately still failed, it just has r physically happened yet. I don't have anything useful to add, but just wanted to send you some moral support xx

Thanks for your comment @treesall I'm sorry about what you're going through as well, that sounds really tough. I'm going to up my dose to 150mg in this cycle so will see if it helps. Take care of yourself, try do something that might help you feel a bit better although I know it can be hard to focus on anything but this. Our time will come. I'm trying to think of it positively and hope that it will happen at the best time for us, we just don't know it yet. Feel free to reach out if you ever want someone to chat to x

@VenusStarr Could I ask which clinic you have gone private with please?

It's the CRP Clinic in Surrey @LisaStarG under Dr Shehata. He looks at immune factors for recurrent losses. I've been diagnosed with agressive nk cells that attack the pregnancy and on a plan that suppresses my immune system x

Thanks @VenusStarr I hope all things go well for you. I'm struggling to find a clinic near me (I'm based in the North East) and just finding it confusing what clinics offer and what I should be asking for in terms of testing. I've just gone through my 3rd miscarriage this week (had a MVA with the NHS) and wanting to explore the testing done on bloods/hormones etc

I'm sorry to hear that @LisaStarG ❤️ I'm in the Midlands, so we do have to travel for the treatment. Did you have your little one tested? We had our last one tested and he was genetically and chromosomally normal, so that was useful to know that something else was happening for us.

The nhs should offer you testing now, there will likely be a wait, but they'll look at your thyroid, lupus anticoagulant, sticky bloods, Factor V Leiden. It's also worth getting your vitamin D levels checked, mine is on the low side and it's quite common for women who have recurrent losses to have low vitamin D x

Another vote here for Dr Shehtata. 💐

[quote LisaStarG]@VenusStarr Could I ask which clinic you have gone private with please?[/quote]
I travelled from Scotland to see Dr Shehata. I think I made four trips in total, the last two being while pregnant with dc2. I would have continued to go to him if I lived locally but he was happy to sign me over to my local NHS care after 9 weeks. There was nothing similar in Scotland, though I'd already been seen by the hospital RMC clinic. It is worth considering travelling for the doctor you want.

Following 6 recurrent losses at

@choccrumpet - I was only told to take aspirin when I found out I was pregnant so that would have been 5wks. I took tinzaparin, 150mg aspirin, and cyclogest once pregnancy was established (for the last 2 miscarriages). I was diagnosed with lupus anticoagulant in the clinic. Third miscarriage was tested and was an abnormality, but subsequently had karotype tests and they were fine. I also had a uterine septum removed after the third one, which was only picked up then despite lots of previous scans. Nobody can really say what the problem was, others have lupus anticoagulant and septums and have no issues. I’ve always tried to wait until at least a week after my period was due before testing so I don’t know if I’ve had any chemicals like you have. Will the recurrent miscarriage clinic see you? I have found them to be very good. We also had appointments with the fertility clinic and they didn’t find anything wrong. My guess was that it was the uterine septum with me. They are hard to see as I had so many ultrasounds before they picked it up, had to have an MRI to confirm it. I think it would be worth seeing the fertility clinic too as they do lots of tests on both of you.

@choccrumpet - having had a quick look at factors behind chemical pregnancies, it looks like low egg/sperm quality and chromosomal abnormalities are the key factors, so I would definitely see the fertility clinic as they will do sperm/egg tests.

@ItsIgginningtolooklikelockdown can I ask how long you waited for an appointment with dr shehata? He runs the nhs recurrent miscarriage clinic at my local hospital but my referral there is going to take a very long time. I'm planning to go privately to see him at CRP but assume even that way there will be a long wait. I haven't managed to get through on the phone yet.

I haven't passed my latest miscarriage yet so haven't done anything but if it's several months wait I should probably just make an appt now....

Oo sorry should have tagged @VenusStarr and @greendress789 too as you've both seen him. Was it a long wait to get a private appt? Thank you x

@treesall I'm sorry you're miscarrying ❤️ I had about a 4 week wait to see him privately. I went a month after my miscarriage. You do all your tests on the first appointment and then see him 2 weeks after for the results (I booked both at the same time).

I had to send all my medical notes from previous pregnancies / gynae investigations, so he reviews that before you see him. Keep trying on the phone, when I first tried it took a couple of days. Xx

@treesall my dc is now 8 so things may have changed massively! I saw my local RMC in January and was told just to keep trying, I phoned his office the same day and my appointment was in April, so yes a few months to wait in my case. Once I was "in the system" the appointments were closer, even got one on a Saturday once which suited me for travelling.

@treesall I haven't been to see him but have a good friend who swears by him. Good luck.