Recurrent Miscarriage - when to give up?

[Ela00]

Hello and sorry for anyone else who has experienced the nightmare of recurrent loss.
I have no children and have had 4 early losses in the last 12 months:
April 2022 MMC stopped developing at 6 weeks
July 2022 natural miscarriage at 5+6 weeks
Sep 2022 chemical pregnancy 4+2 weeks
Feb 2023 chemical preg 4 weeks

Between the two chemical pregnancies my partner and I had every type of blood test that I think is possible, and all came back normal. Including the less common ones - Karotype, NK cells, Sperm DNA. I am 33 (almost 34) and my partner is 32, so not too old to assume it must be age.
Even though all our tests were normal, for the last chemical preg I was taking baby aspirin, prednisone and progesterone.

Does anyone have any wisdom / advice / experience?
I don't want to spend all my 30s in a cycle of trying and loss but at the same time it's really hard to make a decision to stop trying too.

TIA x

Hi @Ela00 sorry to hear of your losses.

I am sure you have covered these but have you done the TH1/2 tests and also the full thyroid panel?

I had normal everything else except very high thyroid antibodies and high TH1/2 so basically inflammation, also have you tried acupuncture? Also intrilipids before ovulation and after positive test? Sorry lots of things there :)

I have had 3 miscarriages in the 12 months and about to try again after getting a protocol for the above ( so afraid I can’t tell you if it works or not )

Hi @MeganBistram thanks so much for replying and so sorry to hear you have also had losses. Yes I’ve had my TSH and thyroid antibody tested, both in normal range.
I also had an Intralipid when I got my latest positive, tho as it was quite faint I thought it was probs a chemical and so the Intralipid probs couldn't do much at that stage.
I’ve had the odd session of acupuncture over the past 12 months but not regularly, so could be something I try more.

Hopefully you will have success now you have found out about your thyroid antibodies and can try something to help it.
One if the hardest things I’ve found is being told there is nothing wrong, when quite clearly something is going v wrong!x

It’s a difficult question to answer. You don’t have to decide now. You can use contraception for a few months and give yourself a break.
We decided from the beginning that we wouldn’t have more than 6 cycles of IVF, and I do think that having put a limit on it we would have been able to stop without regrets. In the end we had four cycles and two successful pregnancies. Some friends had 18 cycles for one, but I don’t think we could have gone on that long. You have to work out where your own limit is.

Have you heard of NaPro technology. It’s sometimes called Carholic IVF
Ive linked this as an example (I have never used it) https://www.fiatfertilitycare.co.uk/how-we-work/napro-technology/
Maybe it’s worth looking at

Research natural remedies and pre pregnancy health.

Folic and b12 are important

So sorry for your losses OP. It’s devastating and you do feel like giving up. I had five losses mostly around 11-12 weeks (but baby stopped growing earlier) and then had my two beautiful DC. I’m now 10 weeks along with our third. I followed a protocol from Professors Brosen & Quenby at Coventry/Warwick Recurrent miscarriage centre of 20/25mg Prednisone, 400mg x 3 progesterone suppositories, 150mg aspirin (strictly only after seven weeks or they believe it can interfere with implantation) and Clexane heparin shots to enrich placental growth. I also had surgery to remove a uterine septum (extra tissue in my uterus which I was born with, discovered with an ultrasound) and had an endometrial scratch.
I took pregnancy vitamins and folic acid as folate, the bioavailable form.
I also lost a pregnancy at eight weeks on that protocol in between my DC. Sometimes it’s not meant to be.
Wishing you lots of luck!

@LysHastighed thanks for replying, I agree I think a timeframe is helpful. And esp as I would be open to other options such as adoption and realise I would need to be totally over this before starting that journey. Amazing that you had two successful cycles of IVF. Bc we have been conceiving naturally we haven’t been down the IVF route, but thinking maybe we should explore as possibly could offer more support and insight.

Thanks @Karatequeen i switched to natural Folate about 6 months ago and have the B vits in my multivitamin.

@Harping0n thanks v much for sharing!

@ferntwist thanks so much for your insight, so sorry you had to go through five losses but lovely to read you now have two DC. Interesting to read that Prof Quenby was against aspirin before 7 weeks bc my private consultant suggest I take aspirin all the time during ttc! Tbh I thought this was a bit excessive on my stomach so have just been taking in from ovulation, but
worrying if it could effect implantation. So hard to know what treatment to go for when different miscarriage specialists say different things!
Can I ask if you had the Endo scratch for all your successful pregs? This is something I haven’t tried but read about.

If you feel mentally and physically able, keep going.

Reoccurring miscarriage clinic threw absolutely everything at me. I still miscarried but because of all that they threw at me, the miscarriage that time lasted longer and was more torrential with blood loss, more painful and the most disappointing.

Then they told me the truth of the matter. They don’t know the cause of over 80% of all miscarriages. What they prescribe and advise carries little or no evidence base. There is no funding and they can’t trial anything because well, it’s pregnant women.

We kept saying, just one more try, just one more until finally we got our lucky break.

we had decided to stop.
It was nothing short of a miracle. I got the pill, was waiting for the first day of my next period to start taking them. That period of course, didn’t come.
I was about to throw away my folic acid tablets and chug a glass of cider, the first alcoholic drink I’d had in years because of the ttc.
I had treated myself to a jar of caffeinated coffee, using up the last of my decaf.

If you have the strength, keep going. That’s my advice. (I lost 7 btw)

@Bodybags thank you, completely agree there just isn't enough evidence or research for any doctor to say with certainty, unless you have a really clear issue but it seems the majority of RM cases are unexplained.
So happy to hear it worked out for you.

I think I do have the strength for now, each month comes with disappointment but I think chatting on this thread has made me realise I am not quite ready to stop yet.

You’re welcome! Two friends with recurrent miscarriage were advised to have IVF despite being able to conceive naturally in the hope that the foetuses would be healthier (one friends had preimplantation diagnosis but the other didn’t, both had successful pregnancies first time). See what your doctor says.
I can think of ten couples I know of my age who had trouble conceiving or carrying the baby to term. Three of them also had more than one stillbirth. Nevertheless, they all ended up with the number of children they wanted in the end. It’s not an easy road but you can have some hope.

Hi OP, I had endometrial scratch for my first successful pregnancy only.
And yes, the Coventry/Warwick clinic are really clear about not taking aspirin too early. This was the wording in their letter to me:
“We advise against taking aspirin in the early stages of pregnancy (before 7 weeks) as it may interfere with the preparation of the lining of the womb for pregnancy.”
Good luck!

Sorry you are going through this OP. I've lost 3 pregnancies, 2 rounds of IVF and 13yrs on- still no living children.

I assume you've had a hycosy or hsg to check the shape of your uterus and look for fibroids etc? Are you both within a healthy BMI and limiting alcohol? Have you read 'It starts with an Egg'? I got a 2nd hand copy from ebay. It obviously didn't help me, but is worth a read and makes you more aware of everyday chemicals which 'might' be affected fertility.

Sorry if TMI, but if you were to MC again- they should do genetic testing on the foetus. I used to keep a sterile container with me just incase. They may not always get a result, but I did on 2 of my losses which provided reassurance that it was just a random, genetic issue and likely down to my 'older eggs'. I started TTC at 32. You should also be able to have an early viability scan, if you get to 7-8 weeks.

I would look into what IVF is available in your area. It may not be something you are considering at all, but worth checking NOW, so you know. IVF is based on your home address- not your local hospital. Some areas provide no rounds at all, some only if you are under 40 or 35, most have BMI/smoking requirements etc. Due to often long waiting lists, that is why I recommend just checking what is available.

This link might be helpful too:
The Miscarriage Association Forum

I had three recurrent miscarriages before I moved on to IVF, all around 7 weeks after seeing the heartbeat. It was rather traumatic.

IVF resulted in an ectopic pregnancy, followed by failed implantation, followed by this pregnancy im at with is 17 weeks with identical twins - the embryo split. So far so good though they're high risk.

A friend experienced 7 miscarriages and refused to consider IVF and just kept trying. I don't know how she did it. She's currently 36 weeks with a healthy baby. So there is hope.

I really hope you get your outcome no matter what option you go for.

@ferntwist thank you, really appreciate you sharing the info.

@CC4712 so sorry to hear of yours losses and years of trying.
I’ve had a 3D ultrasound, which everything seemed normal. But I am going to have a Saline Infusion Sonogram in the next month, as this will check for sure that the ultrasound didn’t miss anything.
Yes we are both in the healthy BMI range and have both stopped drinking last few months, I also have read it starts with egg and added in a lot of supplements suggested from there.
Bc my last losses have been so early there would be no way of testing them, but I would have liked the opportunity as agree it would make me feel more at peace about it if you know the losses are chromosomally abnormal. On the other hand if I knew I was losing normal embryos then I would feel even worse!

@Rtmhwales thank you for sharing your experience and so sorry for your losses. Amazing to hear you are pregnant with twins, hope it all continues to go well for you and also that your friend preserved and is doing well too. These stories do give me hope!

I agree with this. I did and Agnus Castus was my lifeline. I also had many miscarriages, but now have two lovely kids. You will get there! Good luck

Have you read It Starts With The Egg by Rebecca Fett? I had three miscarriages and then read this and I'm now 9 months pregnant. It works on the basis that a lot of miscarriages are caused by poor quality eggs, and gives you advice on how to improve the quality of your eggs. I followed the advice to a T (things like not eating or drinking out of anything made of plastic and lots of supplements you should take etc). She says it takes about 3 months to improve the quality of your eggs. It seems to have worked for me!

Hey
i am currently going through mc number 4 and I am feeling like I’m ready to give up! I’m not sure how I will come to terms with it but it’s absolutely draining isn’t it. We can’t afford to pay for all the tests and ivf so the only thing I can think is just give one a bash (probably ivf) and see if it works. I just think we could pay thousands for tests and get no definite answers. I don’t know, it’s really hard. Thinking of all of you that are going through this ❤️

Hello… this is my post from Autumn 2021 followed by an update! it may or may not give some of you hope for the future depending on your perspective…

“Hi everyone, I'd like to join this thread too, I have ready many of your posts and can relate to so many of your stories.

We are ttc #2, our DS just turned 3. We started ttc 18 months ago and have so far had four miscarriages all in the first trimester (the first after we had seen a heart beat)... we've also done one round of IVF but didn't even get any viable embryos (we did genetic testing for chromosomal abnormalities).

I've had all the usual fertility tests and the only known issue is low AMH and therefore crappy eggs. But I do know that some women with low AMH do have successful pregnancies.

We'll keep trying naturally (no more IVF), am currently 8dpo and not feeling at all pregnant. I'm taking coenzyme q10 and n acetyl cysteine, baby aspirin and progesterone, folic acid and vitamin D. Have done some acupuncture. Don't drink much alcohol and hardly consume any caffeine. I know the chances of us having a second baby are slim to nil but keep hoping for miracle rainbow...

Hi to all of you and good luck on your journeys!

If anyone has any success stories of women with low AMH having babies I would love to hear them please!”

So to update… we had another miscarriage in February 2022. I then started having sessions via zoom with a psychologist (specialising in infertility) to help me come to terms with the likelihood of never having a second child.

Fast forward to now (18 months later) and I am typing this with one hand whilst also breast feeding our seven week old miracle baby girl! She is well worth waiting for! I continued with progesterone and prednisone from ovulation until 12 weeks. Pregnancy vitamins and vitamin D throughout. We had a LOT of scans plus the NIPT bloodwork during the pregnancy . The anxiety was intense and constant throughout. I was constantly waiting for something to go wrong. However the pregnancy and birth were otherwise smooth and full of joy and hope.

I had two episodes of spotting in the first 8 weeks and when they happened I thought “That’s it, we’re losing this pregnancy and I can’t do this anymore, it’s too painful, I’m done trying”. I felt weirdly at peace with the situation.

Only you can decide if /how long to keep trying for. Just wanted to share my rainbow story. Will be grateful every day for the remainder of my life.

good luck to you x

Hi OP, I’m sorry you’re going through this. I had 3 miscarriages (6 weeks, 12 weeks, 9 weeks), followed by a successful pregnancy, then another miscarriage (6 weeks) and am now currently in my third trimester of another pregnancy. I also had at least three chemical pregnancies after my first successful pregnancy - I didn’t test every cycle so it may have been more.

I had tests at the recurrent mc clinic after the first three MC and nothing wrong was found so I was not prescribed anything different for my successful fourth pregnancy. I haven’t taken any aspirin, progesterone etc. Nothing that has happened to me with the MCs / chemical pregnancies has ever been explained, I just seem to be really susceptible to it. I was also in my early 30s when I started TTC.

Best wishes for whatever you do next and I’m sorry for your losses.

Wow @NutsandPuffs what an amazing update! Huge congratulations

Thank you! I’ve never been happier x

@Lottie2267 really sorry to hear you are going through similar. Were yours all quite early? Have you been able to be seen by the NHS recurrent miscarriage clinic?