Tips for conceiving after 2 miscarriages

[Shan1991]

Hello everyone,

I’m not sure if I’ve chosen the correct topic but hopefully someone sees me here🙏it’s a long one…

I am 33 years old and have a little boy who was born in November 2021. I conceived my son pretty much straight away after coming off the pill
which I’d been on for around 13 years. Healthy straightforward pregnancy with no problems at all.

I conceived again in October 2023 after trying for around 8 months. I sadly lost this baby at 8 weeks just a few days before Christmas😢we started trying again straight away and conceived in February 2024 but sadly had another miscarriage at 5 weeks.

After this second miscarriage my epu offered to give me blood tests which came back all clear. Since then (March 2024) I have pretty much been living like I already am pregnant to try and help me conceive again. Here’s a list of everything I have been doing; I don’t drink alcohol or any caffeine at all including chocolate, having quite a strict diet - leafy greens, wholegrains, sweet potatoes, beetroot, nuts/seeds, lots of
citrus fruits & berries, not having any real treats/sweets/cakes etc, been keeping my feet warm, having hot drinks (herbal teas), no strenuous exercise. I use clearblue digital
ovulation tests & dh & I bd alot during my fertile window. I had been taking maca root powder for a few months but felt it was just delaying my period each month so I stopped taking that.

I do feel like I may have low progesterone which I will be requesting next time I become pregnant but I feel like I may be helping my progesterone levels with my diet as I haven’t been having spotting before my period which I usually have.

With my first 3 times conceiving I didn’t really do anything specific to help me I just didn’t drink alcohol or caffeine which I haven’t done since becoming pregnant with my son, I breastfed him for 28 months & just have never went back to drinking alcohol or caffeine, knowing that I wanted to have another baby soon. So I’m getting incredibly frustrated & tired of ‘trying’ so hard to conceive again.

My next step I feel is to try & cut out all chemically harmful things; no perfume, scented shower gel etc has anyone got any recomendations of cleaning products to use in my home/on myself
etc. Or any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

thank you :)

I’m sorry you’re on this tough journey @Shan1991
I had a MC at 10 weeks in November last year. And another at 12 weeks this May (ended up diagnosed as a partial molar pregnancy) I don’t have any children yet, so can’t advise if any of these changes work, but this is what I am doing differently now -
Weekly acupuncture
Taking more vitamins - coq10, high dose vitamin D, folic acid & omega 3
DP taking wellman conception vitamin
DTD every 2-3 days the whole month in case we miss ovulation window somehow

I'm relieved to hear someone else say they're tired of "acting" pregnant while ttc. I've gone from pregnancy, to breastfeeding, to trying again with no break and hence no caffeine or alcohol (I know technically you can have both but for me the short term reward is just not high enough to outweigh the risk). I'm so tired of not being allowed alcohol. I'm so tired of no coffee. I'm not a heavy drinker or caffeine drinker but not feeling like I'm allowed it feels like some of my adult autonomy stripped away.

When I express this, people always say "oh well you can have caffeine and alcohol while trying/breastfeeding" and I just want to scream that's not the point!!! I know it's self imposed but it's hard to not self impose these things when, like you, you've suffered loss or, like me, you are just not getting pregnant, or both. You'll do anything.

Sorry, not an answer to your question but just a little vent .

@Pinkieblue24 thank you so much. I am very sorry to hear all you have been through also. Hope you get your little sunshine baby soon👶🏻☀️ sending baby dust to you✨🤍 take care xx

@showersandflowers I hear you, I see you! Even my husband is like ‘stop going down a rabbit hole, just live your life, have some sugar, eat chocolate I’m sick of you being all doom and gloom each month your period comes you’re putting so much pressure on yourself’ 😐but as you say when you have suffered loss or having trouble conceiving you do find yourself reading into things and discover how much things have to be in place to actually get pregnant - optimum progesterone levels/thick uterine lining etc it’s not just of aw have sex in your fertile window.

It kills me when I hear people say ‘aw I fell pregnant by accident, we weren’t even trying’ or when people say to me ‘just stop trying, relax and it will happen’ no! That it the worst thing to say to me as a woman who has suffered two back to back miscarriages 😌

So yeah we’ll try anything to help ourselves even if no one else understands. No problem to vent, me venting back as well 🙃

Take care, hope your little baby is on their way to you soon🤍 xx

I’m in the same boat as you OP. I had my first baby in 2021 (fell pregnant on my second cycle of TTC) and then fell pregnant in 2023 again on the second cycle. Sadly lost the baby just before Christmas at 8 weeks, then pregnant again in July which was sadly another loss at 6 weeks.

I have private tests booked in for a couple of weeks time, can I ask how you found those and what sort of things they looked at?

In terms of TTC, I take folic acid, Coq10 and Zita West VitalDHA. I read about vitamin D after my recent miscarriage so have just bought that to start taking too. I rarely drink and I try to eat healthily as much as I can. We loosely follow the sperm meets egg plan and we use conceive+ lube too. I did try reflexology before my last pregnancy which was a nice way to relax but I’m not sure it did much - I’ve heard acupuncture is good though.

@Figtree11 I am so sorry to hear of your losses😢 thank you for sharing with me the changes you are making, good luck sending baby dust✨

Please let us know when your little rainbow is on the way🌈🤍 xx

@Shan1991 i take these on top of the pregnacare.

my partner takes the additional b12, vit d, vit c and co-q10 too x

@SavingNotSpending sorry to hear all you’ve been through, especially the MC just before
christmas, that was very tough for me to deal with personally😌

I was tested for antiphospholipid syndrome and to check my thyroid function. This wasn’t private testing this is just what my early pregnancy unit checked me for, I think it must standard practice now in Scotland after two miscarriages. With private testing they may do more extensive testing?

Sending you baby dust✨ hope your rainbow baby is on their way soon🌈🤍 xx

Yes same here, I found that one the toughest of the two to deal with. Especially with trying to keep things normal for my other little one, really hard.

Thanks for the testing info, I’m quite nervous about it for some reason. My borough (I’m in England) refers to a miscarriage clinic after two losses too, but the waiting list for an appointment is around 8-10 weeks.

Hope your rainbow comes soon for you too 🌈 x

Lemonviewer, do you mind me asking where your doctor was based. I suspect a possible immune issue regarding my own losses.

@jellyfish2 my pre seed has just been delivered😀can I ask in the cycle that you conceived, did you use the pre seed every time you dtd in that fertile window or just when you reached peak ovulation? Thanks xx

@Shan1991 well I ovulated really late and didn't think I was going to that month but kept testing. I then got a peak ovulation and it was all go 🤣 so did it the night I got peak and the two days after using the preseed. Hope it helps you. A tip, don't use too much I think I used maybe 1.5 on the applicator.

Okay thank you so much :) xx

@Shan1991 hi, i am in a similar boat. It took 13 months to conceive my first MMC and then 6 months for my now current ectopic. I've luckily had a lot of investigation by my ACU in prep for IVF which annoyingly told us we had unknown infertility. However privately my husband sperm tests show low morphology even though the NHS one was fine!

I think we did the times it worked are as follows:
Actually track ovulation rather than the calender as i ovulated late those cycles.

Cut down on exercise, i used to be a religious 3 time a week weight trainining girl!

Not drink from ovulation, but you already dont drink!

We both had fertility acupuncture, i take ovum supplements and he takes one by the place that did his sperm analysis in London. I stopped going to acupuncture just before i found out i was pregnant but he is still going as it helps his back. I do think it helped me recover from my MMC and thickened my lining as my periods got a lot heavier.

I had beetroot juice and pomegranate juice daily although i had stopped the cycle we conceived as I do think stress is a big reason it took so long!

Started meditation and yoga for general stress relief and also did visualisation.

We used preseed but just as you would normal lube and only if it was needed. I tried injecting it up there but i read an article online that sperm travels better through it than normal lube but its still not as good as if you hasn't used it?

I am still waiting for my hcg to drop so I can start supplements again but then we need to wait 3 months till we can try again.

I also agree if you can get your partner a sperm analysis it can give some insight. Theres a lot you can do with diet and lifestyle for sperm. My husband also shelled out for dna fragmentation which was luckily fine but its really expensive! He was very not on board with all of this till our first loss and now he is very into all of it which is great.

Wishing all of you the best of luck!!!

@FullMoon1917 I am very sorry for your losses😢 thank you for all the advice & tips. I wish you all the luck with the IVF & hope you have your little rainbow baby soon🌈🤍

Hi,
I'm so sorry for your losses. I've had 3MCs in 2 years and I don't know if any of this will make any difference but I feel like I have to go all in, otherwise in my mind is the what if...
While I'm TTC (similar to you):

• no alcohol,
• I take vitamin D, pregnacare, high dose folic acid, ferrous sulphate (have a bit of anaemia).
• I do pilates 4-5 days a week but I no longer do backbends or things that could stretch my abs; nothing that leaves me out of breath,
• only 1coffee a day, no other source of caffeine.
• hardly any sugar, salt.
• replaced rice, pasta, bread with their wholemeat versions.
• keep a low BMI but not too low.
• even if I have a headache or a fever I don't take any meds.

If I get pregnant, I also plan to:

• start progesterone from a positive test,
• remove all caffeine, sugar, salt, processed food, tuna, gluten and eat more veggies, nuts, etc.
• no exercise, only mild yoga to avoid back problems and walking.
• take a TEG, although I don't have blood issues I've been told that pregnancy could change the tests, so is worth repeating them.

I had all tests done and I don't have any underlying condition that could be the cause of the MCs so is diet and vitamins for me.

@JaneSmith8 thank you. I’m so sorry for your losses too😢 thank you for sharing everything you’re doing to help you conceive.

What is a TEG if you don’t mind me asking please?

You said you plan on taking progesterone from when you get a positive test, how are you getting the progesterone? When I enquired after my last MC about it, I was told by my early pregnancy unit that I’d need to have the pregnancy confirmed by a scan before they’d prescribe me it but they also said my GP might prescribe it from a positive test. But when I went to my GP she said she’d only prescribe me it if the EPU said so. My GP also said she wouldn’t test my progesterone levels as ‘I don’t have a problem getting pregnant’. (I’m in Scotland)

Hope you get your rainbow baby soon🌈🤍

After my 3rd, I went private and the TEG - Thromboelastogram - is a type of blood test that helps identify blood clotting dissorders. I was told that pregnancy can alter the results and as the test is quite quickly it may be worth doing, if they spot issues they can give you medication.

For the progesterone I have leftovers from my last one - I went to EPU at 5 weeks and asked for it given my past history (didn't work); my GP won't prescribe it either without EPU / Gynae letter. As I went private for my checks I've asked my Dr to give me a prescription.

@JaneSmith8 Ah okay thanks, I was tested for blood clotting disorder, came back normal too.

Hoping next time my EPU will prescribe me with progesterone early on, although I have noticed some changes since my last MC which makes me think I am increasing my progesterone levels naturally but I will also still want extra. Again as you experienced it may not work or help but I’d rather give it a try.

Marking my place to catch up later. I’m sorry to hear it has been such a hard journey. I’ve had 2 MMCs in Jan & Apr and only just starting to consider TTC again as was so traumatised by it all tbh…

@CurlyWurly1991 thank you. I’m so sorry for all you have been through too😢 I was also very traumatised & still feeling sad every day about my babies that didn’t make it 💔 but I have to keep it together as best as I can for my little boy & want nothing more than to give him a little sibling.

You try again when the time is right for you, sending you all the luck & best wishes that you get your little rainbow baby soon🌈🤍

CurlyWurly1991, you are one of several people that has popped up on various threads that I read and/or participate in. I hope you are doing ok. Appreciate that, like me, you are still very much on your journey. Are you going to do anything different while trying to conceive when you are ready to try again. Not sure if you tried anything before.
After my MMC last year I was found to be very, very low in vitamin D and folate so I am taking quite a lot of different things now. Had a Chemical a couple of months ago so now on low dose aspirin as an extra!

@Carportforme oh that sounds promising! Were you prescribed the aspirin? It is good to hear you have a plan and I wish you the very best!
I was doing quite a bit - saw a herbalist and took herbs, was on lots of supplements including uniquinol, iron, vit D etc, was following advice in ‘it starts with the egg’. I don’t think I could do anywhere near all that if we decide to try again. It feels a bit daunting - and expensive! But it did seem to help as after about 6 months of all that we conceived - twice - although both were lost, I take heart that we did get pregnant.

No, I wasnt prescribed aspirin but I had just read so much positive stuff about it. This wasnt just in relation to blood flow but for reducing inflammation potentially too. I have to take 4000 iu of vitamin per day, since my levels were deemed to be insufficient after my MMC in the Autumn. This was found out at a small set of private blood tests i had a couple of months after. I also changed myself from folic acid to 5 methyl in case i have the gene whereby my body doesnt process folic acid well. The private tests showed a low but positive level of antinuclear antibodies. I only opted for tge general antibody test because I am celiac (have been very strict about not eating gluten for over 10 yesrs) so I wondered if I might have any additional problematic antibodies that would suggest another immune issue. I have since read that having positive ANA after a miscarriage is a strong sign that your body has recently launched an immune attack, quite possibly on the embryo!
I am therefore currently trying to fight my immune system with the needed vitamin D and low dose aspirin plus other vitamins. I may end up having to get further immune tests and there is always the possibility that I will need to be on steroids to dampen my immune system but I will have to wait and talk to consultant about that if and when I get a NHS referral for miscarriage, since I dont have the money to pay privately, unfortunately.
Let's keep preying for rainbows x

Hi everyone, I though I’d refresh this chat as it was my original post.

I have just got my BFP - 3+ weeks on Clearblue digital advanced test😭 the happy tears were flowinggg🥲

I want to say a big thank you to everyone on this post who offered advice and tips after my 2 miscarriages @jellyfish2 I tried pre seed, seems to have helped on my 2nd cycle using it so thank you! I hope your pregnancy is going well 🤰🏻

I will list here all the things I done to help me conceive - although I will say the one single thing I done differently this cycle was taking 2 spoonfuls of cough medicine (Benylin) daily when I started getting a flashing smiley on ovulation test. It’s apparently supposed to thin out cm, making it easier for the sperm to travel - this along with the pre seed probably helped.

Anyway here’s everything I have been doing since my 2nd miscarriage in March:

Diet - I became really strict with my diet, quite obsessive actually. Cut out all sugar, already didn’t drink alcohol or caffeine but none of this at all - including chocolate & coca cola. No processed foods/fast food etc. Ate an abundance of sweet potatoes, beetroot, broccoli, spinach, kale, avocados, chickpeas, berries, citrus fruits, seeds (sunflower/pumpkin/seasame/flax/chia) nuts (walnuts/almonds/1-2 brazil nuts a day.

I stopped eating cold foods. I would usually always have cereal in work for breakfast - which meant cold milk. But for the past 7 months I have had porridge every morning for breakfast with sunflower & pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, a mix of strawberries/raspberries/blueberries, honey and almond butter. I would also usually always put ice in my water - I love ice cold water. But to help keep my uterus warm I now drink my water at room temperature and avoid any other ice cold drinks.

I drank one hot drink before I went to bed either a decaf tea, chamomile tea or a
peppermint tea.

Kept my feet warm at all times. I hate wearing socks to bed but I have been wearing fluffy socks to bed every single night - even when I went to Cyprus on holiday, my fluffy socks came with me 🤣

Two cycles ago (mid August) I started drinking pomegranate juice the day after my period stopped. When I was on holiday I couldn’t find it anywhere which made me so anxious as it was the start of my TWW when I went on holiday. But I drank it right up until the day I went and started it again the day I got back. I also had no ice cream on holiday - again keeping the cold foods at bay.

I started using pre seed two cycles ago (again mid August). I have conceived in my September cycle.

As I mentioned before I started taking cough medicine around day 7 this cycle until ovulation.

As I’ve always done I have taken Pregnacare before conception.

I will be asking for progesterone when I contact my EPU.

Sending everyone love on their TCC journey 🩵🩷🌈