For those who have had fertility issues - how did you get a good outcome in the end?

[PunCana]

Hi,
I'm looking for advice from others that have had a difficult time getting their good outcomes and having their children. I've been trying to start a family for almost 5 years and have had no luck at all and have yet to have a baby. Ive had 6 x miscarriages so far and pretty sure I'm about to have my 7th miscarriage due to very faint pregnancy tests and fading symptoms. So far I've had 4 x missed miscarriages and 2 x ectopics (no tubes removed, thankfully). The missed miscarriages were put down to a uterine septum, but have had that removed in, but have gone on to have another miscarriage since then (possibly two now - depending on the outcome of this one).
I just want to know from those who have had fertility issues- how did you get your baby in the end? Was there any other tests or treatments? Like IVF? A lifestyle change? Was it surrogacy or adoption?
Looking to see if there is anything more I can do that I haven't already done.
We are on the waiting list for IVF through the NHS. However I'm told this probably won't increase our chances any as I can get pregnant.
The things I've done so far are:
Generally stay pretty healthy through good diet and regular exercise. Don't smoke and cut down alcohol. Had my uterine septum removed Had some uterine scar tissue removed Accupuncture weekly since last Summer High dose folic acid every dayProgesterone pessaries each pregnancy for last 3 or 4 pregnancies (not this one on advice of midwife due to possible ectopic) Steroids for one pregnancy Pre-pregnancy supplements every day for last few yearsHad all the testing done available from the recurring miscarriage clinic with nothing abnormal found Have had testing done for NK killer cellsHad karpotyping done for both me and my husband with nothing abnormal found.
Anything else I can do that may work? Would be so grateful for any suggestions!

So sorry you have been through that and I hope this current pregnancy has a good outcome for you 🤞🏼
it sounds like you have already done loads of tests and already doing so many things
further suggestions if they’re any use:
You could try an anti inflammatory diet. I have a friend that worked for after a couple of years
You could swap the high dose folic acid for folate which is more biologically available
Same if you’re taking synthetic supplements at all, they are not all created equal
I would ditch all alcohol personally, there is no safe amount for anyone to drink in reality and could be contributing to inflammation in your body
I think sperm matters way more than we are made to realise and therefore same could apply to your partner, and watching for hot laptop on crotch etc
Plenty of gentle exercise
Ditch perfume and look into effects of chemicals in the home

Have you had a hycosy to check tube patency since the ectopics? I’m so sorrry you’re going through this. Be really careful not to drive yourself wild with impossible to follow diets and lifestyle changes where you beat yourself up that there’s something you’re not doing right.

It’s so hard. I am sorry you’re going through this and hope you get there in the end.

It was 6.5 years ttc before I had my daughter. I had almost given up hope. I struggled to get pregnant and then when I finally did via IVF, I had three miscarriages. I did manage to then go on and have my daughter. I was on aspirin, progesterone and blood thinners in my successful pregnancy. No definitive cause ever found but some more advanced testing suggested potential blood clotting issues.

I agree with the above. Cut back on ultra processed foods in particular and make sure your DH is taking a good supplement and not drinking. I did lots of yoga and had acupuncture which I felt helped.

good luck x

Hi OP,
I’ve posted the following message before elsewhere and I apologize that it’s long but it’s my story and there is a fair amount of info in here that may or may not be of use/interest to you. Everyone’s experience is so different. The one thing I would add is that after my fifth miscarriage my maternity doctor texted me about my blood results and said “Sorry to see your Bhcg dropping!😢” to which I replied “Oh thanks, last Monday was a nasty surprise. Not sure why I still get surprised every time?! 🤷‍♀️” and his reply was “Eternal hope! Nothing wrong with that.❤️😊” I was so, so grateful to him for these words when it felt like I was crazy to keep on trying (and the doctor at the IVF clinic told me the chances of us having another successful pregnancy were “possible but not probable”) he helped me feel more positive! It was amazing and just what I needed to hear.
So 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 (four years) and I am typing this with one hand whilst also breast feeding our three year old miracle baby girl! Sh just turned three yesterday… didn’t plan to breast feed this long but I’m not going to stop until she is ready! 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 OP and anyone else still waiting for their miracle.
also just to add…

the doctor at the fertility clinic suggested adding in the prednisone. I have MS which shouldn’t impact but just in case there was any other inflammatory causal factor in the miscarriages. It tasted foul (so I started putting the tablet inside empty gel capsules ) but I didn’t notice any other side effects and I was only on it for 8 weeks. Who knows if it helped but I was desperate to try anything and everything! Secondary infertility was a traumatic and lonely experience and it seemed like everyone else around me was getting (and staying) pregnant so easily. However since my daughter was born I have started talking little more to some people about it and discovered others who have also struggled. It might have helped me at the time to reach out more. But hindsight is a wonderful thing!
sorry so long!
best wishes and wishing for you better luck soon x

Also have uterus didelphys/thick uterine septum, nobody can quite agree. My team were always strongly against removal as evidence is limited to benefit and creates issue with scar tissue not conducive to implantation. It might be worth getting a hysteroscopy to review the wound sites and look at scar tissue.

I did seven rounds of IVF. I took aspirin, progesterone as pessaries and injectable (lubion) in a dose high enough to knock out a donkey, and steroids. I did a month long treatment with doxycycline in case of endometrisis. I drank so much beetroot juice I now gag even thinking about it. In my opinion, it was the steroids that worked - I had refused the testing to see if there was any NK cells because my clinic were very against that (no robust evidence), and my bloods had come back normal, but I had so many embryos get started and then fail, or not stick even though they were such high quality and my gut just told me it was a 'getting stuck' issue. Steroids were beyond horrendous to take (half my hair fell out for starters) but I am convinced they were the thing. Equally maybe they weren't and it was just the right embryo on the right day. I wont ever know.

Im so sorry for all your pain. I would definitely speak to an ivf clinic. X

Sorry for your losses - I tried for over 2 years each with mine. I did my research and tried acupuncture, weight loss, less alcohol, and something called agnus castus. Which is an old natural herbal fertility supplement, its sinetumes added to pre pregnancy vitamins and supplements, ( called Vitex). For me that really helped. I was also distracted both times I had successful pregnancies, my first was a complete letting down of hair after another miscarriage and figured stuff it let’s enjoy Christmas parties etc and found out I was pregnant in the new year. Second time I’d had a horrible miscarriage, I’d decided to get a new full time job, was crazy busy, stopped TTC as new job so decided to not use contraception but wasn’t tracking etc … bingo!
the distraction is not easy to put in place but I think the agnus castus really helped with my first pregnancy as my periods were slightly irregular (just slightly long or short cycles) and that helped. Got me, I’m a bit over weight so hitting the gym helped, if you’re underweight I’d say try to add some weight to your frame, oestrogen resides in fat so a slight shift in weight one way or the other can help if you’re over or under weight
good luck

So sorry you have gone through all that
We TTC 12yrs, lost 3, rounds of IVF and no living children. All tests were clear for us, tubes clear, semen normal and my AMH was very good for my age.

Somethings I did, clearly they didn't help, but might help you:
-Read 'it starts with an egg'. You can get 2nd hand copies from ebay and there are some simply lifestyle changes to try
-I started DH on a lycopene supplement. Its found naturally in red fruit/veg and there is some evidence it can help semen quality (even though his tests were fine, it doesn't hurt)
-I had the 3rd loss tested for genetic issues. Sorry if TMI, but I used a sterile urine jar from a pharmacy and took the contents to the EPU. I called to check beforehand and kept it in the fridge overnight. They can't always get a result, but in my case they did and it was a random issue consistent with older eggs (I was 42 by then). I also took the 2nd loss for testing. They didn't do genetic tests, but could confirm it wasn't a molar pregnancy.

It was only after the 2nd failed IVF that the consultant asked if I'd considered donor eggs. Well no I hadn't because she was the first one mentioning that it might be needed! I looked into it from both Spain and the UK and in the end, we decided not to continue. I vaguely looked into fostering or adoption. That was nearly 5yrs ago. I have a happy life, its just different to the one I'd always assumed I'd have. Wishing you all the best.

I'm hoping too. My test yesterday was looking a lot darker and my bereavement midwife was reassured. So for just now, things are ok.

I will have a look into this as I've certainly heard about the anti inflammatory diet working! Thanks!

I haven't - it was one thing I had thought about! Hopefully things work out and I dont have any further ectopics - but if I do I will be asking for this. Thanks!

I actually took prednisone in on le of my previous pregnancies but hadnt worked for me...

My consultant did say I could take asprin if I wanted, but said that it could also cause miscarriage!! I didnt take it as they found no blood clotting issue, but maybe worth looking into. Thanks!

Glad things worked out for you!

I did try prednisone in a previous pregnancy, hut didnt work unfortunately...

My septum was HUGE apparently! But did cause scarring afterwards which Ive had a hysteroscopy done for and the scar tissue removed. Think that what has caused my ectopics due to the amount of uterine surgery I've had. Get surgery to fix one issue and it causes other issues...!

I'm hoping the Accupuncture is making a difference this time. Especially with how much it costs!

I'll definitely look into this Angus castus, thanks!

I keep a pretty healthy weight.

Thanks!

I had multiple miscarriages (11+). I now have three DC (two pregnancies). I became part of an online support group at the time (20 years ago) for women over 30 trying to conceive their first, who had had multiple miscarriages. Many of us went on to have successful pregnancies. For me, it was acupuncture for DC 1, and clomid and progesterone supplementation (prescribed) for DT. (I had also had miscarriages on that regime, so it wasn't a magic bullet.) One of my online buddies cut out sugar completely and she swears that was what made the difference for her.

It's a really really hard road to walk. Sending a hand hold.

Yeah this is why I was told absolutely not to get rid. In the end I carried each baby in different cavities. Which created its own interest!

Wishing you the best of luck with whatever comes next x

Sorry for the late response - this one has unfortunately been another miscarriage, so not been in the head space to look this thread.

So pleased to hear you got an outcome after 11 miscarriages - gives me a little bit more hope.

Thanks for the advice! Will.look into it.

Are you on / heard of Hydroxychloroquine? That worked for me.

have a read of trytryagain blog.

I really am very sorry to hear how hard it is has been for you. It is heart breaking.

It took me 14 years to have my 2 children, I had so much ivf, at least 10 embryos transferred that failed and they didn’t know why as they were good quality. I went to Dr Gorgy in the end and used an egg donor with PGT testing.

He put me on so many different meds and treatments.

i was on hydroxy, Lubion, painful progesterone injections, clexane every day. I had the Emma / Alice and had to take anti biotics and shove tablets up my foof for bacterial vaginosis. High strength vitamin D. Iron tablets. Levothyroxine to control the thyroid. I had some adenymyosis too. I had intralipids every month and multiple LIT - where they inject the blood cells of your husband / donated from men so that your body doesn’t reject the embryo. It was so painful and after the first session I developed an allergy and I had over 100 blisters on my arm at the injection site.

But somehow it worked.

5 rounds of IVF over six years. First resulted in pregnancy and miscarriage. Three total non starters. Final round - twins. I pestered DH for that final round. He said this has to be our final attempt. He didn't want to live his life in the shadow of infertility. So glad we did.

@PunCana so sorry to read your update. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself to do whatever it is you need to do next.