Advice after two unexplained late trimester losses and whether to seek further testing

[YourZippyZebra]

Hi All,

In 2023 we went through a second trimester loss with our baby girl at 20 weeks when we went in for our routine 20 week scan they told us that her heartbeat had stopped. We were completely devastated and blind sided as everything in the pregnancy had been going well. The genetic testing on her came back clear and all of my bloods came back clear, and we were told it was just unlucky to lose a baby so far along. So we got no answers for our perfect baby girl :(

after a year of stressful trying after our loss we fell pregnant with my son, he went full term and he is now a healthy and beautiful baby boy.

This year we fell pregnant again, everything was going well until we got the NIPT/Harmony results back at 11 weeks, it confirmed that all of the major chromosomes were fine but the babies sex could not be determined, they went through a list of all of the worst case scenarios of conditions this test result could mean, such as Turner’s syndrome etc and told that we won’t know until the pregnancy gets further along and we may need to do amnio testing so I was of course spiralling given our history. We then went in for our routine 13 week scan and it was confirmed the babies heartbeat had stopped again and I had a D&C to have bubs removed. We recently got the genetic testing results back and again it was another baby girl and they couldn’t find anything genetically or chromosomally wrong her they said again it’s just bad luck to have this happen again even though we had been told it would be rare to have two second trimester losses. The results just don’t make sense to me given we got the strange harmony test results I thought for sure this time we would have answers.

Before we bring ourselves mentally to try again, I just want to make sure we are in the best place possible to avoid any more of this heartbreak so hoping I can find anyone who’s been through something similar and may have any advice?

My questions or help I’m trying to search for are -

— could I not be able to carry baby girls? Has anyone experienced only loss’s with girls?

• We are looking to do karytype genetic testing on my husband and I to see if it is anything to do with us, has anyone done this and found any answers?
• we are also looking to do DNA fragmentation test and seamen analysis, could the late loss’s come from the sperm or are we wasting our time?
• in my next pregnancy is there any medication I should be taking to help? Given it’s not my cervix as both times have been missed miscarriages.
• did anyone lose multiple of the same sex and eventually go on to have a healthy pregnancy of that sex?
• are there any other tests I should be looking at or, is it really just one of those things and we just need to try again and hope for the best?

any help would be really appreciated xxxxx

Hi @YourZippyZebra, so sorry for your losses. It’s so heartbreaking and unfair.

Have you been referred to a Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic? I have had an 18 week loss and a 13 week loss both in the past 7 months and have recently been referred. Testing for the 18 week loss came back all normal (for me and baby) and we are still awaiting results for the 13 week loss. To answer some of your questions:

My 18 week loss was a boy, and I have a healthy baby boy earthside, so I don’t think it’s a sex thing for me but it could be for some.

Haven’t done karotype testing yet.

Have done a private DNA fragmentation test but according to the NHS doctor we spoke to, they don’t usually look at the man for second trimester losses as we successfully conceived etc. Doesn’t make sense to me.

Medication - I’ve heard aspirin and progesterone could help but I’m no doctor. Lots of supplements eg CoQ10 are supposed to help egg and sperm health too.

Lots of tests can be done, which you may already have had done on the NHS. Clotting tests, infection tests, thyroid etc. More specialist ones are usually done privately eg auto immune conditions, NK cells etc.

I am also still on the journey of trying to figure out what happened and how to improve our chances of an earthside baby in the future 🙏🏻

@user4455 hello, thank you so much for responding, and I am so sorry for you have also had to experience two losses. And both so close together, I am sending you lots of love!

isn’t it just so hard to hear that they couldn’t find anything wrong, it is a lot harder to accept that it happened for no reason. I hope you get answers on your second loss <3

I have been referred to the recurrent miscarriage clinic, but so far have only had a scan booked for a few weeks time, I haven’t heard anything further!

I really appreciate your response and I will let you know if I find anything along the way to help improve our chances too xxx

Hey both of you, I had a loss at 16 weeks of a little boy in 2022 - full post mortem revealed nothing as did the bloods on me. It was a missed miscarriage - the best they could determine his heartbeat just stopped just before 16 weeks. I caught pregnant quickly again with a little girl this time, where again everything progressed normally but at a routine midwife apt at 15 plus 5 she litstened for the heartbeat and couldn’t find it. Scan showed she had gone. All testing again showed no cause or reason.

I had a boy and girl at home, so there was never a question to me that it could be related to the sex of baby. It’s just so hard thinking there is no reason for something so awful happening.

I went on to have a little boy in 2024 who is now 2 - they put me on aspirin, clexane and progesterone to support the pregnancy and I had extra reassurance scans. I’ve no idea why I couldn’t have those babies, I’ll certainly never get over them.
Theres no other meds protocol that in aware of, do you have a debrief apt with the hospital? There were no tests they did on my husband, it was pnly me and the placenta

Hi @MrsC2018, thanks for sharing your experiences. I’m so sorry for you tragic losses. I’m so glad you went on to have an earthside baby after them. It’s hard not knowing why the other 2 never made it. That medical protocol is the one I seem to see a lot so it must do something or it might be a placebo effect, who knows.

I’ve had my appointment with the Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic which said all tests back normal (eg. Thyroid panel, Vit D, clotting etc), and have also done a 3D uterine scan with them where “everything looks good” according to them. No tests on husband either here. We have the follow up appointment in about 5 weeks so let’s see what they say….. not holding out much hope for answers.

@YourZippyZebra- have you had your scan yet? Will they do more blood tests too?

@MrsC2018 thank you for sharing your story 💙 and I am so sorry you had to go through 2 late trimester loss’s too, it’s so heartbreaking, I am so glad you went on to have your beautiful boy 💙💙

@user4455 I have spoken to a fertility specialist and they have mentioned I take the list of things that @MrsC2018 has mentioned! They said even if my blood clotting panels come back clear they recommend taking it anyway just in case! I did get the dna fragmentation back and my husbands results were outside of the normal range, so I wonder if that could play any part!? We are still waiting on the karyotype testing so we will see! My scan came back all normal though!

my homoscysteine levels came back elevated so then I was recommended a thrombophillia blood panel so I’m not also waiting on the results for that!

who knows if I’m searching for answers I’ll never get but Atleast I’ll know I’ve checked everything before we try again! I hope you mange to get some answers too and we can bring another beautiful baby into the world xxxxxx

@MrsC2018 @user4455 Hey Girls, I hope that you are both well!!

I just wanted to update you both on my search for answers!

I got my tests results back on my thrombophillia panel, all looked ok but it has said I am positive for the homozygous mutation of MTHFR C677T.

Basically this means that my body does not process folic acid like a normal person and I should have been taking folate instead. This would explain my elevated homocysteine levels and from all of the research I’ve been looking at this can cause little blood clots to the placenta and in turn the babies heartbeat stopping.

I am waiting to speak to my fertility doctor to get more details on this but everything I have read is that I would be told to take methylated folate and B12 supplements, baby aspirin and blood thinning injections.

I would be so interested to know if you girls may have something similar!?!

I don’t think I I’ll ever get to know for certain if this is what caused both loss’s but I’m going to try all of that in my next pregnancy and pray that it doesn’t happen again!

I just wanted to give you both an update in case it was something you may have had tested or would like to test! Sending you both lots of love xxxxx

@YourZippyZebra I never found a reason for my miscarriages. But, I am prescribed aspirin (as a blood thinner) clexane (blood thinner) and progesterone - all are thought to support the placenta. I have carried my little boy to term since the miscarriages and I’m actually pregnant again so back on that protocol and have everything crossed again! I’m old now though, so very mindful of chromosomal issues being at play now too.
I had 2 children before the miscarriages, can’t imagine what changed, perhaps I was just even more lucky to get them that I imagined.

@MrsC2018 oh congratulations that is amazing news!!! I’m sending you so much luck for a healthy pregnancy to bring another beauuiful bubba earthside 💙 I feel like I’ll be doing the same protocol as you for all future pregnancies!!! Whatever it takes! Is it just normal aspirin you take or is there a special kind I need to look for? Hoping the blood thinners haven’t been too painful for you!

sending you all of my luck that everything goes well xxxxxx

@YourZippyZebrathank you, you’re very kind. I’m an anxious mess as you can imagine, I truly never relax even once baby is here - I can’t believe my miracle boy is 2. I still look at him in wonder!

yes normal aspirin, 150mg. The clexane is fine, I’m used to it I think - I took it from 6 weeks pregnant until my boy was 1 month old as I had a caesarean 😂

even if this baby isn’t meant to be with me, I’ll be fine - it’s just this bit waiting that’s really hard to sit with I think. Best of luck for your future pregnancies and hope you get as many rainbows as you wish for ❤️

@MrsC2018 oh I know it is so hard, pregnancy once you have had loss’s just never feels the same sadly, it’s that constant worry until you have bubs earthside and cuddling you in your arms. But you are doing everything right for the pregnancy so I hope this is another beautiful rainbow for you!

ohhhh I’ve just realised I took the clexane for my c section too! I remember it stinging haha. But it’s all worth it!!

Thank you lovely! Hopefully I have another beautiful rainbow just around the corner too xxxx

@MrsC2018- congratulations on your pregnancy. I really hope everything goes smoothly. I can imagine the constant worry, but it’s good that this protocol has worked for you previously 🙏🏻 That’s the protocol the recurrent miscarriage clinic told me they would likely put me on if they found no other reason (at least the aspirin and progesterone, but TBC for clexane).

@YourZippyZebra- thank for the update on the search results. That’s great you have an answer / some clarity as to what the reason could be. It must feel reassuring in a way to know how to deal with it going forward. I will need to look back at my results as I am not sure they tested me for MTHFR. However I had been taking folate before and in the pregnancies I lost, not folic acid, so I don’t know if that would be the answer for me. We have our next Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic appointment in about 4 weeks so will hopefully discuss then. It’s tricky as my hormones and emotions are wanting me to get pregnant again asap but my brain is telling me to wait until we have a bit more clarity…..

@user4455 Hi lovely! Yes it does feel good and reassuring that I may have potentially found a cause, but I guess I won’t know for sure until I’m pregnant again and try this protocol! Ah ok that’s good you were already taking folate! But I’m so sorry you still lost your babies on that, it really isn’t fair! And I hope you can find some sort of potential answers too!

I know it is so hard fighting with your head and heart, I’ve felt the same in wanting to get straight back into trying! But I know last time I rushed into it and I wasn’t in a great mental place which made everything harder. This time because I’ve given myself a few months to clear my mind and also do this research I’m feeling a lot better mentally and in a good place to start trying again.

if you are feeling in a good place mentally, then if you do try again and fall pregnant straight away I wonder if the recurrent miscarriage clinic can guide you through the pregnancy and provide recommendations?

sending you all the baby dust and good luck lovely xxx

Firstly, I’m so sorry for your two losses I know how heartbreaking it is, I lost my DD at 25 weeks late last year.

When you got pregnant after the loss were you under a consultant? Did they give you any medications?

my DD’s postmortem came back as everything looked fine, the only thing they could suggest was me having a blood test to check I don’t have a blood clotting disorder (can’t remember the blood test name) anyway that came back positive but they wanted to retest as apparently can get false negatives but by this point I was already pregnant so couldn’t retest (I wasn’t aware of not being able to retest). My consultant is treating it as I have an issue with blood clots and I’m on aspirin and clexane injections, oddly enough with my first I had low Papp a and was prescribed aspirin and had no issues, the daughter I lost I wasn’t prescribed anything

@incognito1991 @incognito1991 oh I am so sorry for your loss, 25 weeks is just so heartbreaking I am so sorry you had to go through that, that really is devastating. I’m so happy to hear you are pregnant again that is such amazing news, and I pray everything goes smoothly in this pregnancy xxxx

For the pregnancy after the 20 weeks loss with my son who is earthside, I don’t think I was given a consultant until the very end! This most recent pregnancy I was in Australia at the time so I was not with a consultant!

After everything I’ve read this last few weeks and other people’s stories, I am really going to push to make sure I’m given clexane and I’ll take aspirin throughout the pregnancy! Will you be taking these right through to birth?

thank you for your message and again I am so sorry for your loss xxxx