Update from worrybum re: recurrent miscarriage clinic.

[worrybum]

Went yesterday. Prof. was great and reassured me that we are under his care until our family is complete .

There is no one identifiable cause for my four miscarriages but there are a couple of findings that he is confident are contributing factors and we now have the bigger picture. The good news is that both are treatable.

My blood results show that I have slightly elevated levels of homocysteine. I have been advised to take the normal dose of folic acid until I conceive and then my gp needs to prescribe a higher dose when I get a BFP. He is writing to my gp to inform them of this.

The other issue is polycystic ovaries! He picked up on this immediately from the ultrasound scan he also did yesterday. I am with the gynaecologist that I saw after my 3rd miscarriage because I asked at the time if this could be a cause and they ruled it out because I had regular periods and no problem conceiving although I was pointing out to them that I had a lot of the other signs (father was bals before the age of 30, I have developed lots of skin tags, have weight gain, spotty skin, have turned into a hairy yeti -God I sound attractive don't I? Waxing, foundation and bridget Jones knickers do work miracles though you know). Anyway at least this guy is on the ball.

He seems to be confident that he can fix me and has said that as soon as I get pregnant again (obviously after starting the medication - we have decided to wait 3 months) I ring his nurse (she was there yesterday also and is lovely) and they will arrnage for regular reassurance scans starting at 4 and a half weeks so that they can carefully monitor the pregnancy's progression and check that size etx is correct for the gestation.

So what do you think to that then eh? I'm quite shocked. I honestly thought that they would be telling me that there was naff all they could find and bugger all we could do!

oops excuse typos - my dad is bals not bals?!?!?!

I meant bald!

So pleased they can help you, that is good news.

Thanks at least next time around I'll feel that thre is something that can be done. Not so hopeless IYKWIM

wow, that sounds like the NHS really doing its stuff! i'm impressed. i've just had a mc for the first time. i don't dare even contemplate how i'd cope having another, never mind four, but it's very reassuring to know that if it happens repeatedly, there may be things that help.

Hi Worrybum. Thanks for this - I was absolutely terrified about going for tests until you told us about your experience (I'm going tomorrow). Did they take loads of blood? I will be asking about the ovary thing - total rubbish that previous doc ruled it out.
It's so good that they have spotted some possible causes and that there are thing you can do - that's the best outcome for all of us in this situation in many ways. Keep us updated x

havent seen your threads before, but wanted to say that is great news! hope all goes well for you xx

Thanks for the words of encouragement ladies. otc -I was hoping that you would check in and see this today. Good luck for tomorrow - let us know how dh copes after you've frog marched him in . Hope you get the same care and consideration - I truly am impressed with my prof thus far

Did you manage to get him there OTC?

I did! it (and he) was fine after all - there's a surprise! Was encouraged by the clinic tbh. There was a whole new floor in that hospital where it wasn't manic or dirty, where the competent medics hide. Liked the doc - really reassuring mix of calm and professional and we will be under her care all the time. More blood tests to do, review in 3 months, but feeling hopeful. I am also hosting some kind of cyst festival in my ovary. No conclusions just yet as PCOS not really likely but we will see...

thats great, can i just ask why they havent prescribed high dose FA while you are ttc? which hospital are you at?

Hi worrybum and OTC,

Thanks for your updates as promised on the previous thread, and I'm really pleased that they both went well. The feeling of confidence you get from competent/caring staff is worth nearly as much as the treatment!

Do you mind if I fire some questions at you?!

Worrybum, it sounds like you had your blood tests etc before the appointment, as they gave you the results then? What about you OTC? I've had 2 lots done pre-appointment - clotting and chromosome analysis... same as you guys?

And it sounds like you both had a scan at the appointment - for some reason I hadn't thought that they might do that on the spot! Internal and/or external?

What did they do to your DH's?

How long did the appointment last?

er that's it for now, but I'm sure I'll come up with some more!

Mine is a week on Tuesday... looking forward to it with trepidation!

That's great news OTC keep us updated won't you? Did you give dh a lollipop and a sticker? I felt like doing that for mine just to add an element of fun! -aren't I mean?

Hi TNTO! in answer to you questions:

Worrybum, it sounds like you had your blood tests etc before the appointment, as they gave you the results then? What about you OTC? I've had 2 lots done pre-appointment - clotting and chromosome analysis... same as you guys? I had to have all of my bloods taken between days 1 and 4 of my AF before my appointment. They then contacted me once they had the results to give me the appointment

And it sounds like you both had a scan at the appointment - for some reason I hadn't thought that they might do that on the spot! Internal and/or external? Unfortunately I had to have an internal ultrasound on the spot but was pretty used to it having had to have them before when miscarrying. I didn't know about this before and was not prepared. Had I been I might have trimmed my lady garden! Was sooooo

What did they do to your DH's? Not enough! Nothing happened to him at the appoinment, just had to sit there and listened. Could have at least given him a poke and prod for good measure. Why do they have it so easy?

How long did the appointment last? We were there for about an hour with the consultant and his nurse

Good luck for it. Let us know how it goes!

oops lissielou sorry didn't see your post. i think because my levels of homocysteine are only slightly elevated. He said that mine are 11, where 7/8 is preferable and 16 is only seen by a lot in the field to be high. I just have to take the normal dose while ttc and then the higher dose afterwards. I'm at the Royal Infirmary in Leicester

Thanks for the answers to my quickfire question round WB!

Yeah, I wouldn't have expected to have to get my knickers off in the 1st appt! Though thinking about it, it seems reasonable that they'd do that! Like you, I've had rather too many of those scan probes up my fanjo... I don't very good associations with the whole scan thing, so it'll be good to be able to psych myself up before.

An hour! Wow, NHS at its best. Bizarrely my appt is at 14.50, which suggests to me that they have appts every 10 mins!

Thanks again, I appreciate it... and am definitely adding my name to the petition for them to do degrading things to DH while they're at it.... sodding blokes.

lol at dh's. mine kept moaning and putting off his porn pot appt. i get cameras shoved up my fanjo, sliced and diced, and have had so many doctors hands up there that every cons from here to liverpool could map out my reproductives. he fecking moans about tickling his kipper!

Lissie,

I've seen you around a lot on the mc/conception threads, though not so much recently (could be cos I haven't been lurking as much or you haven't been posting as much). Where are you at...? I know you've had a mind boggling number of mc's (7?) Are you ttc at the mo? Right now, I can't contemplate trying again after 3... the stress of being pg again would be too much. I know I'll get there, but I'm not ready yet.

at your DH's porn appt! I wasn't sure if they'd make him do that for recurrent mc. It seems possible to me that wonky swimmers might cause mc, but from I can gather - if you can conceive they don't tend to do that test. Mind you, they've probably done every test they can think of on you by now...

All the best anyway.

Hi ladies,

Just wanted to let you all know that at 16 I was told I would never had kids because I had PCOS. I had my first when I was 22 and second child 15 months later... what a shock the hospital had hearing that I had PCOS and was in with a second child so soon.

Anyway it would seem that now maybe where the problem is, I had a miscarriage on Friday and because it is my first they can only assume that the cause for it is the PCOS.

I just wanted to say to all you ladies out there that have gone through a miscarriage several time that I think you are so brave to keep trying and admire you very very much. Until reading your stories I really didnt know what to do about trying again, but after reading your stories and hearing how brave you all actually are I think I have decided to try.

xx

Hello again. The nurse did say she felt like she should give him a sticker when he has his 2 tiny blood tests!

I had a few blood tests before the appointment, a few more at the recurrent mc clinic, and will have to go to the GP every month for the next 3 months on the first day of my cycle to get the right hormone levels to see if it's PCOS (or something). They are going to look again in 3 months. There has been no mention of asprin yet, but we are not ttc because we were told to wait for all the tests.

Yes, fanjo-based scan was part of the appointment, unfortunately. at Lissie's DH's porn appointment - that would be really embarassing though, wouldn't it?. Luckily for Mr OTC, doc didn't think that was necessary as getting pg is never the problem (off the hook or what?!). Our appointment was 2 whole hours in total! Back in October. TNTO, keep us posted.

Wickedwitch - so sorry to hear about your baby.

Hello again. The nurse did say she felt like she should give him a sticker when he has his 2 tiny blood tests!

I had a few blood tests before the appointment, a few more at the recurrent mc clinic, and will have to go to the GP every month for the next 3 months on the first day of my cycle to get the right hormone levels to see if it's PCOS (or something). They are going to look again in 3 months. There has been no mention of asprin yet, but we are not ttc because we were told to wait for all the tests.

Yes, fanjo-based scan was part of the appointment, unfortunately. at Lissie's DH's porn appointment - that would be really embarassing though, wouldn't it?. Luckily for Mr OTC, doc didn't think that was necessary as getting pg is never the problem (off the hook or what?!). Our appointment was 2 whole hours in total! Back in October. TNTO, keep us posted.

Wickedwitch - so sorry to hear about your baby.

Managed to post that twice - duh!

the boys can apparently cause mc too. if they arent in great shape then the foetus cant develop properly.

he has had his appt now, and apparently it was "hell" .

tnto, yep, 7 mc's (at least) and 1 ep. we are taking a ttc break now. had hysteroscopy last month and go to see cons next month, then back on the horse all going well!

Hi OTC it sounds like they are really looking after you too.

Lissie I remember you now from a previous thread. Let us know how you get on next month at the hospital won't you?

WWOWBM very sorry to hear about your loss and sending ((hugs)) your way.

TNTO I know how you feel about not being up for trying for a while after miscarrying a third time. After our 3rd we waited a year and it has now been over a year since our fourth. I think we are pretty much in the same boat at the moment even though I'm armed with a lot more facts now it's going to take a while I think for me to pluck up the courage to deal with the what ifs and face the possibility of it all going wrong again.

Anyway I am off to California with dh and dd(9) on Wednesday for 3 weeks. My mum, brother and sister live out there. my brother's wife had a baby boy last January so he is over a year old and we haven't even met him yet. Hopefully dd will be content with playing with him for a little while and will stop nagging us for a brother or sister. On the other hand, dirty nappies and all that......he may put her off !!. I'll catch up with you when I get back.

Take care x

Thanks for the reply OTC... 2 hours!!! Interesting that they'll monitor you for 3 months. How do you feel about not ttc for 3m? At the moment, a 3 month break sounds fine to me, but I know that when the urge strikes, it'll be like flipping a light switch and I won't be able to think about anything else! I chose my name for a reason

Lissie... well what can I say... good luck with the cons and keep us posted!

WB, have a lovely time in california - I'm very envious!

Not at all worried about waiting, really (yet). Each time you get pg you sort of assume that it will end badly, so my body seems to know each time when it is strong enough to do it all again. But yes, I will wake up one day and my body will decide that it's time to go again and, well that will be it - non-stop obsessing and a very compliant dh!

Have a lovely holiday worrybum and good luck Lissie