What will give poppy seed the best chance? Advice please!

[AiRoo]

Hi all,

I miscarried at just over 5 weeks in December and at nearly 7 weeks in March.

in March my lines never really took off, so to speak, and I know they’re not a quantitive test but after two losses you do find solace in darkening lines.

I tested positive on Monday just gone at 9dpo, and I didn’t test again until today, 14dpo and am happy with progress (pics attached) again, I know it’s doesn’t mean anything and a lot can still happen.

so my question is what can I do, if anything to help this third pregnancy stick?

my progesterone level at 13dpo in March was 15- is that low?

I have a doc appointment Tuesday, should I suggest progesterone pessaries? Or is it just a “put it in the lap of the gods” situation and hope for the best?

this is my last chance saloon at being pregnant so I really want the third time to be a charm!

any help or advice very welcomed.

Rach x

I'd definitely ask about progesterone as that can make a big difference. Best of luck!

If NHS gp won't prescribe progesterone then go private! Don't take no for an answer. Good luck with your pregnancy

I’m in the exact same situation as you. I can’t get a drs appointment until Friday. I’ve done research online about baby aspirin potentially helping so have started to take it. I have endometriosis too so I’m worried about progesterone resistance.

@Chocolatecustardcreamsrule congratulations on your BFP firstly, it’s so stressful at the same time though isn’t it!

how far along are you? I read that progesterone can be started from 6 weeks.

I read that too about baby aspirin and I’m going to discuss it Tuesday, will get on it straight away if the gp says it’s a good idea.

Will update the thread on Tuesday to let you know what the gp says about progesterone. I’m also going to ask for a referral to EPAU for a scan, in my area you have to have 2 miscarriages in a row to qualify for that.

fingers crossed this is our time 🤞🏼♥️

Good luck fingers crossed for you too!

I’ve managed to get a drs appointment for this afternoon so I will update. I’m going to ask for a blood test to test HCG levels and also progesterone levels and if I should carry on taking the baby aspirin. Good luck with yours and fingers crossed our poppy seeds turn sesame seeds soon :)

@AiRoo one can start progesterone once ovulation has occurred and been confirmed, so at 2/3dpo. Why wait until 6 weeks? It's important in the very early stages.

@Chocolatecustardcreamsrule oo yes let me know how you get on. I’ll will update later too 🤞🏼 here’s to sesame seeds!

@Uphighseesky I’m not waiting until 6 weeks, if I can get it prescribed today I will.

the aftercare from my 2 miscarriages was very very poor, so it was never suggested I take it after confirmed ovulation on my next cycle.

one has to work with what one’s healthcare provider provides, no?

Absolutely, it's a shame that access to such things is sometimes so tricky in the UK.

@Chocolatecustardcreamsrule how did you get on? My gp said it wasn’t her role to prescribe progesterone and would need to seek advice from gynae, said it can be started whenever, which I know isn’t true.

said baby aspirin should only be from 12 weeks, and again I know that’s not true.

basically she implied for me to just “see what happens and have hope”

left feeling pretty deflated. I hope you had better success x

I’m disgusted at the lack of support you’ve been given.
‘see what happens and have hope” is awful and I’m so sorry you’ve been treated this way.

I’ve had two consecutive miscarriages and I was lucky enough to be referred to the miscarriage unit where they discovered I have a blood clotting disorder which means I miscarry without meds.
when I found out I was pregnant I was prescribed asprin and heparin injections.
i would raise hell and ask for your bloods to be done and ask to be tested for APS disorder x

@AutumnVi thank you for your response, I’m sorry to hear about your losses.

I think you’re right you know, I’ve woken up this morning furious.

if I contact my gp again or go straight to the miscarriage unit or EPAU and they do do bloods will I have caught it in time to have medication?

im 5 weeks tomorrow.

Sorry to hear that. Sadly same here, basically test again in a week and see what happens. I asked about aspirin and progesterone and he said he didn’t know, he said he was going to ask a specialist and send me a text so I am still waiting to see. It’s so frustrating that unless you are already under a specialist you have no support whatsoever. I’ve read the notes from my app and it says recommended to take folic acid and avoid alcohol…. Really helpful!

@Chocolatecustardcreamsrule sorry to hear that you had a similar experience.

it’s all frustrating isn’t it. I’m not going to wait I’m going to make such a nuisance of myself that I can get a blood test at least for check my progesterone and any potential clotting problem.

I have to advocate for this baby. My wife carried our 18 month old and we used the same donor for this baby- the gp seemed more bothered about that than the situation in hand.

wow folic acid and avoid alcohol advice- bet you didn’t know that ground breaking advice?

I’ve heard gp’s are going on strike to increase their already £120k a year salary!! Shame they’re not earning it all the time.

Will let you know how far I get!!

@AiRoo you could immediately start on baby aspirin 75mg/day. No Rx needed and whilst being pretty harmless, has possibly helped many women (I read somewhere about helping when the tiny blood vessels are being formed, to allow the blood to flow more easily, just in case this was an issue in the early stages)

@Uphighseesky oh really? Ok maybe I’ll just do that then, thank you for your advice.

she said it’s usually started at 13 weeks, but I have read if there is a potential clotting issue that women don’t make it to 13 weeks.

Will get some today, thank you

I put myself on it with both pregnancies and at my 8/9 week Gyn appointment she was always completely fine with it, even said it's a great preventative measure that doesn't do any harm.

Had to up it to 150mg later on anyway due to family history of pre eclampsia and due to age 😅

I was never prescribed either progesterone or aspirin
In fact when I asked about either in my pregnancy after 2 back to back mcs I was denied due to not having had 3 in a row mcs 🙃
Nothing I could have done unless I went private and waited up to a year to go through their hoops.
Got pregnant again and she's now a happy 6yo.
Another mc and pregnancy later, in a different country I again enquired about progesterone and was again denied it because its not the norm to have unless there is bleeding throughout the pregnancy (which I had spotting but not enough to qualify as bleeding) and asprin is also just never done here. I did a lot of research on it to take myself before my 6yo and tbh, the chances (for me personally) of causing bleeding to happen more and mc due to that was far outweighed the possible benefits that weren't significant imo.

That being said, I'm now 16 weeks and babe is wiggling.
I would never have forgiven myself if I'd taken aspirin and mc again, especially if it wasn't under a doctors advice. Also with progesterone, if I had my bloods and knew my progesterone was low then I would have psuhed harder to for it, otherwise I just have to trust most of my mcs were due to chromosome abnormalities and weren't compatible with life. I know realistically not every conception can be compatible.

There is still hope if you don't go on either prog or aspirin, wishing you the best x

@LaTable thank you for your response, very interesting to hear a different perspective.

sorry to hear about your losses and congratulations on your new babe!

I too have read that if can be a hindrance not a help, aspirin that is. It’s conflicting that’s for sure.

I have contacted the gp and asked for a blood test to measure progesterone at least.

you are right in what you said about sometimes the chromosomes just aren’t viable and that’s ok, well it’s not, but you know what I mean.

as much as I am bucking against the “wait and see what happens” attitude as it feels to blazé maybe I do just have to let nature do its thing and if it’s meant to be it will be. Test attached from last night at 17 DPO, so it’s looking ok progression wise. Albeit I know that doesn’t really mean anything sometimes!

@AiRoo how are you getting on? I’ve had a very rocky few weeks. I had heavy bleeding which I thought was a chemical as it lasted for 7 days. I then thought I’d test to make sure it was over and got a blazing positive followed by positives that were getting stronger. I am under the EPU now, had a scan last week where they couldn’t see anything but think I could have been super early at the first positive. I have another scan tomorrow and am so nervous and hoping there is something there. I feel pregnant and my HCG doubled but I don’t trust my body.

My fingers and toes are crossed that yours has gone a lot smoother.

@Chocolatecustardcreamsrule hi, thanks for checking in. Sorry to hear you’ve had such an uncertain stressful time. I really hope your scan goes well tomorrow. fingers crossed it was just too early and you’ll see something on that screen tomorrow.

i managed to get progesterone pressaries and have used them for a few weeks now.
I had a private scan at what I thought was 6 weeks, they saw and empty sac said “come back in two weeks” and pushed me out the door, it was anything but reassuring.

I rang the epu the next day and explained and they said some private clinics are hopeless and I could go and see them on the Monday so 3 days later. We saw a heartbeat, was insane and I was shocked.

I have another scan tomorrow too! Should be about 7.5 weeks so hopefully all is well.

im still riddled with anxiety and thinking the worst, but what will be will be.

Will be thinking about you tomorrow. Let me know how you get on x

Oh my gosh that sounds awful so sorry you have had a difficult time too. So lovely though that you have seen a heartbeat! I’ve read online the odds significantly increase once that happens so it’s brilliant news!

Thank you good luck tomorrow too, it’s awful the anxiety isn’t it but fingers crossed it’s all worth it in the end. They think I am 6.5 weeks so praying something is there tomorrow.

@Chocolatecustardcreamsrule good luck today. I will be thinking about you and manifesting hard that you see your little pea on the screen. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

@Chocolatecustardcreamsrule how did you get on? Have been thinking of you x