PAL after Recurrent Losses - come join us!

[hopeful23456]

you girls are right, we have definitely earned the right to announce it! just don't know if i will....

my issue with kegels - you will probably laugh....

so i read you use the motion like you are stopping your pee. so when i would pee, i would practice stopping it just a few times, to see how strong it was. doing that gave me my one and only urinary tract infection a year and a half ago. i've never done them since (and i know you can do them when you aren't peeing - LOL)

 

[Kaylattc]

Oh, and no, I didn't use IVF. I did IUI with this cycle and got pregnant the first try. I don't have PCOS, but ovulate later in my cycle than most women. Around days 21-28. I used Femara (similar to Clomid) and the hcg trigger shot to get me to ovulate sooner and stronger. It worked beautifully. So far so good. This is the longest pregnancy I've ever had.

What made you choose IUI? We're you given a choice?

I am so happy for you! ✨✨✨✨✨✨

 

[Kaylattc]

Kayla I am 11weeks and a few days now. I do not have PCOS. My doctor put me on the steroids because I have anxiety and even though I am not on meds for it anymore, when you very first get pregnant your body produces the hormone cortisol. I had done some research and found that some stats showed the really high levels of cortisol in early pregnancy can cause miscarriage.
I asked abo9ut it and she said it could be a possibility because in my early pregnancies I had had severe anxiety symptoms. So as soon as I got a positive hpt I started taking dexamethasone at a very low dose. We don't know if that made the difference, or if we just got our miracle, but we are hoping it sticks.

I really hope the doctors can offer you some encouragement. I hope you have good support around you in the coming days and weeks ahead.

I am going to ask my doctor about that.

I know I have PCOS and he didn't give me anything for that which I am blami right now... I also have a history with very low progesterone and he didn't give me anything for that...he knows my problems also in August I had a chemical pregnancy after clomid and then needed surgery in September because the clomid gave me a cyst te size I a baseball and he had to remove it.

I also suffered from OHSS from the clomid and now I am doing another run of it.

Maybe I should try Femara....maybe the clomid is not right for me... Maybe it's my doctor I guess I just really need a specialist.

 

[croydongirl]

After my third loss, my OBGYN was great and did a ton of tests before she referred me to the fertility clinic.
They did a few more tests but nothing came up except my hubby has low morphology in his swimmers, but that doesn't seem to be an issue in us getting pregnant, but it can lead to low quality embryos sometimes.

My fertility clinic had me come in the same day as my hpt for blood work and I got the results a few hours later. They had me in for blood tests every couple of days for 2 weeks and then scan every week from 5 weeks. I am now back with my regular doctor as the clinic has you 'graduate' after 10 weeks but I appreciated the more constant and available care of the clinic early on. I hope your doctor can refer you somewhere more specialised to help you and give you options.

We didn't do any treatment, we got pregnant by ourselves and then just used the medicine she prescribed. It is possible!

 

[Kaylattc]

After my third loss, my OBGYN was great and did a ton of tests before she referred me to the fertility clinic.
They did a few more tests but nothing came up except my hubby has low morphology in his swimmers, but that doesn't seem to be an issue in us getting pregnant, but it can lead to low quality embryos sometimes.

My fertility clinic had me come in the same day as my hpt for blood work and I got the results a few hours later. They had me in for blood tests every couple of days for 2 weeks and then scan every week from 5 weeks. I am now back with my regular doctor as the clinic has you 'graduate' after 10 weeks but I appreciated the more constant and available care of the clinic early on. I hope your doctor can refer you somewhere more specialised to help you and give you options.

We didn't do any treatment, we got pregnant by ourselves and then just used the medicine she prescribed. It is possible!

Does that kind of clinic take insurance? What kind of place was it? I don't even know where to look. My doctor said I have a ppo and that with y insurance I pick my own place and do not need a referral.

Where do I start looking? What kind of place do I look for?

 

[heart tree]

Kayla, my story is long, but the short of it is that after 4 losses, one being an ectopic where my tube was removed and a diagnosis of adenomyosis which could be the reason for my other losses, my doctor wanted to fast track the next pregnancy. If I lost it and the tissue came back normal, then we could assume the adenomyosis was the cause and I would move on to surrogacy. The IUI helped to get me pregnant again very quickly. It was my choice. I'm also 37 and don't have time to wait.

I live in the SF Bay Area and there are a lot of well known clinics around here. I went outside of my insurance and found a specialist to work with. I paid out of pocket, but it was well worth it.

Even if you have a PPO, your insurance might not cover "infertility." I hate that term because clearly none of us are infertile. My insurance covered everything related to my miscarriages so all of those tests were covered. But once I decided to do IUI, none of it was covered. It really depends on the plan you have.

Most women I know who have PCOS take Metformin. Femara is more expensive than Clomid. I don't know if it would also cause OHSS. And you should definitely be taking progesterone suppositories or even shots if your progesterone is low. These are all things a specialist would help with.

You should try to google Reproductive Endocrinologists or Fertility Specialists in your area and see what you come up with. If you live near a big city, most reputable hospitals will have that kind of department. There are also separate clinics that do the same sort of thing. I went with the reputable hospital in San Francisco as I know they are research based and I knew a lot of people who went there.

You could also try looking on Yelp to see some reviews of the places.

It is up to you to be proactive. It was a lot of work for me to do all the research and seek out the proper treatment, but I don't regret any of it. I like feeling like I'm in control, especially after being out of control with my losses. This helped give me something to focus on. I hope you find a qualified specialist.

 

[croydongirl]

Kayla-
We just found a fertility clinic on our own. I didn't need a referral with my insurance either so I just asked friends who had done treatments and found a doctor I liked the sound of and set up an initial meeting and asked what she thought.
Our insurance covered all the tests we had (ar at least the vast majority of them) because they were considered diagnostic because of my diagnosis of recurrent miscarriage. I am not sure they would have been covered without that diagnosis. We did not do any actual fertility treatments, they would not have been covered. We do not have fertility coverage on our plan, but we feel blessed that we have not needed to figure out payment plan options!
I just googled fertility clinics and then googled some of the doctors names to get reviews. If you have friends you could ask for recommendations that could be an option too.

 

[Kaylattc]

Okay. That Is what I am going to do. I live near Houston in Texas. I know there are a lot of places to go to.

I will do the research so that I can get past this faster. I think this is really pushing me motivating me to get this done.

I just have to remind myself I can get pregnant and my next one will not fail. I can do this.

I am going to go on one more round of either clomid or fem. and then if it doesn't work I am going to whic ever specialist I like and I am going to get pregnant and deliver a nice healthy baby or two.

 

[Kaylattc]

Okay. That Is what I am going to do. I live near Houston in Texas. I know there are a lot of places to go to.

I will do the research so that I can get past this faster. I think this is really pushing me motivating me to get this done.

I just have to remind myself I can get pregnant and my next one will not fail. I can do this.

I am going to go on one more round of either clomid or fem. and then if it doesn't work I am going to whic ever specialist I like and I am going to get pregnant and deliver a nice healthy baby or two.

 

[heart tree]

Sounds like a plan Kayla. Good luck!

 

[petitpas]

Kayla, I suggest you make sure that whichever specialist you go for has experience with recurrent miscarriages. The easiest way to do that is to phone up and ask.
I just did a google on Texas and recurrent miscarriage and a number of clinics came up...

It used to be quite common for doctors to tell women with PCOS they would never have kids but that is old advice and I don't think any modern educated doctor would say that anymore. It might be more difficult or take longer and there is a risk of infertility, but it is no longer an impossibility. As you can see in your own case you have fallen pregnant a number of times. Whether it is worth to pay out for IVF to speed things up is something to discuss with a fertility specialist but this may not fix the issue of miscarrying. It depends on what the underlying reason is. You mention low progesterone. This could be addressed by progesterone supplements from ovulation onwards or by taking more control of your hormones before ovulation (you already tried clomid, there's also femara, the option of stimming and triggering...). I don't know the details as I don't have personal experience...

Your doctor should run a panel of standard tests for recurrent miscarriage on you. Do not despair for the future! It is certainly feasible to think that next year you might be cradling a baby in your arms

As suggested, I recommend you pop into the rpl thread on here. There might be a lady in your area who can recommend someone and you will find a ton of info on there regarding tests and treatment.
If I hadn't read so much about nkcells on there I would never have gone to a specialist and received the right treatment for me. I was ready to give up yet now look how far I am!

We all know that having an mc is very sad so I hope you can take the time to look after yourself. Then, when you feel ready to, I hope you have enough info to start the next steps

 

[petitpas]

Ah, cross posted! I see you have a plan already

 

[Kaylattc]

Kayla, I suggest you make sure that whichever specialist you go for has experience with recurrent miscarriages. The easiest way to do that is to phone up and ask.
I just did a google on Texas and recurrent miscarriage and a number of clinics came up...

It used to be quite common for doctors to tell women with PCOS they would never have kids but that is old advice and I don't think any modern educated doctor would say that anymore. It might be more difficult or take longer and there is a risk of infertility, but it is no longer an impossibility. As you can see in your own case you have fallen pregnant a number of times. Whether it is worth to pay out for IVF to speed things up is something to discuss with a fertility specialist but this may not fix the issue of miscarrying. It depends on what the underlying reason is. You mention low progesterone. This could be addressed by progesterone supplements from ovulation onwards or by taking more control of your hormones before ovulation (you already tried clomid, there's also femara, the option of stimming and triggering...). I don't know the details as I don't have personal experience...

Your doctor should run a panel of standard tests for recurrent miscarriage on you. Do not despair for the future! It is certainly feasible to think that next year you might be cradling a baby in your arms

As suggested, I recommend you pop into the rpl thread on here. There might be a lady in your area who can recommend someone and you will find a ton of info on there regarding tests and treatment.
If I hadn't read so much about nkcells on there I would never have gone to a specialist and received the right treatment for me. I was ready to give up yet now look how far I am!

We all know that having an mc is very sad so I hope you can take the time to look after yourself. Then, when you feel ready to, I hope you have enough info to start the next steps

Thank you so much. That was very sweet and made me feel really good

I am really unsure because my mind is just racing with thoughts. I need as many ideas as possible. I want this done right this next time. I can not keep going through this.

Also you are right the doctor was older and he does have old ways. Maybe that's why he told me that I could not have kids.

What is te rpl thread?

What exactly did you do to get pregnant this time? What kind of treatment did you use?

 

[petitpas]

Kayla, I don't have PCOS and have been incredibly lucky to fall pregnant six times very quickly. I was offered meds when I started ttc-ing as I have endometriosis, a condition that gets worse with each natural period. Luckily, I never needed them.

The main new treatment for this pregnancy has been steroids from ovulation until almost 14 weeks. I am also on baby aspirin, vitamin D, omega 3 and prenatals. Due to a clotting condition (also a recurrent pregnancy issue you will surely be tested for) I am also on blood thinning injections. This pregnancy we doubled the dose. I was also on progesterone supplements until 16 weeks but to be honest it was a try this it won't harm you treatment and I was on them for my previous two pregnancies, too.

So for me, I really put it down to getting the info about the steroids that ducky has been a survivor!

RPL stands for recurrent pregnancy loss, btw. Although I think the thread is called recurrent miscarriage thread? I think heart just posted a link (I'm on my phone and it's a bit fussy to repost, sorry).

 

[Kaylattc]

Kayla, I don't have PCOS and have been incredibly lucky to fall pregnant six times very quickly. I was offered meds when I started ttc-ing as I have endometriosis, a condition that gets worse with each natural period. Luckily, I never needed them.

The main new treatment for this pregnancy has been steroids from ovulation until almost 14 weeks. I am also on baby aspirin, vitamin D, omega 3 and prenatals. Due to a clotting condition (also a recurrent pregnancy issue you will surely be tested for) I am also on blood thinning injections. This pregnancy we doubled the dose. I was also on progesterone supplements until 16 weeks but to be honest it was a try this it won't harm you treatment and I was on them for my previous two pregnancies, too.

So for me, I really put it down to getting the info about the steroids that ducky has been a survivor!

RPL stands for recurrent pregnancy loss, btw. Although I think the thread is called recurrent miscarriage thread? I think heart just posted a link (I'm on my phone and it's a bit fussy to repost, sorry).

Thank you for sharing. Really helps me. Congratulations to you and heart!! Y'all really gives me hope.

 

[HappyAuntie]

Okay. That Is what I am going to do. I live near Houston in Texas. I know there are a lot of places to go to.

I will do the research so that I can get past this faster. I think this is really pushing me motivating me to get this done.

I just have to remind myself I can get pregnant and my next one will not fail. I can do this.

I am going to go on one more round of either clomid or fem. and then if it doesn't work I am going to whic ever specialist I like and I am going to get pregnant and deliver a nice healthy baby or two.

Hi Kayla -

I am so sorry for your losses. I'm a lurker on here (a graduate-in-waiting, you might say ), and I used to live in the Houston area up until about two years ago. I have a good friend there who also had recurrent losses before going on to carry three kids to term, and I've emailed her to find out who she saw for her testing. I'll pass his name on to you as soon as she replies.

 

[Kaylattc]

Okay. That Is what I am going to do. I live near Houston in Texas. I know there are a lot of places to go to.

I will do the research so that I can get past this faster. I think this is really pushing me motivating me to get this done.

I just have to remind myself I can get pregnant and my next one will not fail. I can do this.

I am going to go on one more round of either clomid or fem. and then if it doesn't work I am going to whic ever specialist I like and I am going to get pregnant and deliver a nice healthy baby or two.

Hi Kayla -

I am so sorry for your losses. I'm a lurker on here (a graduate-in-waiting, you might say ), and I used to live in the Houston area up until about two years ago. I have a good friend there who also had recurrent losses before going on to carry three kids to term, and I've emailed her to find out who she saw for her testing. I'll pass his name on to you as soon as she replies.

O thank you. I can't wait to have a good doctor finally figure this out instead of using a doctor that keeps repeating the same thing....

 

[HappyAuntie]

O thank you. I can't wait to have a good doctor finally figure this out instead of using a doctor that keeps repeating the same thing....

Ok, here's what she had to say:

I was referred to Dr. Vicki Schnell at the Center of Reproductive Medicine in Webster. I actually only saw her once, and she handed me off to Dr. Traci DeSplinter, who completed my workup and saw me through the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy with the boys, at which time they handed me off to Dr. Thomas Rowe, who is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. Dr. Rowe (and his partner, Dr. Linda Gooodrum) specialize in high risk pregnancies and are amazing. They are also in Webster. I think Dr. DeSplinter has moved on, but I believe Dr. Schnell is still there.

Webster might not be convenient for you (this friend lives in Pearland, so it wasn't bad for her), but with as big as the medical center is in Houston, there are bound to be lots of really good REs. One way of looking for a good one is by searching the IVF success rates of area clinics at www.sart.org. All IVF clinics in the US are required to report their data to the CDC, and very broadly speaking, good drs are going to have better success rates.

Good luck to you, hon.

 

[Kaylattc]

I actually live in Webster omg

 

[Kaylattc]

Thank you so much for your help!!! and I am going to that website now. I didn't know they had sites like that.. Thank you.