PAL after Recurrent Losses - come join us!

[Embo78]

We have tangerines, mandarins, clementines, and just regular oranges. I love them all!!! I'm having a craving for oranges at the no! Wonder if I'll crave avacado's next week!!

 

[filipenko32]

Fili, Lambs and I explored the IVF option, too. Lambs sent a few emails round but the answer was pretty much the same: with PGD they can help prevent the chromosomal losses but we need to get the reason for our miscarriages sorted. Plus, PGD doesn't come without risks. Less embryos survive the process and as a relatively new method it isn't completely foolproof.

To be honest, I don't know why your FS is suggesting IVF. Can you ask? I would be interested to know...

Thanks pip, hope you're ok by the way.

This was done via email with him just a few days ago. His words were 'given ,y history' so I think he means the 4 losses. He knows one was normal. He is assuming the large yolk sac loss was not normal so thats 50/50 chance so suppose he wants to limit that risk??? I know the miscarriage guidelines for recurrents do NOT recommend ivf and another rpl specialist we know does not recommend it and rosemary does not but I just think that if we can reduce chromo risk plus go on treatment?!

 

[filipenko32]

We've booked to see him in 2 weeks so I'll let you know x

 

[hopeful23456]

heart - i thought that too, naval oranges can be much bigger than avocados! they must be talking about tiny oranges and bigger avocados

croy- sounds like a uti - i had one once, really hurt to pee but i let it go too far as i had never had one before and it should have been treated sooner

potluck at work today, so much food, an appetizer theme. i am stuffed and ready for a nap. do they do potlucks in the UK?

 

[HappyAuntie]

Fili, I've tried to stay out of the IVF with PGD conversation because I hate being a wet blanket, but PGD is not a magic bullet that will prevent a random chromosomal loss.

PGD works very well in a few specific, certain situations. If one of the parents is a known carrier of a chromosomal abnormality (like a translocation) or a genetically-linked disease (like cystic fibrosis), PGD is very good at finding that known abnormality in the embryos and therefore preventing those embryos from being transferred back to your uterus. When PGD is used to look for one specific thing, it works well.

But when PGD is used to screen embryos for trisomies, it only works roughly 50% of the time. The science is so new that researchers don't fully understand why this is (they suspect it has to do with embryo mosaicism), but the one thing research has shown is that when used to screen an embryo for any chromosomal error (as opposed to knowing exactly what chromosomal problem they're looking for), it gets the answer wrong almost half of the time. That means that half of the time, an embryo will be flagged as abnormal and discarded when in fact it is a perfectly normal, healthy embryo. The reverse is also true - half of the time it says an embryo is normal when in fact it is not, and miscarriages happen anyway.

We know that our second baby died because of trisomy 13, and when we first talked about IVF with our RE (we're doing IVF because we're infertile as well as recurrent miscarriers) we talked about PGD with him. It's a very expensive procedure (about $5000-$7000 here in the US). For me and DH, we decided that we would be willing to pay that price if the science was good, if the procedure had good results for our needs. But we were not willing to spend that kind of money on a procedure that gets it wrong half of the time. Given my age, we weren't willing to take a 50/50 chance that we were discarding normal embryos.

The decision is a very personal one, just please make sure you really dig into the science and ask LOTS of questions and get a second opinion before you go into it. I hate to see people think it will prevent trisomy miscarriages because at this point in time, it doesn't prevent them all.

 

[filipenko32]

Happy auntie thanks so much for all this information, everything you said makes perfect sense to me. I've heard of mosaicism and I see what you mean. The bridge clinic screens for all the chromosomes but they could miss a mosaic couldnt they? Did your re recommend pgd to you or did he just objectively explain the pros and cons? Will pop on to your journal in a mo! Thanks

Ps did you ever get an amh test done? Mine was 17pmol about 6 months ago, I think that's ok isn't it? I know you have to have it done for ivf if we ever decide to go that route

 

[Pretty Please]

On the subject of wee I have noticed if I take prego care plus my wee smells very bad and very orange so have u changed vitamins ? I just go normal one folic acid now as with the colour I thought it was a uti but all turned out good. Best be sure though as uti are dangerous when prego and should be treated asap ......

 

[heart tree]

I love you ladies! I love how we all take care of each other. I knew someone would be able to give some constructive information to Fili even if some of us weren't able to. As a collective group, we are always able to answer all the questions posed.

Questions about PGD, pee, cramps, headaches, bleeding, sex, progesterone. It all gets answered! It touches my heart how supportive everyone is!

 

[filipenko32]

Don't forget hair dye heart!! How did you get on? X x x

 

[croydongirl]

Thanks for all your advice ladies. Just got back from the docs. No presence of UTI, but I guess they grow out the cultures for a couple of days to be sure - but I do have a yeast infection. Nice. Got to get some cream for that.

And I have changed pre natals which I guess could have been the smell.

I feel much better having had the doc take samples and check me over. It just makes me anxious that anything might be wrong!

 

[filipenko32]

Yeah best get checked croy glad it's all ok x x

 

[Tititimes2]

I just have to chime in here to say my RE has had multiple successes with IVF with PGD, which I am starting in April. There are a multitude of factors that impact the process at every turn and you should definitely get all the info you can. My own information/reasearch indicates the rate is significantly better than that. In fact, the new protocol on testing a few cells vs one cell on day 5 with a 6 day transfer reduces the risk of a "wrong" result (related to mosaicism). It is by no means a cure all but worth exploring to see if it's for you.

 

[filipenko32]

That's really good to know titi thanks and wishng you the best of luck with it! We have appt with our fs in 2 weeks so I'll be asking all these questions x x

 

[3xscharmer]

Hello again yall! So much has been going on here, it's hard to catch up...congrats to the bfps and to everyone who has had a scan, lovely pics!!

Fili - Will you keep me updated on your research, decisions and progress? I feel like I may be going down that route soon too.

I haven't been on in a couple of days b/c I have been sooo very depressed and didn't want to bring yall down. My tests aren't getting as dark as I like so that has got me thinking the worst. I restled with the idea of getting my betas done, but last pregnancy I had great numbers with a doubling time of 39 hours and I still went on to miscarry, so if I go in now I might get some reasurance for about 1-2 days at the most, really don't see a point in driving the hour there and back, specially since it's so cold outside!

SO how is everyone else? Hope yall are doing good!

 

[x_Rainbow_x]

Nobody wanna talk to me anymore? lol

 

[filipenko32]

Tracie I was talking about you over in the recurrent mc thread x x

 

[filipenko32]

3x I feel your anguish x x x

 

[x_Rainbow_x]

o dear what did i do? lol

 

[bumpyplease]

Tracie I love it when you post as I live those 3 pics of Isabella she's well cute, is she feeling better now?

Hi 3x I know that feeling my tests are lighter some days and then get darker the next I haven't tested for a few days and I don't have many symptoms yet so feeling really nervous. How light are they? I'm sure you will be fine, maybe the beta testing will help reassure you.

Fili an AMH of 17 is fine sweetie, mine was 4.7 in sept so could well be lower now :0(

 

[3xscharmer]

Thanks fili to you too!

Bumpy - They're not really light...or lighter, just seem to be getting like a teeny tiny bit darker...uhhhh...here's some pics:

1ST is todays at 16 dpo,
Then progression,
Then 15 and 16 dpo,
And finally 14 and 16 dpo: