Miscarriage investigation success stories PLEASE

[Where there's hope]

Hello

I have just had an UNEXPLAINED miscarriage for the second time and am about to embark on the miscarriage investigation program which is related to Sydney IVF.

I have posted a similar question on the TTC thread, but would love to know if anyone here is pregnant/given birth after doing this or a similar program. In other words, did they find something, did it help and what did it involve?

Would be very grateful for any responses

WTH

[Inanna]

WTH - Sydney IVF has a great reputation - so I believe you are in good hands.

It has to be said that in a high number of cases of recurrent miscarriages a cause cannot be found. This is difficult to hear but is the reality. That doesn't mean that there is nothing amiss - just that we don't yet know what it is or have a name for it.

Lupus has only been "diagnosable" since the early '80"s yet many sufferers were afflicted before then (as an illustration).

Generally speaking recurrent pregnancy loss are treated with anticoagulants - sometimes coupled with steroidal drugs. This is because in the absence of any positives recurrent loss is generally thought to be autoimmune - the body seeing the pregnancy as a "foreign body" and thus it fights it. This response is believed to occur prior to 12 weeks - in the very early days of pregnancy when the placenta is forming. This accounts for why for many women with an autoimmune response the baby is not lost until the 2nd trimester.
The growth that occurs in the first trimester is astounding - if the body has begun to "fight off" the pregnancy this begins at a cellular level early on and sometimes does not manifest as a loss until much later.

NK cells is a pet of Dr S at Sydney ivf. I have learnt a lot from him. He does not crow about his findings but is intelligently excited by some of what has been found. NK cells usually manifests as a loss before 12 weeks. An endometrial biopsy is required by Dr S to be definitive about this.

There are no guarantees WTH. You need to go into this knowing that it is big and scary - however also believing that there are many of us (me included!) that have had success after many many losses.

I hope I have helped some - fire away any more questions.

[Where there's hope]

Flowerchild - I love your posts! You are so knowledgable (though I know you went through a lot of pain in the drive to find that knowledge). I guess I am now on a similar journey.

You will be very pleased to know I am meeting with Dr Sacks separately next week (in addition to doing the investigations). I think he is with IVF Australia now. I read what you, and others here have written about him and was very motivated. I have been typing up a page about my pregnacy history (including vitamins, hormone levels, etc) as we speak. Wondering if I should send it to him in advance.

So here's a question: Does the endometrial biopsy have to be done on a certain day of my cycle? (I will be on Day 15 from my procedure when I see him). I wonder if I have to wait for my body to settle down before testing. Hope not...

So yes, I am double-handling the experts, but I really do not want to waste anytime. I am already confused. My OB is suggesting I will end up doing IVF with PGD, while my FS reckons Clomid could be the go. Of course, it all depends on whether any of these tests lead us anywhere.

Thanks for writing to me. I know you are in high demand on here and feel special when you give me your thoughts.

WTH x

[Inanna]

Yes, and I believe it is needed to be done mid cycle. I also believe that TTC that cycle would not be advised. The procedure is not painful and is done in the clinic - Dr S has a pathologist who works with him & counts the NK cells personally - so it's a fairly time exhaustive procedure. NK cells are there for all of us - just when there is an over abundance is it a problem.

You will be given some fairly strict instuctions if I know Dr S . Sometimes the meds have to be commenced prior to pregnancy or at least during the luteal phase of your cycle each month.

If I may add. If NK cells is the issue the ivf pgd process will not avoid miscarriage. So, it is important that you rule the NK cell issue out. NK cells basically fight off the pregnancy so it doesn't differentiate on how the pregnancy was conceived iykwim???

You also mentioned that one of your babies was female and that the docs questioned the validity of the test???

So you may understand a little more. When a currettage is done and the baby is female it cannot be clear weather the chromosomal material came from the mother or the baby so therefore a chromosomal defect cannot be completely ruled out. It is possible that the chromosomes were yours and not your babies. I hoep that makes sense.?

[Where there's hope]

Flowerchild - that is what my OB said about the validity of the test. This will sound morbid, but I am actually hoping this little bubba had a sporadic, non-inherited chromosonal error. There would not have been anything I could have done to have prevented it. That way it would not necessarily be related to me or my body and we might have a better chance of TTC again.

Do you think Dr Sacks will do an biopsy on the spot of my initial consult?

Am I going to get in a bother going through him and the program at the same time? Oops!

[Inanna]

You probably need to ask the receptionist for an appt that he can do the biopsy in... I would phone and say yiou will be cd15 and could you be booked for a biopsy. Say you have a referral (then quickly get one from your gp! ). This will save going back in for the biopsy. Dr S's receptionist will know the how whens and whys about it all. Give her a call and have a chat.

If it were me and I had Dr S accessible I would just see him - I would find it a bit messy going to a few different specialists...