[knm7654]

natasha, jessicastillwaits and DRB- frustrating that there is this big black hole of possibilities but no real answers for so many of us.
i find the immune disorder issue interesting because after my last loss I test positive for ANA which is a generic marker that could indicate lots different immune disorders such as lupus. I went to a rheumatoid endocrinologist and after a full work up he said "no disease process" going on currently but said it was also possible to lead to immune issues later in life? go figure, no real answers?

[DRB]

KNM- where are you in all this? Are you moving on to IVF?

It is frustrating, they know, they don't know, there is data all over the place....

Get this: found out today that if I want PGD on my embryos I have to pay cash: 2700.00 for test. 1500.00 for biopsy and 1500.00 for travel expenses for the embryologist. Meanwhile, there are 2 embryologist 6 miles from the facility which I can not use. There was a nasty "break up" when my IF Dr left the hospital and they are not allowed back in.
Great patient care...

Working with my advocate nurse now at United Health to either get me into my Dr's new "private" laboratory or pay for some of this embryologist nonsense.

I really want PGD.. this may push my IVF till 2010 if we have to come up with this extra 6K

[knm7654]

DRB- we are sooooo blessed to have DS (who knew just how much of a miracle he would turn out to be).

Given our ages and my high fsh now, we are not candidates for IVF unless we use donor egg and don't believe DH wants to do that. If we didn't already has DS then who knows what we would do. I am still desperately hoping and praying to have another but after 3 m/c and still no answers and high probability of another loss if I do get BFP we aren't really considering IVF now.

We will probably give it a couple more months the old fashioned way and maybe try one more IUI and then try to move on.

I took this month off from monitoring at all just to have a break from it totally taking over my life and feeling a bit guilty that I have allowed it to take up such a part of me that I should be giving to DS.

So we will see. Hoping for one more miracle!! That's where my hope remains, after all God is the only one that can make it happen for anyone right?

Good luck, I'm interested to hear what MF specialists tells you.

[knm7654]

DRB- What is PRG, I'm not familiar with most of the IVF process beyond the basics.

I'm sorry that it's just another stress to add to your situation. The costs for all the infertility from monitoring to iui to meds to IVF make me wonder how so many people even have it for an option.

I hope that you get some answers soon!

[DRB]

Originally Posted by knm7654

DRB- What is PRG, I'm not familiar with most of the IVF process beyond the basics.

I'm sorry that it's just another stress to add to your situation. The costs for all the infertility from monitoring to iui to meds to IVF make me wonder how so many people even have it for an option.

I hope that you get some answers soon!

PGD is the preimplantation genetic tests. It test for 9-12 chromosomes that are associated with miscarriage. We were planning on doing it for sure, now not so sure. First it will cost us 5900.00 for one test, yes 5900.00. Reason is we have to fly someone in to biopsy the embryos and then the other fees. Second, data wise the miscarriage rate is lower, but live birth rates are the same with the PGD and non PGD pregnancies. What to make of that I don't know. We are waiting on Jasons karyotype, if he has a translocation the 5900 is paid by insurance. If not, we are on our own and I am not sure if 6K is worth it. There is another option if insurance lets us use our Dr's "lab" the test will only be 2700.00. That we can do.

So right now, not sure what we are doing with this.

[JessStillWaits]

knm7654-

Since Lupus and some of these disorders are related to clotting- would they be willing for you to take aspirin as a precaution? It's something small that could be helpful.

A lack of answers is this most frustrating part of this. I have a friend who yes, was infertile, but knew right away and got diagnosed with PCOS and everything resolved within several months. While I am out here going on 4 years, and still no answers. While I have the antiphospholipid antibodies, it may explain m/c, but the type I have don't explain infertility so it's hard to know.

I have actually reached a new stage- I don't care why anymore, just make it happen. IVF has that capability to do that for many people. So for now. This whole process is so frustrating, and once you've been through m/c, you have to add additional fears on top of everything else.

Take care of yourself-
Jess

Originally Posted by knm7654

natasha, jessicastillwaits and DRB- frustrating that there is this big black hole of possibilities but no real answers for so many of us.
i find the immune disorder issue interesting because after my last loss I test positive for ANA which is a generic marker that could indicate lots different immune disorders such as lupus. I went to a rheumatoid endocrinologist and after a full work up he said "no disease process" going on currently but said it was also possible to lead to immune issues later in life? go figure, no real answers?

[christina_s]

Girls,

You are so right. I too was thinking that having miscarriages and losing babies is much more frustrating and heartbreaking than not being able to get pregnant.
But the combination of heparin, baby aspirin, progesterone and folic acid have been helpful even with cases where the cause of RPL could not be found.
I have decided that next time we try for a baby I will not do the full immune treatment but I will try this combination and see if it works out.
Just my 2 cents.

Thinking of you all and praying things work out

[bunniswife]

Originally Posted by christina_s

Girls,

You are so right. I too was thinking that having miscarriages and losing babies is much more frustrating and heartbreaking than not being able to get pregnant.
But the combination of heparin, baby aspirin, progesterone and folic acid have been helpful even with cases where the cause of RPL could not be found.
I have decided that next time we try for a baby I will not do the full immune treatment but I will try this combination and see if it works out.
Just my 2 cents.

Thinking of you all and praying things work out

Just to let you all know, I had seen a haematologist who told me that my positive ANA, lupus anticoagulent and anticardiolipins would not have anything to do with my recurrent pregnancy loss so my OB/GYN "experimented" with my next two pregnancies to see if just baby aspirin or baby aspirin and progesterone would help me stay pregnant. It didn't work and I miscarried both times. It wasn't until I was put on heparin, baby aspirin, progesterone and of course folic acid that I was able to stay pregnant. Good luck.

[knm7654]

That's good to know, my RE had mentioned that if i go preggo again he would have me on folic acid (been on for a while), ASA, and progesterone, so if it were to happen I will ask about the Heparin.

Hope everyone is well, I'm praying for us all!!

[knm7654]

It's been quiet on here lately, just wanted to check in with everyone and see how you were??

What's happening with you all?

We are taking a break from all of the RE monitoring and trying to enjoy life as it is for now.

Hope to hear from everyone soon.

[JessStillWaits]

Hey there, I went to see a Maternal Fetal Specialist about my positive anticardiolipins, but they consider a score under 20 to not be positive. However my RE considers that score to be positive. The MFS is not worried, except if I get pregnant with twins. The RE still wants to retest. I only came up positive for the anticardiolipins (IGM) at an 18. So my RE wants to retest at 6 weeks. Depending on what we get there, we will see how to proceed. I am open to whatever, even a more aggressive approach, but I anticipate at least being on baby aspirin.

Right now I am starting my first IVF cycle and hoping for the best. I am worried though that I need to have more m/c to prove anything to them as they don't seem bothered by my chemical.

[DRB]

Well, I start my IVF any day day with the new BCP's. I am sooooooooooooooooooo bummed about not being able to do PGD. It was going to be around 6K... we just can't do that. So now I am bracing for another miscarriage in the back of my mind. Great.

Unless my husband gets a positive on his blood type for a translocation.. no PGD. Just straight IVF.

[JessStillWaits]

Hey Denise, I can totally relate to your fears about having another m/c through IVF. It feels like we're leaving everything on the line without much hope if it doesn't work or something.

I guess on my more hopeful days (and they are not all hopeful believe me) I try and hope that at least they will have a selection of a few embryos and hopefully some of them will look better than others to put back in. At least, hopefully, we'll have a bit of a selection and a few to put in so at least one will work out. Only time will tell whether that will be possible (i/e how many we get) but I guess it's a little better shot than doing it natural when we have no idea the quality.

I am sorry the PGD didn't work out. But I hope the IVF will for you!

By the way- do you the royal jelly/ bee pollen thing? I heard it's great for egg quality and quantity.

Originally Posted by DRB

Well, I start my IVF any day day with the new BCP's. I am sooooooooooooooooooo bummed about not being able to do PGD. It was going to be around 6K... we just can't do that. So now I am bracing for another miscarriage in the back of my mind. Great.

Unless my husband gets a positive on his blood type for a translocation.. no PGD. Just straight IVF.

[DRB]

Originally Posted by JessStillWaits

Hey Denise, I can totally relate to your fears about having another m/c through IVF. It feels like we're leaving everything on the line without much hope if it doesn't work or something.

I guess on my more hopeful days (and they are not all hopeful believe me) I try and hope that at least they will have a selection of a few embryos and hopefully some of them will look better than others to put back in. At least, hopefully, we'll have a bit of a selection and a few to put in so at least one will work out. Only time will tell whether that will be possible (i/e how many we get) but I guess it's a little better shot than doing it natural when we have no idea the quality.

I am sorry the PGD didn't work out. But I hope the IVF will for you!

By the way- do you the royal jelly/ bee pollen thing? I heard it's great for egg quality and quantity.

Hi
I did not want to be a Debbie Downer on our Dec IVF forum with my "miscarriage rant". LOL They are all so innocent and never been pregnant.

I guess hope for the best prepare for the worst. At least I tried, right? Yes, I am taking the royal jelly-it for sure can't hurt.

Tommorrow is my mock transfer and "class" on the meds. AF should be here any day as its twinges and I feel bloated.

[nudles74]

Originally Posted by jencat215

RPL does take so much innocence from you, doesn't it? I am so glad that you all are having your success stories. Are you doing any support for the pregnancy? I too have RPL. My story is very similar to Highhopes. I got pg naturally in July 06 but lost it early. Got pg on clomid in Dec 06 and lost twins in Jan. Got pg from IUI/clomid in April 07 but ended up in ectopic. Had a few chemicals then had planned to do IVF in June but got pg naturally the month before. We had already gotten the consult and were just waiting for AF. I did heparin and progesterone injections for the first trimester and have been on baby aspirin and folgard (still am). The result is my beautiful wonderful son Wyatt.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. RPL is often overlooked because many times they can't figures out why, like us. The only think they found with me is a heterozygous MTHFR mutation. My first RE dismissed it (and I had the ectopic and chemicals with him). The second one insisted on support and now I have Wyatt.
Best of luck to all of you

My story is similar. RPL's are hard and it is tough to keep going sometimes. I had 3 natural pregnancy's all m/c's were unexplained, losses were at 13 wks, 8 wks and 6 wks. The first embryo was genetically screened and there were no problems. Then 9 months with no success getting pregnant; we went for a consult to a new RE and turned up pregnant again! It was super hard to feel positive about the pregnacy until I got pretty far along....I was soooo stressed that I would loose this baby too. I had a cerclage and some bed rest. My 4th pregnancy was different though and I delivered a healthy baby girl!!!! She is a dream. We have been trying for almost a year on #2 and no pregnancy's yet....I have a unicorniate uterus, non communicating ovary, hyperhomo cysteinemia (requiring the folic acid and asprin), I am not ovulating and I have cycled on Clomid with cysts. I have just started on Femara to see if that might work : ) The journey is long and hard, but the reward is heavenly! I encourage everyone to keep trying as long as it is healthy for you to continue.....
Much love to all of my fellow RPL friends!
Nikki