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Four miscarriages and one cancelled IVF

by Karen
(Canada)

My husband and I have been trying for the past three and a half years. I have had four miscarriages. After my first one (at 6 weeks), I went to see a fertility specialist who told me I was still young (31) and that I should just continue to try. I've had three IUIs, one ending in an ectopic, and the other two ending with a miscarriage (9 weeks). I conceived naturally, I heard and saw the heartbeat, but again, at week 8-9, there was no longer a heartbeat. I was taking progesterone right after IUI and up until the miscarriage.

I have been tested for everything, any and every test has been done included Progesterone levels. I have had two "products of conception" analyzed and one reexamined in another all with "inconclusive" results.

After almost three years and 4 miscarriages, I was referred to a miscurrent pregnancy loss specialist ( I had to beg and harass doctors to be referred as I was still "young"). Well, now I am 35 years old doing my first IVF cycle, or should I say I was... until this morning when my doctor cancelled the cycle due to underdeveloped follicles.

My husband is becoming frustated as am I. He sees no positive outcome and has almost given up. I am not sure how much longer I can take it myslef. I am frustrated. Its difficult to have to deal with all these infertility issues, but more stressful when I see people with children telling me... "don't worry... it will happen for you too... I have hope". I think that's the worst thing one can say to a person who is undergoing fertility issues. I am tired, and many times I want to give up on motherhood... maybe it's not in the cards.

But, I consider myslef a very determined person and after reading about the woman who had 15 miscarriages, I cannot lose hope. I plan on starting another cycle of IVF hopefully by next month.

Please continue to pray for us... and maybe one day we may be blessed with a child.

Comments for Four miscarriages and one cancelled IVF

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Feb 21, 2011
 Keep the faith
by: Michelle

Dear Karen, I am from Colorado and I use this site on a regular basis.You and your husbands story touched my heart. Life is a gift and so many take it for granted. I do believe that when you put your faith in God that great things will happen. When you lose a loved one it can be very difficult, no matter the lenght of time that you get with them. I understand your pain and pray right now that God will BLESS you and you husband with the family that the two of you so long for.Keep your chin's up and keep trying !!!

Sincerly, Michelle
Feb 22, 2011
 Hi Karen
by: Nikki

Hi Karen,
I read your post. I can understand how you feel. It's never easy to find the words that will be comforting except for to say that if this is something you want in your life than you must continue until. I will pray for you. I tell myself this same thing as we are trying to conceive as well, but I'm much older than you...43 about to be 44. We've had two miscarriages in 7 months. I say keep going, you are too young to give up the fight yet, unlike me, I will probably only try for six more months or so. I don't know you, but I know the fierce strength of a woman's determination....don't give in! God Bless you, Karen.
Mar 02, 2011
 Karen
by: Cheryl

Bless you on your patience.

My sister was on birth control pills for 20 years when she and her husband decided they wanted to have a baby. Needless to say when she went off of her pills she was very infertile. She and her husband went to see all kinds of infertility specialists and IVF was there only chance. But IVF is so epensive and not great results come with the procedure. She and her husband finally just gave up.

When our father died my sisters and I were cleaning out our parents house and my brother-in-law flew in for the funeral. My sister spent the night at the hotel with her husband the night of our dad's funeral and that was the night she got pregnant!!! Wow, after so many doctor's told her she could not conceive, now she is having her first baby boy in early June 2011. She will be 42.

So for all of you trying to have babies, there is hope..
Mar 03, 2011
 Four miscarriages and one cancelled IVF
by: Wray

Hi Karen You say you were tested for every conceivable thing, but did they test your progesterone levels while you were pregnant? Or was it only after the miscarriages? It must be checked while pregnant, pointless afterwards as levels would have gone back to normal. I was 33 when I finally had my daughter, having had 5 miscarriages in the previous 2 years. Each miscarriage was caused by a stressful event, on one occasion I separated two dogs fighting, and miscarried 2 hours later! Stress drops progesterone sharply, enough to cause a miscarriage. You say you were 'taking' progesterone, does this mean you were given oral progesterone, many use this term loosely. If this is the case, unless you were given very high doses, I don't believe it would have helped much. Oral progesterone is the least effective Delivery system. Injections or suppositories are normally prescribed for IVF or IUI, although I've helped many women with recurrent miscarriages just by using a cream. We do have a page on Pregnancy you might like to look at. You live in Canada, where the sun's rays are for much of the year at too oblique an angle to make much vitamin D. Vitamin D is critical for normal ovarian function, a lack preventing ovulation and follicular development, critical for maintaining a pregnancy, critical for the normal growth of the foetus, critical for preventing preeclampsia and more, see here, here, here, here and here. Plus this video here.
Please have a vitamin D test done, for more info see the Vitamin D council and GrassrootsHealth websites. Take care Wray
Mar 04, 2011
 Keep the faith
by: Wray

Hi Michelle Bless you for your words of encouragement! Take care Wray
Mar 04, 2011
 Hi Karen
by: Wray

Hi Nikki Miscarriages are often caused by a lack of progesterone, please consider using it if you haven't already. We do have a page on Pregnancy you might care to look through. And as I suggested to Karen, please have a vitamin D test done, it's so critical for a successful pregnancy. For more info please see the Vitamin D council and GrassrootsHealth websites. And take a look at this excellent video on pregnancy and vitamin D here. Take care Wray
Mar 04, 2011
 Karen
by: Wray

Hi Cheryl Contraceptives play havoc with our bodies, I wish they had never been invented. I receive too many queries from women trying to get their cycle normal again after taking them. The synthetic hormones upset the natural rhythm and it can take many months for it to right itself. I'm so happy you're sister is now pregnant, it's never too late while we have viable eggs. A friend of mine had a scan at 51 and she still has them, so yes there is hope. Take care Wray
Mar 10, 2011
 recurrent miscarriages
by: Michelle C.

Hi Karen,
I'm from the United States. I read your story a few weeks ago and I have been thinking about your story ever since because our stories sound so similar. I have had 4 miscarriages as well. The 1st was twins lost at 6 wks, 2nd miscarriage was at 8 wks or so, the third was the hardest at 5 and 1/2 months and the 4th at 8 wks. We have been seeing an specialist since after the 2nd loss. He placed me on aspirin and folic acid. I have like you done every test out there and they all came back normal except for one. It was a test to see if I have a PA1-gene which causes blood clotting and leads to recurrent miscarriages. This was found after my 5 and 1/2 month loss so the doctor recommended levonox- a blood thinner/injection. We tried that and I still miscarried. Ugh... so fustrating. Our doctor then recommended IVF w/ PGD. We tried this like you a couple weeks ago and I was so..hopeful but, I did not respond to the meds either. I only produced 1 egg so after 10 days of injections and 2 ultrasounds it was canceled. I really thought this was going to be the answer to all our problems. I can't believe we spent $6000 on meds. Its all so depressing. I just don't understand why we have to go through this an others have them so easily. I just wanted to let you know I that I really now how you feel. Its so hard talking to other people about it because no one ever really understand unless they have gone through it. Just wanted to let you know I'm hear from you:)
Mar 23, 2011
 recurrent miscarriages
by: Wray

Hi Michelle C You mention having all the tests, did they test your progesterone levels? This is often the cause of miscarriages, but it seems it's rarely tested for. We do have a page on Pregnancy, you might like to read through. And please have a vitamin D test done, this is never tested for, and yet has such a bearing on a successful pregnancy. Both progesterone and vitamin D prevent platelets aggregating, so thinning blood. Please see the Vitamin D council and GrassrootsHealth websites for more info. And this excellent video here. Take care Wray

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