For those with recurrent miscarriages, when did you decide to do IVF (or not)?

peregrinefalconx

For those with RM, when did you decide that you were willing to make the jump into IVF? Are you glad you did? Did you wonder if you would have had a productive pregnancy if you had just tried one more time without intervention?

I'd like to get some perspective from other ladies who chose to do IVF after RMs. What types did you have? Blighted ovums, tiny babies, etc.? What factors did you think might have played into this (not that anybody really knows)...age, hormone problems? What about those who no specific reason was determined?

I've had 3. Two blighted ovums and one tiny baby that I found out at 12 weeks (MM) had stopped developing at 10. Testing indicated that there was nothing genetically wrong with him. I'm 39, husband 43 and there is pressure on me to produce (I know, it's awesome). I am terrified of the medication/hormones they give and have had very bad experiences with progesterone, although I have heard that they don't use that for IVF. Talking with my fertility doc in 3 weeks but I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts as these docs obviously have a vested interested in doing IVF.

katib77

I did IVF twice because of IF, not RM. But I just wanted to tell you that whereever you heard they don't use progesterone is wrong. You will be on progesterone of some type; be it PIO shots, endometrim vag suppositories, etc. I was actually on two forms at once due to my LPD.

bunnybun4

Hi, I'm so sorry for your losses.  I've had 3 losses...one late loss that was a mechanical fluke and then two early miscarriages where I never saw a HB...one of those was definitely a blighted ovum not sure about the other.  I started seeing an RE after my third loss and went through a series of tests...finally after 6 months they decided to check my ovarian reserve and found out that it was extremely low.  This is the ONLY reason that we are now doing IVF...my RE believes that this is what caused my two miscarriages and also what has caused us to not get KU this time around (all of the other times we got KU immediately). 

since my egg supply is so low they will also be testing the eggs they get to make sure that they are chromosomally good before they transfer them. 

before getting this diagnosis I would have definitely kept trying on my own...IVF is super expensive and by no means a gauruntee- but that is just my personal opinion.  I'm assuming that the fertility dr. you are seeing is an RE who will be giving you all of the appropriate tests and can give you a better opinion on whether IVF is something you should be considering or not.  I guess it all really comes down to what your dr. thinks and what you and DH are comfortable with at this point in your journey.  GL

 

peregrinefalconx

PetraStonegirl Thanks for your story and insights. I'm so sorry that you have had such a long road. I haven't been married 2 years yet and we've had 3 miscarriages and I have had (and recovered from) a rare, awful, and excrutiatingly painful brain condition. It's a lot.

I only ever used the Prog vag supps and responded with the same level of hysteria that post-MC caused. That is what has terrified me about IVF, but that was only 6 months after my brain condition where I was still recovering. My RE said after MC 2, "if you aren't pregnant in the next 3 months, come back and we will do IVF." I told him that getting pregnant is not my problem and it wasn't. But who knows what causes multiple MCs if you everything you have been tested for comes back fine? He wants me back due to my age, I believe. So whether or not to trust him? I mean, he's the expert.

I think a frank discussion with my doc about fears of emotional stability will be in order. My friend said there is a "low hormone", not no hormones...so we'll see if that is an ok option for me. I have no idea about the quality of my eggs and from what I understand, you won't know until harvest and fertilization (??)

I really appreciate your comments and discussion of your experiences.

Rachaeleigh

This might be short bc I'm mobile but feel free to ask any questions.

I've had 4 losses, 1 natural and 3 MMC. The 3 mmc were all labeled BOs at the time of the loss, but supposedly a fetal pole was visualized during my last pregnancy. That is according to my current RE looking at the u/s image (u/s preformed by 2 REs ago, as I've seen a total of 4)

My 3rd loss was determined to be a genetically normal male. That is the only loss we had tested.

It has been 2 years since the last loss, without a pregnancy at all. We previously had no issues with getting pregnant.

All RPL and IF testing has come back normal. Every test under the sun, each performed at least twice.

Bc of the genetically normal pregnancy, my current RE doesn't believe that IVF with PGD would necessarily be helpful. We are, however, moving toward IVF in a few months, but bc of the IF, not RPL

LizBlue

I've done IVF because of IF issues, not recurrent miscarriages.  It sounds like there are still some questions you need cleared up.  Moving to IVF makes sense if you are having difficulty getting pregnant because of a tubal issue, or if sperm motility/morphology is an issue (they can directly inject the sperm into the egg via ICSI), or because you will do PGD testing to ensure chromosomal normality.  Or using donor eggs because of an egg quality issue, or, if you are like me and don't have technically anything wrong with you but ya just can't get pregnant.  Or if you have endo and they want to bypass the endo.  Etc.

I don't know that I've heard of jumping to IVF without a diagnosis for recurrent miscarriages with chromosomally normal pregnancies, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.  I'm curious what, according to your doctor, is the advantage IVF gives you in in getting/keeping you pregnant?

Good luck with whatever you decide.  I also want to let you know that the whole process of IVF and medications involved was a lot more overwhelming before we did it.  Once we were in it, it was a lot easier to handle one step at a time.  It's no walk in the park, but it's doable. You can do it if you decide this.  

LizBlue

Also,  I want to add that IVF didn't work for us. I'm still ok with the fact that we sunk a lot of money, time, energy and hope into it and I don't regret our decision.  We were committed to trying everything for a healthy pregnancy and we did.  You may just want to think about what happens if it doesn't work, because statistically speaking, that is a real possibility.  No one ever said that to me before and I kind of wish they did.  I don't say this to scare you or put yourself in a negative space, but it may be a "what if" worth thinking about.

purplehaze11

I'm sorry for your losses. I have had two losses this year, and my OB has told me that if I have a third (praying that never happens) that we will be sent for chromosomal testing, since everything else done thus far has come up negative. I think I'd only do Ivf after having testing that shows it's the best route to take, since I also seem to get pregnant, just can't keep it

Km380

I had 2 losses last year, we've had rpl testing and everything came back normal. Getting pg did not seem to be an issue. When we met the RE in November he advised us to keep trying on our own. But IVF with PGD is an option only bc since we cannot find a reason for my losses, starting with a genetically healthy fertilized egg could lower my risk of mc. He didn't advise it then though. Not wanting to jump to IVF we continued on our own since December. We are now at the point where the RE wants us to do more and my 2nd IUI was today. If it doesn't work, we can try a 3rd or mh and I need to have a real IVF conversation. If we do a 3rd IUI and that does not work, IVF is the next step. I don't know if any of that is helpful, just another story from someone with unexplained losses.

andreaoilrn

**success story from non-TTCAL member follows**-mod




















We had Ivf after two mc and two long oainful years of iui and no success. It was just awful. I am so glad we did bc we wouldn't have our rainbow if we hadn't. It's the best decision we ever made. Expensive but so worth it

peregrinefalconx

Thanks for everyone's stories!!

PetraStonegirl, you are a wealth of information.

LizBlue,
Yes, I've thought about if it doesn't work. Due to my husband's "deadlines" after our IVF appt, we will have to talk about when/if we want to go to adoption, perhaps concurrent.


Rachaeleigh, interesting in terms of your doc's response to not needing IVF due to your genetically normal tiny baby. Mine was too (and I believe he was a boy...). I'm assuming we would do IVF with genetic testing. And interesting that you then went on to have IF issues. I wonder if they redid testing?

I'm taking an emotional break from thinking about preg/what-ifs until appt in 2 weeks. Enjoying not being pregnant and not "recovering" from anything! Don't forget how nice it is to just be yourself, ladies! Thanks all.