Hello all,
I'm new to the discussion board, but was interested in your thoughts. I just had a third miscarriage this year. I am 41 years old, and after years of waiting for the right partner, have been TTC. From what I can tell, I am easily able to get pregnant but having difficulty keeping a pregnancy beyond 7 weeks. My first and third miscarriages have no known reason, as I did not have any medical intervention. My second miscarriage, I had a D ans C, and the testing showed chromosomal abnormalities.
I am weary of trying again naturally at my age, and am considering IVF. Are there any older mothers out there that may have conceived naturally after multiple miscarriages ?
Thank you !
Kimberly
Re: 3rd miscarriage this year
@knenemay I started TTC at 40 (similar stories) and after two MC (one known trisomy, other too early to test) I went to an RE. Things looked good medically (other than a blocked tube), but unfortunately I learned a lot about egg quality after 40, the stats are scary. The RE recommended we either just keep trying naturally or do IVF/PGS to test the chromosomes. Her thought was IUI might speed up our getting PG, but we still have the same chances of chromosomal abnormalities that have clearly been an issue for us. With 2 IVF cycles only one of 9 tested embryos came back normal, which was hard to hear of course. We were planning to FET, then had an unexpected natural PG, which we now lost at 13 weeks, again due to chromosomal abnormality. After the dust settles we will use the tested embryo and hope for the best.
Sorry I didn’t have a success story, but I also remember seeing stories about women with healthy PG over 40 and was a bit blindsighted finding out it can be harder than people realize. That being said, we do have good eggs in there and I fully believe it can happen, it’s just a bit of a lottery. I do recommend at least consulting with an RE to rule out any medical issues and to know all of your options to make the decision that’s right for you. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. All the best in your TTC journey.
OP I have no advice as I'm probably the youngest here and. I do want to say I am sorry for your losses. RPL is cruel and unfair, with that I can commiserate. I hope you find success.
MC #1: D&C Oct 23, 2015 (7.5 weeks)
MC #2: July 1, 2016 (5.5 weeks)
MC #3: October 17, 2016 (CP)
RE #1: RPL testing November 2016-January 2017
MC #4: Feb. 28, 2017 (CP)
RE #2: Additional RPL testing March-November 2017
MC #5: January 2019 (6.5 weeks)
RE #3: More testing 2023.
Egg Retrieval Sept/Oct 2023, 2 good embryos after PGT-A testing.
Surgery for endometriosis January 2024
Lupron Depo March 2024. Benched 3 months.
FET #1: June 3, 2024 (failed)
Lupron Depo June 2024. Benched 3 months again before next FET.
#BitterHagPartyOf1
TL;DR: "Patient has gene mutations of MTHFR and PAI-1, both of which can lead to blood clots and may affect pregnancy." [PAI-1 could be replaced with any number of other blood clotting disorders with same result if no interventions are made.] Many doctors will say these issues are very rare and maybe even insignificant, yet there are thousands of women with these clotting gene mutations who are experiencing repeat early miscarriages, late losses, and stillbirth (There are some good support/info groups on FB). The simple solutions [that aren't foolproof] appear to be baby aspirin, fish oil, folate instead of folic acid, and Lovenox/Heparin injections to diminish the risk of blood clots. There also seems to be a strange pattern for many of us: women either experience many early miscarriages or, like me, women are able to have one or two healthy babies and then begin experiencing late losses/stillbirths thereafter. The trend I've found in my online groups is that many doctors aren't very knowledgeable of these mutations; you must push and advocate for what you need if the next pregnancy is going to be successful.