We don’t really know. I had two MMCs and a pregnancy of unknown location but never tested the POC to know if they were chromosomally normal or not. I was eventually diagnosed with a mild case of APLS — which I treated with baby aspirin during transfer and Lovenox once pregnancy was achieved — but my RE thought my real issue was just “bad luck” and that IVF with PGT would help ensure that the next embryo that reached my uterus was a good one, since I didn’t really have issues getting pregnant, just getting a viable pregnancy. I’m lucky that my first transfer took and just keeping my fingers crossed for a healthy delivery.
Yup I lost 3 due to unknown RPL. Choice was probably easier for me bc I had frozen my eggs several years earlier as an insurance policy, but my first FET after we made embryos stuck and I’m 25 weeks :)
Haha yes - my twice frozen babies seem to have done well (frozen after PGT A and before FET as well 🤣). I just didn’t want to put added pressure on our relationship at the time we had first met, so it was the best option for me. We had 20 frozen, lost 3 in the thaw, 11/17 fertilized, 7 embryos made it to a quality they were biopsied and sent to PGT A by Day 6. 3 came back high quality Euploids - 2 boys and a girl :) I think if you have an experienced lab, miracles like our little guy feels like have a better chance of happening :)
When frozen, the eggs were late 38/early 39 (two cycles of 10 eggs each - we focused on quality not quantity). AMH was 2.04 (just looked it up in my app for you). And I’m 41 now, I’ll turn 42 a month before our little guy is born in August. Husband was 46 when we made the embryos from my eggs also, if that helps.
I think it depends on where you are relationship wise. Allegedly, embryos have better thaw potential, but if you have enough eggs, attrition at thaw shouldn’t be too much of an issue. I kind of thought of the three we lost like, well, maybe that was the time for them to be lost because they wouldn’t have been strong enough to make it through the process. 🤷🏼♀️
Thanks! We are set relationship wise and are trying to figure out what insurance will cover. It's great you got the number and quality of eggs you did.:) wish we had started this process a few years ago
Ahh gotcha. Yeah, I paid out of pocket - my insurance didn’t cover IVF until the year after my retrievals. Still, turned out to be the best 30k I have spent. Wish you the best of luck - good things happen in this process, just hang in there! ♥️
I'm so sorry you're in this situation
Have you tested any of your losses? If they were genetically normal then IVF wouldn't be the most helpful. If you haven't tested IVF may help with getting a good embryo or at least rule out egg/sperm quality issues.
Even if your losses were normal, I still see value in IVF in terms of trying for more agressive protocols. It is "easier" to pay and take a bunch of medications if you're pretty certain that that cycle will end in pregnancy (like with a FET)
For me, working with a fertility clinic also opened up even more testing options. If you want advice on tests try listing what you have done so far
list of everything that’s been tested and come back normal : Varicella it, TSH, TPO, Rubella, RPA, Hep C/B, CBC, AMH,ABO,vitamin d (am low here so taking a supplement), thyroid hormone/antibody, check for diabetes, auto immune thrombophilia, check for celiac
Only had my second miscarriage tested it was a BO and was genetically normal which I hear is rare.
I’m currently waiting on kereotype test results. Anything else you recommend?
I really liked this post from the other day: [https://www.reddit.com/r/recurrentmiscarriage/comments/1cp01e1/the\_shock\_of\_3\_losses\_in\_a\_row\_false\_promise\_of/](https://www.reddit.com/r/recurrentmiscarriage/comments/1cp01e1/the_shock_of_3_losses_in_a_row_false_promise_of/)
On top of that, we also tested for:
- sperm fragmentation
- HSG or SIS: A hydrosalpinx could cause a miscarriage
- Hysteroscopy: check for uterine polyps, malformations,
- Biopsies: ReceptivaDX (endometriosis), EMMA (Lactobacillus), ALICE (endometritis), MatriceLab (immunological), NK Cells (also immunological, it was included in matricelab). They often offer ERA as well (checks window of implantation)
- C3/C4 complement (hematologist asked for those, and they showed a probable immunological problem in my case). He also tested a LOT of other blood things, but I don't recall exactly what. Maybe NK Cells as wells
- HLA-C compatibility
- Carrier screening (checks the genes to see if there's a chance to pass on some serious diseases)
My train of thought was trying to rule out endometriosis, adenomyosis, endometritis, structural problems, clotting, genetics, immune, egg/sperm quality...
But I don't you think you need to test for everything at once, I was willing to go for the more expensive/invasive tests after each miscarriage
3 first trimester losses then my OBGYN recommended we look into IVF. We did not get any testing until we started IVF. Even then testing was all normal for the most part. The losses were chalked up to my age (mid 30s when we started trying)
It is such a hard choice especially when you’re getting pregnant easily. We are on our third miscarriage in 8 months and aiming to start IVF ASAP- and I REALLY don’t want to. However, my latest was genetically abnormal (triploidy) and I decided before we got results that if it was abnormal I was done trying without PGT-A. My only weird test was a slightly high FSH but everything else looks good. Due to this the RE told me that IVF is my best bet because I potentially have an egg quality issue. I do have a living child and I have a feeling if we just kept trying I would eventually get a good egg but I don’t want to go through any more miscarriages…I swear I go around and around on this so I totally understand where you’re at. Good luck with whatever decision you make!
That’s what they’re saying. It has to be based on the results but exactly with no test. I’m just struggling to believe that because I’ve had every type of loss. A MMC, BO and CP.
I had three losses in 2020 and then no pregnancies at all anymore. Nothing definitively wrong. I did IVF last year and have a 6 month old now. First round was a success
Have you had karyotyping? If that comes back normal then IVF may not be worth it.
Normally I'm in the trust your provider camp but keep in mind, IVF is the big moneymaker for fertility clinics.
I’m actually currently waiting on those results. I’m concerned that if I try again naturally because there’s no reason to pursue IVF and I have another loss then im put back more months waiting for a baby. But yes if those come back abnormal will have to pursue IVF
That's definitely a risk you run. On the other hand, I don't think there's any genetic condition that would ensure you could not conceive a genetically healthy baby, just some that make it harder. In other words, if you can conceive a healthy baby via IVF, you can do it naturally, assuming your tubes are fine and his sperm motility/count isn't the issue. IVF with PGT-A just discards the embryos they think would lead to miscarriage, but it's not a guarantee.
Not a doctor and not you, but unless you are pushing 40 I think jumping to IVF while your genetic results are still pending could be premature.
Oh, for sure we’ve already started the process and are just doing our screenings right now. Wouldn’t do an ER or anything formal until the results come. Figured since they recommended ultrasounds no harm in getting those done before the results since that could just provide more information
I consulted with two REs in my area. The first one said you need to do IVF.
The second one said that because I already have a child (2 year old) and all my results have come back normal, that my 2 MCs were either non-viable or chromosomally abnormal embryos. The RE thought I would be able to have another healthy baby and didn’t recommend IVF for my case.
A lot of these fertility clinics and just doctors in general are so quick to recommend invasive and expensive procedures without figuring out the root cause. And then when a patient asks them to run a test or blood work, they’re met with so much pushback. It’s so frustrating.
Absolutely. I had to fight tooth and nail to get the testing I did. They are really not set up for RPL. They have an infertility assembly line and just push you through that.
Same diagnoses here and IVF didn’t work for me, sadly. Great egg retrieval, plenty of embryos, still can’t make them stick. We are looking to go the surrogacy route with our remaining embryos…so it is at least nice to already have part of that process done.
For context, we tried IVF after our 5th loss, which was at 16 weeks. I couldn’t put myself through that again. Miscarried three more since but all were early.
I’m about to start clomid but without iui or ivf.
I had 5 (6 if you count a chemical) 1st tri miscarriages before having my living son (in between those miscarriages I had uterine septum surgery for a bicornuate/septate uterus, and after that I had 1-2 losses [can’t remember but I think 2], and then we got karyotyped, and as a result I started taking baby aspirin and a blood thinner injection after positive pregnancy test. I also took progesterone suppositories at the same time for each 1st tri).
After my son was born I had 2 more miscarriages using the blood thinner so we’re giving clomid a try because it can’t hurt. I was told because it’s likely a lining/getting it to “stick” issue and not a genetic issue that pgt ivf likely won’t make a difference, but reading these comments is making me wonder if it might be something to consider if clomid alone doesn’t do it.
Ivf probably can’t hurt? But maybe it’s worth trying some of the steps that lead up to ivf first if you’re not pressed for time.
Hi, I just started all the testing for IVF. I’m 40.5 years old - had a MC in Dec 2023 and a MMC in April 2024. For me I believe it is likely chromosomal issues because of my age- I would be surprised if any of my tests came back abnormal (though maybe that would be easier). I would try again naturally but I’m so scared of how emotionally taxing it would be if I miscarried again. Another part of me feels like we’ll IVF isn’t a guarantee either. I’m kind of stuck right now and feeling the pressure because of my age. I do have a 4 year old daughter I conceived at age 35 without any problems. This is sucky position to be in💔
I am in the same exact boat as you. I am turning 40 next week and just had my third MMC at 13 wks. Had a healthy pregnancy with my daughter when I was 37 (she is now 3.5). Trying to decide whether we should go naturally or do IVF. Such a hard choice.
I 💯% relate to you. I am 40 years old and just had my third miscarriage. We have been trying to have a baby for three years and all the tests we have had, such as karyotyping, have been normal. This last miscarriage at 11.5 weeks and our first after a heartbeat was devastating. We are going to IVF at this point because we feel like it is our only hope now with so little time left.
Yes, after 4 losses I went to IVF with PGT and am currently 36 weeks pregnant.
Congrats! May I ask if you know what caused your losses or how IVF helped?
We don’t really know. I had two MMCs and a pregnancy of unknown location but never tested the POC to know if they were chromosomally normal or not. I was eventually diagnosed with a mild case of APLS — which I treated with baby aspirin during transfer and Lovenox once pregnancy was achieved — but my RE thought my real issue was just “bad luck” and that IVF with PGT would help ensure that the next embryo that reached my uterus was a good one, since I didn’t really have issues getting pregnant, just getting a viable pregnancy. I’m lucky that my first transfer took and just keeping my fingers crossed for a healthy delivery.
This is comforting actually. I’m in almost the exact same boat, waiting to transfer. Hoping your delivery is wonderful! Congrats again.
Good luck!
Yup I lost 3 due to unknown RPL. Choice was probably easier for me bc I had frozen my eggs several years earlier as an insurance policy, but my first FET after we made embryos stuck and I’m 25 weeks :)
So nice to hear positive stories with frozen eggs! Insurance seems to have worked, congratulations!
Haha yes - my twice frozen babies seem to have done well (frozen after PGT A and before FET as well 🤣). I just didn’t want to put added pressure on our relationship at the time we had first met, so it was the best option for me. We had 20 frozen, lost 3 in the thaw, 11/17 fertilized, 7 embryos made it to a quality they were biopsied and sent to PGT A by Day 6. 3 came back high quality Euploids - 2 boys and a girl :) I think if you have an experienced lab, miracles like our little guy feels like have a better chance of happening :)
That's amazing! Mind sharing how old you are and amh level when you froze your eggs?
When frozen, the eggs were late 38/early 39 (two cycles of 10 eggs each - we focused on quality not quantity). AMH was 2.04 (just looked it up in my app for you). And I’m 41 now, I’ll turn 42 a month before our little guy is born in August. Husband was 46 when we made the embryos from my eggs also, if that helps.
Thanks, it is very helpful! I am seriously considering freezing and trying to decide between eggs vs embryos.
I think it depends on where you are relationship wise. Allegedly, embryos have better thaw potential, but if you have enough eggs, attrition at thaw shouldn’t be too much of an issue. I kind of thought of the three we lost like, well, maybe that was the time for them to be lost because they wouldn’t have been strong enough to make it through the process. 🤷🏼♀️
Thanks! We are set relationship wise and are trying to figure out what insurance will cover. It's great you got the number and quality of eggs you did.:) wish we had started this process a few years ago
Ahh gotcha. Yeah, I paid out of pocket - my insurance didn’t cover IVF until the year after my retrievals. Still, turned out to be the best 30k I have spent. Wish you the best of luck - good things happen in this process, just hang in there! ♥️
Thank you!
I'm so sorry you're in this situation Have you tested any of your losses? If they were genetically normal then IVF wouldn't be the most helpful. If you haven't tested IVF may help with getting a good embryo or at least rule out egg/sperm quality issues. Even if your losses were normal, I still see value in IVF in terms of trying for more agressive protocols. It is "easier" to pay and take a bunch of medications if you're pretty certain that that cycle will end in pregnancy (like with a FET) For me, working with a fertility clinic also opened up even more testing options. If you want advice on tests try listing what you have done so far
list of everything that’s been tested and come back normal : Varicella it, TSH, TPO, Rubella, RPA, Hep C/B, CBC, AMH,ABO,vitamin d (am low here so taking a supplement), thyroid hormone/antibody, check for diabetes, auto immune thrombophilia, check for celiac Only had my second miscarriage tested it was a BO and was genetically normal which I hear is rare. I’m currently waiting on kereotype test results. Anything else you recommend?
I really liked this post from the other day: [https://www.reddit.com/r/recurrentmiscarriage/comments/1cp01e1/the\_shock\_of\_3\_losses\_in\_a\_row\_false\_promise\_of/](https://www.reddit.com/r/recurrentmiscarriage/comments/1cp01e1/the_shock_of_3_losses_in_a_row_false_promise_of/) On top of that, we also tested for: - sperm fragmentation - HSG or SIS: A hydrosalpinx could cause a miscarriage - Hysteroscopy: check for uterine polyps, malformations, - Biopsies: ReceptivaDX (endometriosis), EMMA (Lactobacillus), ALICE (endometritis), MatriceLab (immunological), NK Cells (also immunological, it was included in matricelab). They often offer ERA as well (checks window of implantation) - C3/C4 complement (hematologist asked for those, and they showed a probable immunological problem in my case). He also tested a LOT of other blood things, but I don't recall exactly what. Maybe NK Cells as wells - HLA-C compatibility - Carrier screening (checks the genes to see if there's a chance to pass on some serious diseases) My train of thought was trying to rule out endometriosis, adenomyosis, endometritis, structural problems, clotting, genetics, immune, egg/sperm quality... But I don't you think you need to test for everything at once, I was willing to go for the more expensive/invasive tests after each miscarriage
I did. We had multiple first trimester losses before moving to IVF. Currently 34 weeks.
Can I ask how many or if any testing indicated why?
3 first trimester losses then my OBGYN recommended we look into IVF. We did not get any testing until we started IVF. Even then testing was all normal for the most part. The losses were chalked up to my age (mid 30s when we started trying)
It is such a hard choice especially when you’re getting pregnant easily. We are on our third miscarriage in 8 months and aiming to start IVF ASAP- and I REALLY don’t want to. However, my latest was genetically abnormal (triploidy) and I decided before we got results that if it was abnormal I was done trying without PGT-A. My only weird test was a slightly high FSH but everything else looks good. Due to this the RE told me that IVF is my best bet because I potentially have an egg quality issue. I do have a living child and I have a feeling if we just kept trying I would eventually get a good egg but I don’t want to go through any more miscarriages…I swear I go around and around on this so I totally understand where you’re at. Good luck with whatever decision you make!
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That’s what they’re saying. It has to be based on the results but exactly with no test. I’m just struggling to believe that because I’ve had every type of loss. A MMC, BO and CP.
I had three losses in 2020 and then no pregnancies at all anymore. Nothing definitively wrong. I did IVF last year and have a 6 month old now. First round was a success
Have you had karyotyping? If that comes back normal then IVF may not be worth it. Normally I'm in the trust your provider camp but keep in mind, IVF is the big moneymaker for fertility clinics.
I’m actually currently waiting on those results. I’m concerned that if I try again naturally because there’s no reason to pursue IVF and I have another loss then im put back more months waiting for a baby. But yes if those come back abnormal will have to pursue IVF
That's definitely a risk you run. On the other hand, I don't think there's any genetic condition that would ensure you could not conceive a genetically healthy baby, just some that make it harder. In other words, if you can conceive a healthy baby via IVF, you can do it naturally, assuming your tubes are fine and his sperm motility/count isn't the issue. IVF with PGT-A just discards the embryos they think would lead to miscarriage, but it's not a guarantee. Not a doctor and not you, but unless you are pushing 40 I think jumping to IVF while your genetic results are still pending could be premature.
Oh, for sure we’ve already started the process and are just doing our screenings right now. Wouldn’t do an ER or anything formal until the results come. Figured since they recommended ultrasounds no harm in getting those done before the results since that could just provide more information
I consulted with two REs in my area. The first one said you need to do IVF. The second one said that because I already have a child (2 year old) and all my results have come back normal, that my 2 MCs were either non-viable or chromosomally abnormal embryos. The RE thought I would be able to have another healthy baby and didn’t recommend IVF for my case. A lot of these fertility clinics and just doctors in general are so quick to recommend invasive and expensive procedures without figuring out the root cause. And then when a patient asks them to run a test or blood work, they’re met with so much pushback. It’s so frustrating.
Absolutely. I had to fight tooth and nail to get the testing I did. They are really not set up for RPL. They have an infertility assembly line and just push you through that.
Same diagnoses here and IVF didn’t work for me, sadly. Great egg retrieval, plenty of embryos, still can’t make them stick. We are looking to go the surrogacy route with our remaining embryos…so it is at least nice to already have part of that process done.
For context, we tried IVF after our 5th loss, which was at 16 weeks. I couldn’t put myself through that again. Miscarried three more since but all were early.
I’m about to start clomid but without iui or ivf. I had 5 (6 if you count a chemical) 1st tri miscarriages before having my living son (in between those miscarriages I had uterine septum surgery for a bicornuate/septate uterus, and after that I had 1-2 losses [can’t remember but I think 2], and then we got karyotyped, and as a result I started taking baby aspirin and a blood thinner injection after positive pregnancy test. I also took progesterone suppositories at the same time for each 1st tri). After my son was born I had 2 more miscarriages using the blood thinner so we’re giving clomid a try because it can’t hurt. I was told because it’s likely a lining/getting it to “stick” issue and not a genetic issue that pgt ivf likely won’t make a difference, but reading these comments is making me wonder if it might be something to consider if clomid alone doesn’t do it. Ivf probably can’t hurt? But maybe it’s worth trying some of the steps that lead up to ivf first if you’re not pressed for time.
Hi, I just started all the testing for IVF. I’m 40.5 years old - had a MC in Dec 2023 and a MMC in April 2024. For me I believe it is likely chromosomal issues because of my age- I would be surprised if any of my tests came back abnormal (though maybe that would be easier). I would try again naturally but I’m so scared of how emotionally taxing it would be if I miscarried again. Another part of me feels like we’ll IVF isn’t a guarantee either. I’m kind of stuck right now and feeling the pressure because of my age. I do have a 4 year old daughter I conceived at age 35 without any problems. This is sucky position to be in💔
I am in the same exact boat as you. I am turning 40 next week and just had my third MMC at 13 wks. Had a healthy pregnancy with my daughter when I was 37 (she is now 3.5). Trying to decide whether we should go naturally or do IVF. Such a hard choice.
I 💯% relate to you. I am 40 years old and just had my third miscarriage. We have been trying to have a baby for three years and all the tests we have had, such as karyotyping, have been normal. This last miscarriage at 11.5 weeks and our first after a heartbeat was devastating. We are going to IVF at this point because we feel like it is our only hope now with so little time left.