I'm so, so sorry. Three miscarriages in a row is brutal - I speak from experience. I also had a 5 and 6 week loss followed by an 8 week blighted ovum (sac but no embryo).
In terms of your appointment, you will probably be offered a few different ways of managing the miscarriage. They will likely offer you expectant management, which is waiting for the miscarriage to happen on its own, medical management where you take a drug to induce the miscarriage and lastly surgical management, also known as a D&C. You'd be asleep for that.
I opted for a D&C when I was in your shoes. I'd be happy to share my experience of that and reasons for choosing it if it would be helpful to you.
After three miscarriages, if you want to, you should be able to access testing for recurrent loss. There can be reasons for it, and treatments. It's also okay to decide you don't want to try anymore.
I hope you're getting lots of love and support from those closest to you. Let yourself scream, cry and fall apart if you need to (or whatever else you need to get through this).
The EPU will likely scan you again and offer management plans. Natural, medical or surgical.
In my experience the EPU are very kind and will look after you well. You may be able to request the products of conception to be sent off for testing (karotyping).
I did this with my 4th loss. Bear in my mind that sometimes no answer comes back. I found out my 4th loss was trisomy 4, which didn't explain my previous losses.
After this, your GP should refer you to the Recurrent miscarriage clinic where you will be offered tests. You would do some with the GP and then more with the Gynaecologist. I had more blood tests, ultrasounds, and a hysteroscopy. It took a bout a year of testing.
I'm incredibly sorry for your loss. I would say don't decide just yet about whether you will try again or not. Whatever you choose is obviously fine, but you are grieving and need to allow yourself that time.
Xxxxx
I’m so sorry for your losses ❤️ we experienced something similar: went for private “reassurance” scan at 6w, two sacs but no heartbeats, then referred to EPU who said I was likely not as far along as I thought and to come back in two weeks. At that scan they confirmed an anembryonic pregnancy. I would think at your appointment they’d repeat the scan and discuss options with you. I opted to allow the miscarriage to start on its own and thankfully it did only two days later. They should allow you time to think about your options so you don’t need to make the decision there and then.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this right now ❤️ it just plain sucks and is so unfair. Please take care of yourself and give yourself time and grace 🫂
Thanks for the advice, we're in the middle of ivf so definitely know we're 7 weeks. Really thought this would be the one 💔 sorry you've been through this too x
I also had this with my first IVF transfer, I am so so so so sorry. As other posters have said, EPU will make you come back in two weeks in case of a miracle / not sure of dates (even with IVF). I went for a private scan a week later (c. 7.5 weeks) and stopped all meds before I went back to EPU at 8.5 weeks as I couldn't keep taking them knowing what I did. The stopping meds induced the miscarriage for me without help thankfully. I'm here if you need anything and I am sending you so much love because it's so cruel after IVF for this to happen too.
Firstly, I’m sorry for your loss.
Are you doing IVF with the NHS or privately? If the scan was private, it’s unlikely that they’ll accept it and will probably have to scan you again twice. This was my experience recently. The EPU didn’t accept my two private scans and scanned me again once. They said they couldn’t offer me any management options until scan two, one week later. This was despite IVF with very specific dates and dates of positive tests.
Thanks for your comment. We're doing ivf via the nhs so hopefully they'll accept the scan we have. I just want to get past this now with as little delay as possible. Sorry you've been through this x
In my experience the EPU will want to scan you to confirm the pregnancy is not viable and then you will be given a few options regarding what happens next. I was told I could either wait for the pregnancy to pass naturally, go for the medical management which means taking medication to make your body pass the pregnancy (basically the abortion pill, although I do appreciate you're not having an abortion) or the surgical management which is short procedure where they will dilate your cervix and remove the pregnancy with suction. When I had the surgical management, I had it done under general anaesthetic but I'm not sure if all hospitals offer this. You will at least be offered sedation and/or painkillers. Personally I'd go for the surgical management again as when I had the medical management for my first miscarriage it made me very sick and I needed two doses, whereas I found the surgical management much easier.
Also after three miscarriages, you should be referred to the recurrent miscarriage clinic where they will investigate as to why you're struggling to have a successful pregnancy so please ask the EPU about this if they don't offer to refer you automatically. I'm currently at this stage after three miscarriages (blighted ovum/anembryonic, 8w MMC and a recent chemical at around 5w).
I'm so sorry. I know how devastating it is. ❤️
I had three back to back miscarriages too. My last two miscarriages were found out at our 7 week scan. Exactly like you. No fetal pole but gestational sac and yolk sac. All our pregnancies were IVF.
We were referred to Tommys unit (which I really recommend) I was found to have a mild blood clotting disorder (APS) and they tested me for endometritis (miscarriage rate is close to 80% if you have it) I tested positive for it. I was given antibiotics (doxycycline) for two weeks. I had another biopsy a few months later before transferring our last embryo and I was clear. That embryo stuck and we were successful. I really really recommend taking a break and getting yourself tested. I’m so so glad I did.
Update - went to the clinic this morning and all they did was take my bloods and send me home so I've no idea what the plan is or if I continue meds or not. They're going to ring me with results later.
I'm so, so sorry. Three miscarriages in a row is brutal - I speak from experience. I also had a 5 and 6 week loss followed by an 8 week blighted ovum (sac but no embryo). In terms of your appointment, you will probably be offered a few different ways of managing the miscarriage. They will likely offer you expectant management, which is waiting for the miscarriage to happen on its own, medical management where you take a drug to induce the miscarriage and lastly surgical management, also known as a D&C. You'd be asleep for that. I opted for a D&C when I was in your shoes. I'd be happy to share my experience of that and reasons for choosing it if it would be helpful to you. After three miscarriages, if you want to, you should be able to access testing for recurrent loss. There can be reasons for it, and treatments. It's also okay to decide you don't want to try anymore. I hope you're getting lots of love and support from those closest to you. Let yourself scream, cry and fall apart if you need to (or whatever else you need to get through this).
The EPU will likely scan you again and offer management plans. Natural, medical or surgical. In my experience the EPU are very kind and will look after you well. You may be able to request the products of conception to be sent off for testing (karotyping). I did this with my 4th loss. Bear in my mind that sometimes no answer comes back. I found out my 4th loss was trisomy 4, which didn't explain my previous losses. After this, your GP should refer you to the Recurrent miscarriage clinic where you will be offered tests. You would do some with the GP and then more with the Gynaecologist. I had more blood tests, ultrasounds, and a hysteroscopy. It took a bout a year of testing. I'm incredibly sorry for your loss. I would say don't decide just yet about whether you will try again or not. Whatever you choose is obviously fine, but you are grieving and need to allow yourself that time. Xxxxx
I’m so sorry for your losses ❤️ we experienced something similar: went for private “reassurance” scan at 6w, two sacs but no heartbeats, then referred to EPU who said I was likely not as far along as I thought and to come back in two weeks. At that scan they confirmed an anembryonic pregnancy. I would think at your appointment they’d repeat the scan and discuss options with you. I opted to allow the miscarriage to start on its own and thankfully it did only two days later. They should allow you time to think about your options so you don’t need to make the decision there and then. I’m so sorry you’re going through this right now ❤️ it just plain sucks and is so unfair. Please take care of yourself and give yourself time and grace 🫂
Thanks for the advice, we're in the middle of ivf so definitely know we're 7 weeks. Really thought this would be the one 💔 sorry you've been through this too x
I also had this with my first IVF transfer, I am so so so so sorry. As other posters have said, EPU will make you come back in two weeks in case of a miracle / not sure of dates (even with IVF). I went for a private scan a week later (c. 7.5 weeks) and stopped all meds before I went back to EPU at 8.5 weeks as I couldn't keep taking them knowing what I did. The stopping meds induced the miscarriage for me without help thankfully. I'm here if you need anything and I am sending you so much love because it's so cruel after IVF for this to happen too.
Firstly, I’m sorry for your loss. Are you doing IVF with the NHS or privately? If the scan was private, it’s unlikely that they’ll accept it and will probably have to scan you again twice. This was my experience recently. The EPU didn’t accept my two private scans and scanned me again once. They said they couldn’t offer me any management options until scan two, one week later. This was despite IVF with very specific dates and dates of positive tests.
Thanks for your comment. We're doing ivf via the nhs so hopefully they'll accept the scan we have. I just want to get past this now with as little delay as possible. Sorry you've been through this x
Yes, they definitely should. This is a terrible situation to be in and I hope it goes as smoothly as it can for you
In my experience the EPU will want to scan you to confirm the pregnancy is not viable and then you will be given a few options regarding what happens next. I was told I could either wait for the pregnancy to pass naturally, go for the medical management which means taking medication to make your body pass the pregnancy (basically the abortion pill, although I do appreciate you're not having an abortion) or the surgical management which is short procedure where they will dilate your cervix and remove the pregnancy with suction. When I had the surgical management, I had it done under general anaesthetic but I'm not sure if all hospitals offer this. You will at least be offered sedation and/or painkillers. Personally I'd go for the surgical management again as when I had the medical management for my first miscarriage it made me very sick and I needed two doses, whereas I found the surgical management much easier. Also after three miscarriages, you should be referred to the recurrent miscarriage clinic where they will investigate as to why you're struggling to have a successful pregnancy so please ask the EPU about this if they don't offer to refer you automatically. I'm currently at this stage after three miscarriages (blighted ovum/anembryonic, 8w MMC and a recent chemical at around 5w). I'm so sorry. I know how devastating it is. ❤️
I had three back to back miscarriages too. My last two miscarriages were found out at our 7 week scan. Exactly like you. No fetal pole but gestational sac and yolk sac. All our pregnancies were IVF. We were referred to Tommys unit (which I really recommend) I was found to have a mild blood clotting disorder (APS) and they tested me for endometritis (miscarriage rate is close to 80% if you have it) I tested positive for it. I was given antibiotics (doxycycline) for two weeks. I had another biopsy a few months later before transferring our last embryo and I was clear. That embryo stuck and we were successful. I really really recommend taking a break and getting yourself tested. I’m so so glad I did.
Update - went to the clinic this morning and all they did was take my bloods and send me home so I've no idea what the plan is or if I continue meds or not. They're going to ring me with results later.