After reading up about recurrent miscarriages I went back to my doctor and asked for help.

by Danielle

May 2016

I never thought falling pregnant and staying pregnant would ever be a concern. Me and my partner started trying for a baby 4 years ago. I remember being so excited when I got those positive lines. Unfortunately at 7 weeks I started bleeding. What was meant to be my first midwife appointment the following morning turned into a trip to my local early pregnancy unit (EPU) they internally scanned me but couldn't find the pregnancy, I was given a leaflet, sent for bloods and told to go home as there was nothing that could be done.

As the days went on the bleeding and pains got worse until eventually 2 weeks later it was all done. 6 months down the line I fell pregnant again, 6 weeks pregnant I started bleeding again. I was sent to EPU the following day by my doctor. Another internal scan was done, this time a tiny sac could be seen. As I was bleeding so much by then they said it didn't look good and to go home and rest. The pattern seemed to repeat, 6 months later I fell pregnant again, 6 weeks more bleeding. I went to my doctor again, this time I was told I couldn't be scanned as it was too early and there was nothing that could be done. I felt like no-one really cared by this point and I was to struggle on my own.

After reading up about recurrent miscarriages I went back to my doctor and asked for help.

It took 4 appointments at my local hospital for them to tell me they couldn't find anything wrong and that I was to go back to my doctor for them to refer me. In total this back and forth took a year and in that time I had another 4 miscarriages. My partner and I both had bloods taken, internal scans and nothing was out of the ordinary. A further 6 months of pestering my doctor I was finally referred to St Mary's miscarriage clinic in London. I received my appointment within 8 weeks, low and behold I was pregnant when I went to my first appointment.

Unfortunately I was too early for anything to be seen on the scan but I felt optimistic. My bloods came back quick and by the Friday that week I had a phone call to say there was an abnormality with the way my blood clotted. I was told to take 150mg of aspirin straight away and hope for the best. Unfortunately the next day I began bleeding. I got a second appointment from St Mary's within a month to have the remaining blood tests done. The results came back that I had an anti-thrombin gene, my blood was clotting too severely and they were sure this was the cause of my miscarriages.

I was instructed to take the aspirin and heparin injections as soon as I fell pregnant again. It was now August 2015 and I finally had my answers. Unfortunately I miscarried again in the September as my doctors "didn't receive the information regarding the heparin injections" even though I was sent the same letter they were sent. December 21st 2015 I found out I was pregnant! My partner and I were so excited, we thought this is the one! I called the doctor and they had a prescription for the heparin injections waiting for me, I seen a lovely nurse who showed me how to administer the injection and we were all go! Got past the 6 week mark and I had an early scan booked at St Mary's so they could check everything was all good (due to Christmas I was 7 weeks when I went for the appointment) I travelled down to London with my mum, stomach full of flutters of excitement. I was called for my scan, I could've been sick I was that excited. I lay down and the nurse began she asked me to confirm my last period, then she asked if was positive these dates were correct.

My heart started sinking, something was wrong.

Her exact words "there is nothing in your womb". She called a colleague over and she started pushing the probe into my left side, they informed me my pregnancy was in my left tube and would have to be removed. I felt numb, I didn't really know what was happening and everything that followed happened so fast. I was taken for emergency bloods to find out my hormone level, I was questioned by several consultants on how I was feeling, was I in any pain, I wasn't. I asked to go home and they agreed and I was to go straight to my local epu the following morning. I got a phone call that night with my blood results, my hormone levels were 4500 which meant the pregnancy was very much alive and growing and that I would need emergency surgery. By then I had ran out of tears and I don't really know what to think. I went to the hospital very early the next morning, I had another scan just to check everything. I hoped that they had been wrong and that I was having a bad dream. I asked to see the image on the screen, I seen the little heart beating away.

I had to fight back the tears. It was the most soul destroying thing I have ever seen and I relive it most days now 5 months on. I was taken for surgery that afternoon. Our story is yet to have a happy ending but I hope that one day we will have our baby. A message to ladies going through a tough time, don't give up hope. Keep pestering your doctors to get those referrals. I want to thank the amazing people at St Mary's in London and to Kettering general hospital for their amazing support and help. Danielle.