Miscarriage misery

Obstetrician Leonie says: You should have been offered some medical investigations to try and determine the cause of your miscarriages.

These should include chromosomal checks on both you and your partner, and a trans-vaginal scan to exclude an abnormality of the shape of your womb, or fibroids.

A blood test for a condition called antiphosphoilipid syndrome or Hughes Syndrome (this can cause recurrent miscarriages and there are treatments that can reduce the risk) should also be done.

Other blood tests can be preformed (to look for evidence of infection, check your thyroid function, prolactin levels and to exclude diabetes), but these rarely show any problems.

If the results of the tests are normal, the chances of a successful future pregnancy are 75%.

Not having conceived after seven months is frustrating, but is well within normal time limits.

There are many vitamin supplements sold for women who are trying to conceive but as long as you eat a healthy diet, there is no evidence they improve the chances of conception. All women who are trying to conceive should take extra folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

If you haven’t already done so, stop smoking and reduce your alcohol intake (your partner too). Try to avoid too much stress and have sex regularly, especially in the middle of your cycle, to increase your chances of conceiving.

As you have fallen pregnant in the past, the chances that you have a serious problem are low, but you should see your doctor after 12 months if you still have not conceived.

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