Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Philosophical

I'm not quite sure why we bothered with all that, erm, as Mr Spouse put it, activity, as it's CD1, bang on time, today. Of course I did a small test yesterday, and of course I've been wondering what would happen if I were pregnant. What would have happened was:

  • I wouldn't be able to have my travel vaccinations tomorrow
  • I would have had to wait to see if I miscarried at 5w again to book our overseas trip
  • If I hadn't we wouldn't have been able to go to malarial parts at the end of October
  • Mr Spouse would have been very cross as he has arranged for his last day at work to allow this trip
  • and to use part of his large redundancy payment for the trip, too - I'm going for work but he's going along for the ride
  • Things would have got very complicated with a potential new job application too as
  • I have a very very long notice period and although
  • I actually am hoping applying for this will nudge my current employers into a possible promotion
  • I wouldn't have been able to say anything to either of them and
  • if I had moved jobs I wouldn't have got salary-related maternity pay.
I think I may bite the bullet and see if we can't use contraception this month - we go away a week after my next period is due - Mr S will be a lot less stressed after that and a lot more up for late mornings in bed, so it's a good month to waste - and if I get an interview for the new job things won't be clouded by that, though the length of my notice period means I could still be without decent maternity pay, though I'd be unlikely to be without adoption leave as the process takes so long.

But it's scary doing that for a non-medical reason - which is why we haven't since I had a complete meltdown two months after the first miscarriage and Mr Spouse insisted. I feel like I have about 10 eggs left and skipping a month leaves me with 9.

Edit, in response to comment, as it seemed simpler than a v long comment myself, or a whole new post:
I've had four miscarriages, and apart from the most recent one, no pregnancy has effectively developed beyond 6 weeks. This doesn't fit the pattern of an anatomical irregularity, though I'm not completely familiar with this, my understanding is these are usually later first-trimester. My most developed foetus was only just under 8w.

But I've also had: lap & dye, numerous internal scans, and very good care from one of the main research centres in the UK in recurrent miscarriage. RCOG guidelines (medics' version here) suggest that internal scans are just as good as HSG (which I've effectively had, anyway) in diagnosing these.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe you have quite a few more eggs than I do, than many of your readers do. So many pregnancies (and diappointments).
May I ask, in my most tentative tone, if you have ever had a diagnostic hysteroscopy?
Because you do want to continue trying, and because you have had some miscarriages at a moment when a septum might have been an issue, I was curious if that problem had been ruled out....
Best of luck with the job interview and negotications.

Anonymous said...

Thanks very much for your answer, and I shall obviously leave the process in your hands. It is true that such early miscariages lead practitioners to throw up their hands and mutter chromosomal inanities. That said, what one expects in terms of diagnostics and treatment varies geographically. In northern Europe (where I live), an HSG would be part of a basic infertility workup -- while a diagnostic hysteroscopy might be part of an RPL investigation. There is some evidence that the hysteroscopy detects anomalies the HSG and ultrasound do not:
http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/14/8/1923
But perhaps I am hoping for an answer where none can be found.

Aurelia said...

Strangely enough, I'm going to ditto anon about the hysteroscopy. The HSG is different and you can see more things on the results, or at least they could on mine!

And during your lap? They may not have looked inside the uterus, only outside. (There are different kinds of laps. Ask your Doc which one you had.) Reality is that a hysteroscopy is easy to do and doesn't require freezing or anything. 10 minutes in an office.

Anyway, back to the point of your post, I don't think you have only 10 eggs! I'm quite sure you have more!

So, use a little birth control for one month, take your vacation, and when you come back I wish you the same luck as Thalia!

Geohde said...

I think that I would find it very tough to fathom using birth control after spending years trying for knocked-upness, but your logic is sound.

Do whichever is easiest for you. One month will not be a big difference for you (more than) ten eggs.

J