Recurrent miscarriage is when a couple have had three or more consecutive miscarriages. There are multiple factors that may cause miscarriage but often the cause of recurrent miscarriage is not identified.

At NeoFertility we look at up to 15 factors that can increase your risk of miscarriage. We have the ability to identify couples who are at risk of miscarriage even before the first miscarriage occurs. A review of our data from 2010 showed 80% of couples had successful pregnancies with a history of 3+ miscarriages. An abstract of our data is available here.

Couples with a history of ten previous miscarriages have had successful pregnancies with our treatment. Treatment with NeoFertility is safe and minimally invasive, with a low incidence of twins, premature births, or low birth weight. This is important to minimize health risks for babies conceived in our program.

Our approach is to find the cause(s) of miscarriage and provide treatment before conceiving again. When the cycle is balanced and functioning optimally the couple are advised to conceive while taking the recommended treatment.

By charting your fertility cycle and getting timed blood tests, we identify biomarkers that increase your risk of miscarriage. These include abnormal bleeding patterns, short luteal phase, limited cervical mucus flow or if premenstrual symptoms persist for longer than four days.

In some cases we recommend surgical evaluation of the woman’s uterus (womb). Endometriosis can be a significant cause of recurrent miscarriage. In many cases this can be silent or symptom-free endometriosis.

We look at the possibility of a chronic low grade infection and treat this if appropriate. We send additional blood tests including for natural killer cells, food antibodies, and chromosomal or blood clotting abnormalities. Endorphin deficiency can also increase your risk of miscarriage. If we identify problems in any of these areas we commence treatment to correct the abnormalities.

Environmental and lifestyle factors are often very significant contributors to miscarriage.  In particular excessive alcohol and cigarette smoking together with a busy stressful working environment or other lifestyle stress may increase the risk of having miscarriages.

Once the couple conceives we monitor pregnancy closely and provide pregnancy hormone support. Dietary changes initiated while trying to conceive are important to maintain throughout the pregnancy to decrease the risk of miscarriage.

If a couple miscarries on their first attempt with our treatment, it is medically worthwhile trying a second time. We often modify treatment further for subsequent attempts that improve the chances of success.

Treatment is not a guarantee of success, but we can significantly improve your chances with targeted medical and surgical intervention.

What about fertility treatment as you get older? It is well known that fertility declines with advancing female age.

NeoFertility has a specific treatment strategy for both men and women of advanced reproductive age. This is helpful whether you have a history of infertility, recurrent miscarriage or you have just started trying to conceive. We assess your fertility charting pattern, test the “quality of ovulation” based on timed blood tests for progesterone and estradiol and prescribe whatever treatment is deemed necessary. The goal is to optimize your preconception environment and reduce the risk of infertility, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and premature delivery.

There is a “genetic clock” built into our DNA which causes us to age. From the age of 35 female fertility begins to decline. So far, we cannot influence this genetic aging effect, but we can positively influence other aspects of aging and improve pregnancy outcomes as a result. With NeoFertility we “normal-stimulate” the follicle, provide hormone support to the luteal phase of the cycle and provide hormone support during the early stages of pregnancy. In addition we address diet, nutrition, supplements and lifestyle factors which all have an impact on your health and fertility.

With NeoFertility we aim to achieve the optimal potential available for each age group through our multifactorial treatment approach. When optimal cycles are achieved it is important to continue treatment for 12 effective cycles to ensure you have given yourself the best chance to conceive naturally. NeoFertility has an 80% success rate for live birth in women with recurrent miscarriage.

Low AMH or reduced ovarian reserve can be treated successfully with NeoFertility.

AMH levels are commonly measured in fertility clinics to assess ovarian reserve and give an indication of female fertility potential. AMH is produced by the small antral follicles in the ovary. Low AMH is a condition where the number of antral follicles have diminished. This is especially relevant for IVF clinics as they aim to produce 8 to 12 follicles to obtain as many “good quality” embryos as possible. With a low AMH, the possibility of producing multiple eggs for an IVF cycle are reduced, making success less likely. If you produce a small number of eggs, it is less likely you will have enough good quality embryos to transfer, giving lower success rates for an IVF cycle.

Historically, antral follicles were counted during ultrasound scanning to give an indication of the ovarian reserve. In recent times a blood test for AMH is now widely used to determine a woman’s egg reserve. AMH levels are supposed to be constant throughout the cycle. Levels usually fall with advancing age, but AMH can rise for some women.

You need just one follicle and one egg per cycle for natural conception to occur. Because of our lower egg requirement we are able to achieve success with couples who have very low AMH levels and are deemed unsuitable for IVF.  We have had success where donor eggs were advised or previously used unsuccessfully.

We normal-stimulate your cycle producing one good egg per cycle with the aim of achieving natural conception. We monitor your treatment using ultrasound follicle tracking and monthly timed blood tests in conjunction with your fertility chart, recorded on traditional paper or with our specially designed ChartNeo app. 

The lowest AMH blood result we have achieved success with was for a 36-year-old woman with six years of infertility who never conceived previously – her AMH was only 0.07pmol/l (0.009 ng/dl) and her FSH was 42iu/l. She conceived on her first cycle of treatment in our program and delivered a 9lb baby boy.

Our YouTube presentation on Low AMH is available here and an abstract analyzing our data on low AMH in 2015 is here.

Endometriosis is a common cause of infertility. It is found in up to 50% of women trying to conceive. It can be mild, moderate, or severe.

The lining of the uterus is called the endometrium. This is usually found inside the uterine cavity. It thickens and grows every cycle to allow an embryo to implant resulting in a pregnancy.

Endometriosis is when the lining of the womb is found outside of the uterus. The lining can attach to ovaries, ligaments, bowel and the fallopian tubes.

Healthy endometrium is shed each cycle with menstruation, but with endometriosis, the endometrial shedding results in inflammation as it cannot be released when it grows in the pelvis. This commonly produces symptoms such as:

• Painful periods

• Constipation or diarrhea during menstruation

• Sharp discomfort with penetration during intercourse

Interestingly for many women, endometriosis can be silent with none of the obvious symptoms. The only clue it may be present is infertility or recurrent miscarriage.

Endometriosis causes reduced fertility but you can still have a successful pregnancy even if it is not detected or treated. Just because you have had one previous pregnancy does not mean endometriosis is not present.

Women with untreated endometriosis will have a higher incidence of infertility and are three times more likely to miscarry compared to those who do not have endometriosis.

If you have not conceived after six months of NeoFertility treatment, we usually recommend a laparoscopy with a skilled gynecologist as endometriosis is frequently missed by less specialized gynecologists. Excision of the endometriotic lesions seems to be more effective than diathermy or laser ablation with a lower chance of recurrence.

Surgical treatment of endometriosis has been shown to improve the chance of conception and reduce the risk of miscarriage.

Every patient diagnosed with endometriosis in our program is advised to take Low Dose Naltrexone, supplements with vitamin D3, omega-3 and our dietary strategy to improve clinical well-being and optimize fertility.

Clinically, symptoms improve with treatment. Surgical intervention is the most effective treatment but symptom relief is enhanced with additional medical treatments.