Anyone decided not to use RE and stay with OB?

[chel]

Anyone decided not to use a RE and stay with an OB?

Neither OB or RE can tell why I can't carry a pg to term besides possibly having old eggs. RE is willing to take me as a patient, but all he will do is monitor me closely (mulit hcg levels after BFP and multi u/s after 6w) and prog after O.

someone tell me if I'm misunderstanding things, but basically all that can be done is throw some prog and possible baby aspirin at me. All clotting test came back normal so no need for anything more than aspirin, right? I have a ton of prog leftover so technically I can do this on my own without having medical professionals holding my hand.

If that is the case I'd rather save the $ and wait till I'm 12w for my 1st u/s and not deal with the "maybe" that comes with early u/s and hcg levels.

[crystal-mommy]

Doesn't seem like the RE can do anything the OB isn't capable of doing. I went to an RE for secondary infertility, pretty much a waste of my time. IVF isn't an option for us, and injectibles- we can do that w/ my current OB. I have a pretty good relationship w/ my OB- don't really feel like starting from scratch w/ the RE and just being a "number". ykwim??

It should be your choice- if the frequent monitoring makes you feel more comfortable, go for it! but if it stresses you out, skip them! Its either going to be a successful preg or not, doesn't matter what your dr wants it to be.

they can always do blood thinners (lovenox) instead of baby asa- some of our dr's seem to prefer that. also, maybe progesterone shots??

good luck!! hopefully your next baby is a sticky one!!

[by-the-lake]

Agree with crystalmommy. I see an OB because he's the infertility expert in our region. Plus, I work with him too. If you have a great OB, he/she can do everything you need short of IVF. He/She can also consult with an RE for things he isn't familiar with. Do what works for you. Sorry for your losses. Hoping your next is sticky.

[by-the-lake]

*

[chel]

thanks guys!

I don't love either one, but the RE mostly does IVF and doesn't seem use to the low tech patient. I have to admit I'm not the typical patient in that while I would love to have another child, I'm very accepting that it might not happen and I have no desire to pull out the big guns like IVF.

My OB on the other hand, really dragged her feet putting me on prog. I think deep down she doesn't believe in prog supplementation. But since I've finally got her to put me on crinone that should no longer be an issue.
I don't know if she'll take me back, but there's plenty of other OBs in my area.

[daisie31]

It depends on what you want. An OB can only do so much. If you absolutely don't want to do IVF, then maybe just OB would be fine. The thing is, there could be lots of reason for RPL. You could have some autoimmune issue, chromosome problem or clotting issue (which you said you were tested for). You could at least have an RE do the testing for RPL (I believe that they know more in this area since most OBs send you on your way and this is the specialty of the RE). Maybe it would be something as simple as baby ASA or folic acid but it may be more. I don't really see how serial HCGs or u/s would change the outcome. My good friend is an OB and is very good in her field but when faced with secondary IF herself, she went right to an RE because it wasn't her area of expertise. Unless your OB has done a residency or has somehow really educated herself in REI, I wouldn't personally feel confident going there. I wish you the best of luck, pg loss is so painful.

Dena

[chel]

Originally Posted by daisie31

The thing is, there could be lots of reason for RPL. You could have some autoimmune issue, chromosome problem or clotting issue (which you said you were tested for). You could at least have an RE do the testing for RPL (I believe that they know more in this area since most OBs send you on your way and this is the specialty of the RE). Maybe it would be something as simple as baby ASA or folic acid but it may be more. I don't really see how serial HCGs or u/s would change the outcome.

that's the problem. OB already tested me for "everything". I'm in my mid-30's and that seems to be the catch-all issue.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by chel

that's the problem. OB already tested me for "everything". I'm in my mid-30's and that seems to be the catch-all issue.

My question would be - what does "everything" mean? Because everything to the regular OB is going to be very different than "everything" to an RE or even a genetic counselor.

If you're not having trouble *getting* pregnant, only staying pregnant, then you may not need to be seeing an RE, no. But I would do the research so that I knew for myself that "everything" truly is everything. If you know what tests you want, you can ask your OB to order them, it's not even like they need to interpret them, since the lab usually does that part.

As for the serial HCGs, I did them, they're a bit of a pain, but in the grand scheme of things they're minor. Basically they're just checking to see that the numbers are increasing like they're supposed to. It's not going to prevent anything, but it is an early indicator if there's a problem. If you don't want to do them, don't. Personally I found them helpful for my peace of mind.