Looking for Mom's Who Have Gotten Pregnant, but Then Had Multiple Miscarriages

Hi M., I can't really offer an opinion about the testing, but I wanted to let you know that I'm in the same boat as you are. It took a long time for me to get pregnant the first time and it finally took acupuncture to be able to conceive. I had two weeks of spotting in the beginning, but carried the pregnancy to term and had a healthy girl at home in December '06. I then had a miscarriage in January '08 at 5 1/2 weeks. When I hadn't gotten pregnant again 7 months later, I talked to my OB/GYN who suggested taking natural progesterone cream. I started that right away and had no side effects and got pregnant the first month taking it. However, three days after I found out I was pregnant I had another miscarriage just last month. I went to see my chiropractor who has been doing acupunture and advised that we not conveive for a couple of months while my body is healing (through the acupuncture) and I am on the progesterone cream for a little longer. I was very frustrated as my husband and I would really like to have another baby, but I also don't want to get pregnant again, only to lose another pregnancy. We haven't done any testing as we have decided to go the natural route with the acupuncture. So we've waited one month and I'm hoping that my chiropractor will give us the green light soon and we'll be able to get pregnant. I don't know how open you are to alternative medicine, but he recommended two books, one of which I have started reading. Both should be available at your library which is where I got them. The first is The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis (on Traditional Chinese Medicine) and the second is A Few Good Eggs: Two Chicks Dish on Overcoming the Insanity of Infertility by Julie Vargo and Maureen Regan. I know that wasn't really part of your question, but thought I'd throw those out there as you might find some encouragement to the medical testing. Also, I wanted to let you know that I understand your pain as it is devastating to carry a child in your womb and then lose it. Yesterday was my due date for my first baby we lost and you never forgot that you lost a child. And don't listen to people who say, "just relax," because it's impossible and they don't really understand what you're going through unless they've been there. One thing that my mom has said that has helped is that we are meant to have as many children as God decides to bless us with, whether it's one or ten! So just thought I would throw in my two cents and encourage you to continue to hope and pray and do what you and your husband feel is appropriate for your situation. Good luck!

First, I am so sorry for your loss. Miscarriages are never easy.

When looking for reasons, you should also consider your age. I had a pregnancy when I was in my 20's without issue. In my 30's, I had 3 miscarriages in a row. I was finally sent for the standard fertility tests. It was one specific test (HSG - Hysterosalpingogram) that diagnosed my issue. In my 30's, I had developed uterine fibroids. This is what was causing the miscarriages. A simple outpatient procedure and I was good to go.

I urge you to see a reproductive specialist. He /she can do many tests to help find out what is happening and what can be done. It could be that you need progesterone shots ,the embryo is not strong enough to begin with , etc. That is your best hope for having a child . IVF may be needed to get a strong embryo or you may just need the extra hormones. The testing should be covered by insurance. The other procedures may not be but diagnosis is . Please don't wait . A regular ob/gyne is not knowledgeable in this area. My doctor was wonderful . He has offices in Joliet and Mokena. Dr .Marek Piekos ###-###-####. He's on the corner of black and essington. Good luck to you :)

I had my first NO PROBLEM! Then lost 2...then had baby boy. Then lost 2 again...couldn't get preggo again...took clomid(3 rounds)took progesterone the minute I was preggo again along with baby asprin and had another baby boy. Then no clomid got preggo, lost another...then had another boy with progesterone and baby asprin. Then had baby boy #5 with nothing...just like the first. So, though this parenthood thing is exausting from the very start for some of us...their will hopefully be a prize at the end for all your hard work :) Just keep going and believe your gut feelings!
Now, my feeling is that for some reason girls in our family are not very tough or somehow do not mix well with my body. My miscarriages were anywhere from 6-12 weeks so we never knew the sex, it is just my "mom" theory :)
Good Luck! Keep trying! You can figure this out!!
J.

M.,
First let me say my heart goes out to you and I understand exactly where you are coming from. I too have had 2 successful uneventful pregnancies and with each got pregnant on the 1st or 2nd try. We were trying for a 3rd and I just suffered my 3rd miscarriage in a row. After my second, I went to FCI in Oakbrook and the only thing wrong they could find was low progesterone. I was on supplements with this last pregnancy (no side effects thank goodness) but it didn't help. Personally, I don't think low progesterone was my problem but if you miscarried at 12 weeks it certainly could be for you. It's very common and easily treatable. (that web-site the other mom mentioned is great for research on this issue) I do have a blood disorder which may be a factor. It's called Factor 5 Leiden. Basically, my blood wants to clot quicker than it should which can lead to pregnancy loss. This is something discovered within the last 15 years so there is not much research on it but it is believed to be pretty common (5-10 percent of population). That is my story but I would suggest getting some tests done. It will give you peace of mind that you're doing everything you can and there might be something easily treatable. Of course they very well may find nothing and it could have just been a "bad egg" with each one. Either way, I feel it's better to know what you're dealing with.
All that being said, I am so so very sorry for your losses. Miscarriages are just devastating. Don't give up. My dad is an ObGyn and says he has seen patients with 5,6,7+ miscarriages go on to have healthy babies.
Sending big hugs and prayers...
~T.

I was in a simular situation a little over a year ago. My husband and I have our oldest, 3 years. After his first birthday, we got pregnant then miscarried at 9 weeks. There was no heart beat at the first visit and I miscarried at home.
Three months later we got pregnant again. I had concerns at my first visit (around 6wks) because I had some bleeding but they checked the baby and s/he was ok. When they checked my HCG level it was much higher then usual, my doctors thought that I might have been pregnant with twins and lost one. My progesterone levels were low, so I had to take that. About three weeks later I went in for another ultrasound and there was no heart beat so I had to schedule a D&C.
My doctors asked us to wait 6 months while my body healed and then try again. So we did, but couldn't get pregnant for 2 months since my cycle is irregular. I took the home ovulation test, and we got pregnant that month. The pregnancy went very well. The only complication I had during the pregnancy was that my doctors learned that I have an aggressive strain of HPV and had to watch me for cervical cancer; which is why (they think) I lost the previous two pregnancies. I ended up giving birth to a healthy baby boy, having post partum surgery to get rid of my HPV and so far so good. :)

When I was going through my miscarriages I spoke to a lot of women who either already had children then miscarried and had more children or some moms who had more then six miscarriages then went on to have kids.

I hope this helps. :)

Yes this is very common but I would insit on seeing a dr that specializes in multiple miscarriages. not to scare you but sometimes the more miscariages you have the worse it can get. For example sometimes there aer too many damaging cells causing the miscarriages and they multiply the more losses you have or it could be something so simple as adding an aspirin to your daily vitamins to stop blood clotting issues.
please go see dr joanne kwak-kim she is a reproductive immunologist in Vernon Hills. there is another woman I like a hematologist name victoria cut she deals with more oncology but she too gets intreague why I had so many miscarriages. I had 7 and the had twins but I had WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too many problems to even begin to tell you about. I have gone though 8 years and have had ever test in the book so if you want to run your results by me I can help with that too. Blood work is easy and will tell alot but it ahs to be done at a reputable office. Your dr office or local hospital will not be as good with the resluts as a specialist. Specialist do it ina timely manner and have all the right equipment and used for only that puropose. Hospitals use many test to run though the same equipment etc. hang in there and do some decent blood work and start taking an aspirin every day and if you can get a prescription folic acid vitamin written for you try that too like Folgard. I would also try gluten and dairy free and organic foods only. Hope this helps and gets you somewhere to start.

I posted on this topic last week if you want to check that out to see what I've been through. You will see that I am currently in a similar situation. I am waiting for blood test results to see if I have any auto-immune issues. If that comes back fine, I'm going to a hemotologist to get tested for any connective tissue disorders. Likelihood that they will find anything is slim considering that I have already had a healthy, full term baby. I am currently working on changing my diet -- not that it was horrible before -- cutting out processed foods, eating foods in certain combinations to optimize digestion and keeping a positive attitude. You might as well get the tests done now for your piece of mind in case there is a problem that can be found and fixed. I know how hard it is to lose 2 preganancies in a row, but your body has done this before --that is, carried a baby to term -- (twice!), and it can do it again. Good Luck ~

Hi M.,

You really need to get testing done by a Reproductive Endocrinologist (Fertility Doctor) not your Oby/Gny. Having 2 miscarriages back to back is not "normal". Best of luck to you.

S.-

i had 2 as well b4 my 10 07 baby was born. my doctor put me on baby aspirin for awhile. i don't know if that's why the 3rd pregnancy worked. it's not a failure on your part. hang in there.

Isn't it so confusing that you have been able to do it and suddenly it doesn't work anymore? Seeing the heartbeat and then losing the baby is hard, I can't imagine 10 weeks. Were the measurements good? Did everything else on the sono look good?

I had one daughter, no problems and then had three miscarriage (7 1/2 weeks, 5 1/2 weeks, 6 1/2 weeks). After the second miscarriage my doctors (I saw an OB, then a reproductive endocrinologist-RE) did testing. With my third miscarriage I was on low dose aspirin and progesterone, I saw a heartbeat, but the measurements were a week small at 6 weeks, so we knew there was a chance I would miscarry, and I did.

We did more testing after that and they found a small mutation. I added folgard (a folic acid supplement) to my prenantals and the other meds and I carried a full term pregnancy. I have since gotten pregnant again on those three medications along with prenatals.

I know one test was an HSP, x-ray where they check your tubes, etc. The rest were lots and lots of blood tests. I think the mutation I have is called a MTHFR gene mutation, I could be wrong.

I would recommend doing the testing, my experience was very good with it.

Good luck!!

I have two living biological children and have also had four losses since at varying stages of pregnancy. My OB ran a blood panel for recurrent pregnancy loss to check on various conditions (lupus, thyroid, diabetes, etc.) They have all come up negative. My insurance would only pay for these tests if I had 3 or more miscarriages. My doctor gave me a referral to a geneticist if I decide to get further testing. I haven't pursued this yet.

I'd be happy to answer more specific questions privately.

Hi M.,
Your story caught my eye, because I have a healthy 6 year old boy, then I had two miscarriages in a row. The first one happened at home, the second I went in for a routine US and there was no heartbeat. I ended up having a D&C with that one. It is such a hard thing to go through and unless you know someone who has gone through the same situation, you do tend to feel so alone and confused. I had the second miscarriage tested and it was a chromosome abnormality. I then ended up getting pregnate again, after about two years, and I had my "miricle baby" last July, he is as healthy as can be! Unfortuatly, I have not been on birth control, because we want to try for one more, and I had another miscarriage two months ago. I did not know I was pregnant, thought it was a late period. I think some Dr.s will think that you should be tested after two, but some won't. It will depend on the Dr. Get the tests if it will make you feel better, but I do think that miscarraiges are common and it is hard to get a Dr. to understand or test you unless you have three or more in a row, which ofcourse coming from our stand point is awful! I wish you the best of luck and I am so sorry about your losses.

M.-
I had a similiar situation about 5 years ago. With one successful pregnancy/baby under my belt, I had two successive miscarriages within 6 months also. Since then, I have had two healthy pregnancies/babies. I was told the same thing by my Dr. "because you've had a successful pregnancy resulting in a baby, it is not you, but the cell makeup of the fertilized egg." It is a very difficult thing to get past. Things will get a little better every day, but when you get pregnant again, it will be hard to think of anything else. Ask the Dr. to test your HCG levels every day for about a week once you find out that you are pregnant again. They should double every other day. This will give a little piece of mind while you are waiting out your 1st trimester. Good Luck!

HI M.,

I use to be an infertility nurse for FCI before I had my children. I can tell you the only tests that will point out problems with miscarrying are either autoimmune testing or hormone evaluations. I watched doctors run thousands of dollars worth of blood testing. The only conclusions they came to was to give Progesterone to strengthen the lining or baby aspirin for autoimmunity. The autoimmunity was to determine if your own body was treating pregnancies as an invader and aborting them. That is easier to fix than a Fetal Demise which is hard to determine by blood test. Its a pregnancy where the fetus who did have a healthy heartbeat dies in utero without any explanation. For your situation no it's not typical. Women in your situation would come to see our practice for having multiple miscarriages. Especially after two successful pregnancies. Ob/Gyn's tend to dabble too much in Reproductive Endocrinology and they have not been board certified to do so. Another specialist would be a Perinatologist to consider if you get pregnant again. They take control of the pregnancy and closely monitor it as a high risk pregnancy.

For you it would be a good idea to research these two specialties to determine what you should do. You have to be referred to them, but after three failed miscarriages your OB/Gyn better be willing to hand the baton over to someone more qualified to monitor you.

I wish you luck with your future attempt and remember that mind,body and spirit balance are keys to successful pregnancies as well.

Sounds like your hormone levels are off. Have them test your progesterone levels.

I am so sorry for your loss. While this has not personally happened to me- I wont pretned to know what its like but Ihavehad several friends this has happened to. My one friend had several miscarriages then had a healthy baby girl later had several more miscarriages then had another healty girl and I know she had at least one miscarriage after that. I dont think she had any testing done. I beleive she felt the miscarriages were boys. My other friend had to healthy boys no problem but then had 2 miscarriages. she then decided she wouldnt have anymore- when opps the condom broke but that resulted in another miscarriage- at 12 weeks as well and after that she just felt like she couldnt do it anymore- she was getting older and she has 2 beautiful boys. Its very emotiional to go through that. I just suggest to let yourself relax and pray on it.

I also had the same thing happen, two successful pregnancies and then two miscarriages. My doctor couldn't explain it. I didn't have any tests completed but just decided that I was to only have two healthy children and was happy to be able to have had those. Six monthes later and I was pregnant with my third child. He is a healthy four year old now and funny as all get out. You may have another and you may not don't worry about it just enjoy the two you have and maybe with less stress and more fun, you will get your third.
Good luck.

Hi M.

I'm so sorry to hear of your losses, been there done that, a total of 6 miscarriages including my son's twin at 10 weeks in-utero. I also visited six so-called specialists who made me feel like a science project. I finally found a great one and have 2 beautiful miracles ( now 11 yrs girl, 5 yrs boy)
I'll be glad to share my stories with you.

Please email me at: ____@____.com with any questions.

Hang in there!
B.

I had a healthy boy with no probelms at all and then miscarried my next pregnancy 4 years later. I was devastated. I don't think anyone can understand the emotional pain that a women suffers unless you have experienced it. I was about 8 weeks and went to the DR to determine how far along I was and with a sono discovered there were problems and I miscarried 3 days later. A year later I got pregnant again and delivered a healthy beautiful baby girl. I was very nervous my entire pregnancy, but everything turned out fine. I didn't have any tests done to find out why I miscarried. My OB GYN shared with me that he and his wife had 2 miscarriages in between their children.I wouldn't necassarily assume that because you had 2 miscarriages that something is "wrong with you", but if it was me, I probably would see a specialist to make sure. If it is something as simple as adding a medication while you are pregnant to save you alot of heartache, I would definately do it!
I don't have any answers for you, but I won't to tell you to hang in there and keep looking to Mamsource for support

Take Vitamin B6 Studies show this vitamin can be low in women with recurrent miscarriages. Research also connects B6 to decreasing premenstrual symptoms as well as luteal phase defects. You should also add a fish oil by Nordic Naturals, they make a Prenatal DHA, this is to help reduce internal inflammation as well ( and make for smarter babies!). I agree, watch your nutrition, no caffiene (including coffee, cola's, diet cola's, teas and minimal chocolate) and if you can go gluten and dairy free, both foods tend to increase inflammation in the body. Many women who have higher miscarriages tend to be gluten intolerant (some were even diagnosed with Celiac Disease then go off to have quite a few babies) Eat as much organic produce as you can, for a complete list of the dirty dozen fruit and veggies visit www.ewg.org

Your body changes after each pregnancy as we all can atest too, so we may have to change our diets which will differ from the previous pregnancies.

Best wishes,
J. W. MPH
Lifestyle and Wellness Consultant

Hi,
I had two miscarriages within 6 months, 2years after the birth of my second child. There can be multiple reasons for what is commonly referred to as secondary infertility. Your OB should have checked your progesterone regardless of history of miscarriages I assume. I was told mine were normal-low. My OB did do every blood test under the sun which includes chromosomal tests, lupus, thyroid, hormone, and the list goes on. All in all I think they took 25 tubes of blood from me. They all came back "perfect", so my only issue was the low progesterone. My OB has me taking the suppository progesterone which I have stopped taking because the side affects for me were horrible. I became extremely irritated and depressed, unmotivated and tired and on top of it couldn't sleep at night, while chasing a 2.5 year old around all day, torture. I am now starting natural progesterone this month to see if it helps me carry. I can give you more info on that if you'd like so that you have it, but I know many women have success with the suppositories as well, I couldn't take it personally. But that doesn't mean you won't have a higher tolerance. If this issue hasn't been brought up to you by your ob (low progesterone) have her check those first and foremost. You can also check out the website www.lowprogesteroneinpregnancy.com for loads of info and shared stories about this issue that unfortunately is alot more common than us moms know. I am only 32 and too have had perfect, normal, no problem pregnancies. I think after having normal term babies and then having miscarriages is devastating because it is the least expected thing. I was shocked and amazed that this was happening to me. Luckily there is loads of info out there about progesterone, but it could be something else too, so definitely have the blood work done. If your ob refuses, see someone else. just becasue you had pregnancies before, doesn't mean there isn't an issue now. Good luck, educate yourself, and I am very sorry for your losses. Take care and relax!!

I'm very sorry for your two losses. I had two m/c's before having my first son. When I got pregnant with him the DR noticed my progesterone was low so I had to use a suppository to supplement it. It worked. I got pregnant again with my second son and they put me on it right away. He just turned one.

Just a quick thought, but I would ask about that.