Hello Mamas,
You have been so helpful with information and encouragement in the past, so I thought I would ask another question of you all. First, here is the background information. After two relatively easy pregnancies and the birth of two beautiful daughters, I have had two miscarriages. (one was in December and the other was around Easter.) I know I am very blessed to have my two girls, but my heart longs for the babies I lost. We really want another child, and my doctor is willing to run tests to see if he can determine a cause for these two miscarriage. (The miscarriages were very similar: the baby stopped growing at about 5 weeks but I stayed "pregnant" and the sack kept growing and I did not know that anything was wrong until 10 weeks with the first pregnancy and until an early ultrasound with the second.) So, I am seeking advice and want to hear about the experiences of other moms who have had tests done after they miscarried. Unfortunately, because I waited a few weeks after the baby died before getting a D&C, there wasn't enough mature tissue to do chromosome testing. I am looking at blood tests for me and my husband and the doctor also mentioned a biopsy and a camera test (these are the two tests I know less, actually nothing, about and am uncertain over). Sorry if this e-mail is lengthy. Thanks in advance for your responses.
Rachael
I've had 3 miscarriages and there never was a clear cut answer as to why. Doctors weren't evasive, but they couldn't offer any explanation. I would have tests done to see if there's any other physical reason. Otherwise there doesn't seem to be.
ask your doctor for a karayotype on both you and your husband. This will look at your and hubs chromosomes and make sure either of you don't have any translocations. If you do this increases you chance for chromosomal abnormalities.
Also ask to be tested for MTHFR (Methyl tetra hydro folate reductase) This is a gene alteration in you that MAY cause small blood clots and you would need extra folic acid. Nomally we need 800mcg when pregnant/TTC but w/the MTHFR you'd need around 3mg.
I had 2 MC's after 3 healthy pregnancies. The first at 17 wks and the second at 9. I was referred to Dr.Brian Mason, a high risk maternal fetal med dr, and he did some extensive testing on me and found the MTHFR. I now have to give myself heparin injections twice a day, as I'm 17 weeks pregnant again. Buts not bad and will be more than worth it in the end.
Good luck and I pray you will get some answers.
R. I have to give you alittle info. about me. I have 4 beautiful children and I have had 8 pregnancies. I recently misccaried like you the weekend before Easter. My first misccariage I was 8 weeks along and misscarried at 10 weeks following a dnc. The second one I was 6 weeks along and misscarried at 8 weeks with a dnc. The third one I was 6 weeks along got into a car accident and misscarried naturally a 2 weeks later. The car accident was minor but the scary stress is what did it in. This last miscarriage I was suppose to be 9 weeks and the babys growth was 6 weeks. My pattern in miscarry and have a natural healthy birth. My first child is the only pregnancy I had right when I got pregnant and didn't loose one prior to having her. I am blessed with 4 but miss the other 4 and we are right now waiting for the dr to give us the ok. He wants me to wait three months but plan on try after may5th when I see him. This last miscarriage I did naturally too no dnc. I have a piece of placenta left so there monitoring it through blood to see if its disappearing I don't have pregnancy symptoms all the time but they come and go. They need me to have period before trying again and recommend 3 periods. I have Lupus of the skin. Lupus is an auto amunine desease. Even though its not major or in any other organ the skin and I just basically need to watch myself in the sun. My auto amunie dificiency is one thing that has my body not allow these babies to grow. I am high risk because of the Lupus. My babies have to be monitored for heart blocks in there growth. So I know its hard and I am sorry that I can't help with your ? about the tests and this is so lengthy. But use your gut and you decide. You know you and your medical history. So maybe its pattern you lost two maybe the third will work. If not than maybe go ahead and have all those test done. Or think about it. As long as the test aren't painful and they will give you answers maybe you should do it just to see what is going on that way you mentally don't have to deal with another loss and you can move forward and make sure the next pregnancy stays. The tests are minor and won't hurt mentally. But a life is precious and is hard to loose. I don't mean to be mean or to tell you what to do but I like to treasure whats worth it and let things go thats not. Don't stress over spilt milk!!! Good luck and I hope I helped and I am sorry for being so long but your not alone.
R.~ I am sorry to hear about your losses. I too have had two miscarriages. I was not able to have the chromosome testing either because the same things happened and things stopped growing long before I had a D&C. My Dr. told me that it really didn't matter because each m/c can have a different reason and if one was because of a chromosomal defect it didn't mean the other was. She did do a bunch of blood tests one was for blood clotting disorders. They are more common then people think yet one of the last common things Dr.'s test for. I found I have 2 blood disorders and I have to take a baby aspirin, 5mg of Folic Acid and I have to give myself a blood thinner injection daily wile pregnant. I am current 25 weeks pregnant and things are going really well. The Dr. is doing ultrasounds every 4 weeks to make sure the baby is growing properly and that the placenta isn't deteriorating. I hope this helps. Another resource I found very helpful was www.misdiagnosedmiscarriage.com There are so many women out there who've had a m/c that can help.
I had the same thing happen to me where it just stopped growing but was caught in time, and I let them run tests on the tissue. Mine stopped growing because of a birth defect, and was told this is normal for some to stop growing when there is a birth defect, and others to continue on. I had two miscarriages before having my youngest which is now 8. Hope this helps.
M.
Your situation is just like mine. I had a baby, then I had two miscarriages. The first one at 9 weeks and the second I had to have a D&C to remove the baby because I was about 12 weeks. My heart was broken. I cried all the time for both babies. The following month I found out I was pregnant with twins! I was so excited, but after having many ultrasounds, one stopped thriving. I did give birth to a second daughter! She is wonderful. And to tell you the truth, having a baby was the only thing that eased my pain of the miscarriages. After about a year we decided to try again. I got pregnant right away and lost that baby! Again I was devasted! Luckly it did not take me long to get pregnant again and I had a beautiful son! Again, having him was the only thing that eased my pain of losing the baby before him. I was happy with my three kids and just before my son's frist baby, I was pregnant again! I was terrified I would lose that baby....I did not! And now I have two daughters and two sons! They sent one of my miscarriages to the lab and it was just genetic malformations. That is the most common reason that the baby does not thrive. Do not give up! You can have another healthy baby and in my opinion that is the only way you will truly get over the pain and feelings of being robbed of those little lives! Good luck to you!
R. I am sorry for your losses. I have had 5 pregnancies I have suffered from 3 miscarriages. (3 due dates in 2000, 11/2000 delivered a healthy boy!) I had a very hard time with the miscarriages. Even though we would love all our babies. The first miscarriage, I had an emergency D & C, the others also near the end of first trimester. My Dr. said nothing about genetic testing. i, however, went through a lot of testing. including blood labs for husband and me, I was sent to a fabulous fertility specialist in downtown Birmingham. He was wonderful! He was incredibly sensitive and caring. I technically was under his care til near the end of the first trimester then transferred back. I cannot remember his name other than it was hyphenated.
Hey R.,
I'm so sorry for your losses. I have been there several times and three out of the four times this has happened to me were because of the same reason. Don't get discouraged! Mother nature has a way of taking care of you, without you really knowing it. I never had any tests done, but I'd ask your doctor about all you can do. She should have alot of advice for you! Keep trying, and above all... DO NOT STRESS OUT! It took me a very long time to stay Pregnant and I thing it was because of all of the pressure I was heaping on myself. When I finally said forget it, it's not going to happen... it did and I have a beautiful 2 yr old little boy.
Good Luck and stay positive! (try and have a little fun while trying too!)
L. B.
Have your dr. check your thyroid.
R.,
I have had the miscarriage testing done. After three of my miscarriages, they were able to test the babies, and there was nothing wrong.
My doctor told me that the testing usually gives an answer 50% of the time, and we are the 50% that still doesn't have an answer after miscarrying.
I had a uterine x-ray, which was not bad, and my husband and I both had blood drawn for chromosonal testing. The testing itself isn't bad, and if we had gotten an answer, I'd be elated. I am thankful, though, that there is nothing major wrong, and we are still thinking of trying again,
