Questions about multiple early miscarriages (very sensitive subject)

[StaceyinLA]

I know this is a very sensitive and emotional subject, but I would really appreciate any input. I have had multiple early losses (ectopics), so I’m all too familiar with the pain of early loss.

 

I’m mostly asking about people who had not had a pregnancy/birth PRIOR to having early losses.

 

If you have had multiple early miscarriages/blighted ovums, did you go on to have a successful pregnancy without being diagnosed with any issues?

 

If you were diagnosed with something, and you don’t mind sharing, what was it? Were you able to have a successful pregnancy after diagnosis? If so, did you have any treatments, or did you have to do something specific during the pregnancy?

 

If you are able to share, I’d really appreciate it.

[Tap]

My friend had a 1st trimester mc with her 1st. She just delivered her 2nd baby a couple days ago. They dont know what happened but so far it hasnt repeated itself.

[Guinevere]

I had 2 before I had any children, and then had 6 healthy, full term pregnancies in a row.

[Guest]

They should investigate issues like Factor V Leiden and checking for antiphospholipid antibodies, antinuclear antibodies, and syndromes/diseases like lupus, either type of diabetes, and thyroid imbalances.

 

Was any tissue retained and tested?

 

And yes, I had a miscarriage, some kids, more miscarriages, and more kids. Even multiple early miscarriages doesn't mean you will never make it to full term, but it absolutely bears investigating :). Some of the culprits in early losses are treatable.

 

We still haven't identified what my autoimmune issue is, but it's at the root of multiple health problems, including what happened with the last baby. Oh well.

Edited September 24, 2017 by Arctic Mama

[ktgrok]

I haven't experienced this, but in the research I did into advanced maternal age I came across studies showing that DHEA supplementation was shown to help prevent miscarriage by preventing chromosomal abnormalities. If this person is advanced maternal age it is something to look into. 

 

Otherwise I'd be looking at clotting issues for sure. 

[LarlaB]

My first pregnancy resulted in miscarriage...then a healthy pregnancy....then 18 months trying to get pregnant...then miscarriage...then healthy pregnancy.

 

I had not yet been diagnosed with Celiac...perhaps that was the cause.

[retiredHSmom]

My sister had an ectopic pregnancy for her very first pregnancy.

 

Then she had a baby boy born at 22 weeks gestation who died.

 

At that point they diagnosed her with a clotting disorder (16 years ago)

 

Then she had a full term health pregnancy (Son #1) after giving herself blood thinner injections each day

 

Got pregnant again and went into preterm labor (water broke) at 25 weeks and had a baby boy (son #2) who is 100% healthy and normal today and is 13 years old (no blood thinner, they decided that wasn't the right dignosis)

 

Got pregnant again and started dilating at 10 weeks, got a circlage and went on full hospitalized bed rest at 12 weeks.  Left hospital at 36 weeks and had son #3 at 38 weeks.

 

Got pregnant again and had a circlage at 12 weeks and ended up on full, hospitalized bed rest at 16 weeks.  Son #4 was born at 27 weeks 5 days and is a totally healthy. normal 7 year old today.

 

 

 

[Melissa in Australia]

I knew someone who's sister had 5 miscarriages and 2 live births. She told me her sister could not carry a girl? And all girl pregnancies were lost.

[Lecka]

Two close relatives have bicornate uterus.

 

My grandmother only had two kids later in life, and we wonder if she may have taken an infertility medication that can cause descendants to have a uterus malformation.

 

Edit: if it isn't from the medication (which is just speculation) then it is probably just some genetic thing.

 

One of these relatives also had severe endemitriosis.

Edited September 24, 2017 by Lecka

[scholastica]

Multiple early losses can also be a lack of progesterone. I have to have supplemental progesterone the whole first trimester.

[Kerileanne99]

They should investigate issues like Factor V Leiden and checking for antiphospholipid antibodies, antinuclear antibodies, and syndromes/diseases like lupus, either type of diabetes, and thyroid imbalances.

 

Was any tissue retained and tested?

 

And yes, I had a miscarriage, some kids, more miscarriages, and more kids. Even multiple early miscarriages doesn't mean you will never make it to full term, but it absolutely bears investigating :). Some of the culprits in early losses are treatable.

 

We still haven't identified what my autoimmune issue is, but it's at the root of multiple health problems, including what happened with the last baby. Oh well.

We had multiple miscarriages, 5 in all that we are sure of. One 16 and one later. After quite a bit of investigation, we learned we both carried the Factor V Leiden gene. Gone on to have two beautiful babies:)

But 5 years in between them, with miscarriages in between.

Hope everything works out. That roller coaster of emotions and loss is painful/(

[Guest]

I did not have a miscarriage until after I had had two successful pregnancies and births and one full-term stillbirth. Then a miscarriage. This was when more testing was completed and I do have a blood clotting disorder (Protein S deficiency). This affected my subsequent (successful) pregnancy and birth; I was on injectable blood thinners for the entire pregnancy and the birth date was (supposed to be) planned. (Ultimately, it wasn't entirely planned because I had perilously low levels of amniotic fluid and had to be induced, but not until they let the thinner wear off).

 

Best wishes to person experiencing losses. That is so hard.

[Kathy in Richmond]

My mother had several miscarriages before successfully carrying me and my brother.  I suspect she has Celiac disease, as it runs in our family. As a previous poster mentioned, that may have had something to do with it.

[J-rap]

Not me, but I've known several people who had several miscarriages before carrying a full-term baby, and then more babies after that too.  One of them just delivered her first baby a week ago after three miscarriages!  I don't know anything about it other than that.

 

My SIL had several miscarriages before carrying a baby full-term.  She did find out that she had some chromosomal condition that made her prone to miscarriages, but I really don't remember much about it, whether she needed to do anything about it or not.  She has three very healthy boys now.

[JoJosMom]

I would recommend that the person see a reproductive endocrinologist.  Miscarriages are NOT normal.  I had multiple losses before having DD.  My issues were caused by an autoimmune reaction to pregnancy.  I was able to deliver DD after treatment, but my pregnancy was a nightmare and childbirth was worse.  My body fought treatment pretty badly, however, and my experience was definitely the exception rather than the rule.

[gardenmom5]

a friend's daughter was diagnosed with some sort of clotting disorder.   after treatment, she was able to carry three pregnancies.

 

I've skimmed mthf mutation can cause recurrent early miscarriages.  it can be treated (I think that's what my friend's daughter probably had, as the treatments are similar), with successful subsequent pregnancies.

[3 ladybugs]

My grandmother married my grandfather because she was pregnant and she ended up having a still birth (late term) she went on to have 3 planned pregnancies and an oops (my mom). 

 

My cousin (mother side, my mom's sister's daughter) had a premature delivery (Very early birth) who ended up dying, then went on to have 2 more children (both alive and well... might add shortly after she lost her child, her husband had a massive stroke - at 22 years old - that he still is suffering the effects of and she was still able to have 2 more children). 

 

I had to have help just to get pregnant. I had triplets at 24 weeks 0 days and they all died over 5 months 5 days, I then had a miscarriage at 9 weeks (conceived in IVF so very monitored), and had a healthy child, then I had a chemical pregnancy (one that showed up in the blood but never in ultrasound) and another successful pregnancy. All of my pregnancies occurred with help and were all HEAVILY monitored (especially after the triplets). 

 

My point is bad things happen to good people. If you feel like you have a problem then go to the most advanced doctor you can. If you can't afford an Reproductive Endocrinologist, then go to an OB/GYN. I personally told my DH before we even got married that I thought we would have issues getting pregnant. I was right. So trust your gut. However know that progesterone can only fix some issues. It doesn't help with ectopic pregnancies. If you have structural issues that need to be addressed (endometriousis or adhesions, or any number of other issues) an OB/GYN can detect those. That isn't to say that you will not EVER have to go to a RE but it is possible you might not need to. And a friendly word of advice, if you think you are polycystic, don't take Clomid, Femara or Tamoxiphin. Been there, done that, worst mistake ever! 

 

Oh and I disagree with the PP that said miscarriages are not normal. They are normal especially if they are early. Later miscarriages (over about 10 weeks) are not normal, generally speaking. We now have the technology to find out we are pregnant earlier then people have in the past (like my grandmother), so we now know sooner, while in the past people would just think that their periods were "off". Miscarriages before about 10 weeks are chromosomal generally speaking (assuming your hormones are normal). That is what happened to my miscarriage at 9 weeks. My daughter had Turners Syndrome. There was nothing I could do to save her. Her chromosomes were incompatible with life (I had her tested because I was terrified that I would never have a normal pregnancy). 

 

Good luck!