Information on Miscarriage
 

Okay, so I have never started a thread here, but have lurked for quite some time, and rarely commented. At age 24, I have had two miscarriages. I have convinced the doctor to run some tests, but want to do further research on the issue. Has anyone else out here read any books that they found especially beneficial? I am searching for fact/statistic based books or websites, not ooey-gooey stories of the emotional turmoil of others, although if you have your own story that you are not looking to market, I would love to “hear” about it.

Miscarriage is highly common. My mother had several and I've had 1 and an ectopic pregnancy which of course was terminated. Many if not most women will have very early term miscarriages during their lives also.

What sort of information were you looking for exactly?

Miscarriage can be caused by so many different conditions, you're not going to find very much that's specific until you've narrowed down the cause somewhat. What tests has your doctor ordered? These can run the gamut from various hormone levels, to inspection of the uterus/fallopian tubes/ovaries, to testing your partner's sperm... how far did the pregnancies progress before the miscarriage?

I will say this, if your doctor has to be convinced to take your conception seriously, you should look for a new doctor.

That's good advice Clod.

The first one was lost hours after the first dr. appt at 6 weeks where I was told the bleeding and cramping was normal. Afterward the dr. stated that pregnancy is like starting a car, sometimes you have to turn the key a few times. We did not go back to him, needless to say.

The second one we found out had died at nine weeks, but wasn't found out until we went to hear the heartbeat.

Because it was "only" my second miscarriage, many doctors won't pursue anything at all. Later this week I go to have my blood drawn to test for clotting disorders. Because of my age, I don't really feel that both could be attributed to the genetic mismatch that every ob will blame for any miscarriage that the patient allows them to. In looking at the short selection of books out there, most are personal stories. I am not looking to diagnose myself through books, I know that only a doctor can really make sense of everything, and tests help a lot in that area. I do want to know about what some different factors are that could be contributing to my losses. I would like to have an informed discussion with my dr. and not sit there like a…well, an uninformed patient.

I have no real information other than that there are heaps of possible causes, and your two miscarriages may have been caused by different things. One thing from (borrowed) personal expereince is that the shape of the uterus is important (and can be corrected surgically if need be).

What I really wanted to say is (a) your attitude to being an informed patient is absolutely the way to go and (b) :comfort: and good luck.

The biggest problem to being an informed patient is that there is a huge lack of information out there. If you do find a book at the bookstore or local library, it will only be about one aspect that may cause 15% of the less than 50% not caused by chromosomal issues. I am really searching for something that shows the broader possible causes, and what steps are taken to identity that this may be the problem. I want to know what to ask my dr. to look for with me, and have yet to find a comprehensive and informative source.

I appreciate all the responses so far, the Cellar is full of caring and compassionate people and so when I exhausted my local resources, I knew I could turn here for other perspectives.

Aside from the miscarriages, are you having trouble getting pregnant in the first place, or are the conceptions happening with relative ease?

Conception is not a problem, it happened sooner than we were expecting both times.

Are you a smoker?

No smoking, no drinking, took folic acid and a multi-vitamin for a year before trying to conceive. Are there any other environmental causes that are not so well known and discussed that anybody is aware of?

Stress? I had three miscarriages before I finally was able to carry my daughter to full term. Turns out the reason was because I have a heart murmur, and high stress, both physical and emotional, freaked my body out so badly that it terminated the pregnancies to prevent FURTHER physical stress... it's the whole self-preservation thing the human body does. I don't know if that helps or not... best of luck to you though!

If you don't mind my asking, how did the doctor diagonose the heart murmur and link it to the miscarriages?

If it's something physiological that's causing it, or you suspect that it is, then you really need to go through reams of tests including ultra sounds, blood tests, urine, general health check etc.

Sometimes miscarriage is caused by the placenta attaching too close to the cervix. An exam after a miscarriage should reveal if this is the case. Your doctor will also be able to tell where the placenta is located in the uterus via ultra sound prior to miscarriage. Sometimes the placenta simply 'abrupts' - starts bleeding - which is to say that it is faulty in some way and your body will reject the fetus because it can't sustain it.

Bleeding during early pregnancy is extremely common. Moreso than I even realized when I recently had this issue myself. It is not always an indication that you're going to lose your baby, and it's very important to try and stay relaxed so that your body doesn't respond to the stress and really think something's wrong.

Ultimately, you really need to find yourself a health care professional who you can talk to. My suggestion would be a good midwife. I've found them to be much more informative than doctors.

It is important to remember that sometimes all the tests in the world wont be able to determine the causes of your miscarriages. Sometimes your body is just not quite ready and although that sounds harsh, it really is the truth.

Then many of the tests aren't going to be able to tell you anything. Your body is functioning normally, it's just at the moment of pregnancy that things seem to go wrong. If nothing else, you'll probably get pregnant again before anyone can give you an answer anyway.