Miscarriage Again?

I also had two miscarriages early in the first trimester and thought that I would never be able to keep the pregnancy. The good news is that you are able to get pregnant. I saw a wonderful reproductive endocrinologist through Rush University. Her name is Mary Wood Molo and you can reach her at ###-###-####. I started seeing her in April and by November, I was pregnant again. I am happy to say that I have a beautiful 11 month old son. Good luck. I know how devistating this time can be.

Hello. You are not alone! One of my coworkers has had 4 miscarriages and had given up on having her own children. She and her husband had decided to look into adoption when she got pregnant again. She is now almost 7 mos pregnant! I hope everything works out for you! Good Luck:)

I would suggest the progesterone shots not pills they work better at maintaining pregnancy per fertility clinic I went to.

Hi R.,
I'm sorry you are going through such a difficult time. My heart goes out to you. I gave birth to my only child when I was 30. Two years later I got pregnant and had my first miscarriage ~ at 9 weeks. A year after that, I had another miscarriage ~ at 10 weeks. My husband and I went through numerous tests (at one appointment I gave 18 vials of blood!!) The doctors could never tell me what the "problem" was...I kept thinking if only they could tell me what was wrong, I could fix it and have a baby. We went to a specialist and they were unable to diagnose anything. I was never able to get pregnant again. It is very stressful on a marriage. Not to mention I was nearing 40; the odds were not with me. Only you can decide whether to take a break or not...however, I would at least see a specialist. You never know what expertise they may have. Personally, I found it comforting to know that we did everything possible to give my daughter a sibling. Even though we weren't successful, I have no regrets. I hope you find peace in the decision you make.

Hi R.,

I am truly sorry for all the problems you are going through trying for a successful and safe pregnancy. I too had trouble conceiving and carrying out a preganancy. It took me and my husband 8 years and 2 wks from the day I went off the pill to have my one and only child. I have several miscarriages and no one could tell me why, not even a fertility specialist. We tried for several years after my son was born for a 2nd child and on his 2nd birthday I learned I was pregnant again and miscarried again at 8 wks. I finally had to have a complete/total hysterectamy last summer. I feel blessed and lucky to have him. Just hang in there and dont give up. Really it is all up to the man upstairs. It is all in his hands. He decides what we need. Always remember, God gives us what we need not what we want. When it is your time it will happen and if it doesn't there are other alternatives.

I have a poem that my sister in law gave me, it is called "Is it Time?"

A child sat on Jesus' lap in the splendor of heaven. The child asked, "Is it time?" Jesus parted the clouds looked and said, "No, not yet child." The child asked, "When will it be time?" Jesus replied, "When lessons are learned, hardships endured and loniless lived, then it will be time."

Time passed. The child asked, "Is it time?" Jesus parted the clouds, look and said, "No not yet child." The child asked, "When will it be time?" Jesus replied, "When maturity is reached, self-worth affirmed and spirits strengthened, then it will be time."

Time passed. The child asked, "Is it time?" Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said, "Their love is strong and their hearts are open. Yes, now it is time. Your parents are ready." ~Debbie Speed

I would read this everyday and when I finally did get pregnant and have a successful pregnancy I held my breath for 9 months. We were ready.

If you need to talk feel free to email me.

K. L.

Hi R.,

I am so sorry to hear about your losses. I had 3 miscarriages myself before having a successfully pregnancy. My husband and I both had all the same testing that it sounds like you had. Have you had an HSG? Have they tried you on anything besides progesterone? With myself, it seemed like the only thing "wrong" with me was that my ovulation's were not strong. I say this because I had a short LP (luteal phase) most people's are 14 days. The luteal phase is the period between ovulation and your next period. Mine was only 10 days. I had 24 day cycles versus 28 days which is the norm.

So, if yours is a similar circumstance, giving progesterone AFTER ovulation occurs does not really help. There has to be something there to start the pregnancy off strong from ovulation. It did not help me either. What finally worked for me was a low does of clomid. I also had progesterone supps, and I took a baby aspirin a day to help with circulation. I never had a problem getting pregnant, just staying pregnant until then. On my 2nd cycle of clomid, I got pregnant, stayed pregnant for 35.5 weeks before giving birth to healthy, beautiful twin girls. It wasn't easy though. I went into preterm labor at 26 weeks and did 9 weeks of bedrest, but it was so worth it.

And, are you ready for this??? Almost exactly 3 years later, totally "by accident", without the help of fertility drugs, and not even trying, I gave birth to beautiful twin boys!

I used to head up the Conception After Miscarriage board on iVillage for about 3 years. Please feel free to contact me (____@____.com) if you have more questions. I think I have researched way too much about conceiving after miscarriage and I would be happy to help you any way that I can.

I have not updated it in a while, but you can also check out my website at http://doubletwinz.com.

Good luck to you!

K.

R.,

I am so sorry for your losses. I had three miscarriages between my first and second children. I remember wondering if it would ever work. I'm sorry about the ultrasound. I have been there too.

I would take a break, and go see the specialist. I assume your OB means a reproductive endocrinologist. My RE was able to do more testing and find a small mutation which was fixed by a small pill, after lots of testing.

Progesterone is a standard, I took it as a precaution. I also recommend low-dose aspirin (81 mg/pill), it helps with blood clotting. I also took that as a precaution.

Again, this is devastating, and I know how hard it is. Take the time to talk with your husband, friends, and take the time to mourn.

My prayers are with you.

i am sorry for your losses, especially if it is also hurting your marriage.
i am always leary of steroids, no matter what the docs say, and low dose or not, i would personally look into alternatives for the arthritis.
as far as the miscarriages specifically, i would look very closely at diet, stressors in your life, and other alternative issues that wouldn't be flagged or come up in western medical technology. perhaps you can talk to a naturopath or chinese herbalist? i have known moms who have successive miscarriages due to dietary issues, lack of regular exercise, and heavy metal levels. perhaps your body just needs a general deep cleanse?
best of luck in the near future!

I feel your pain. I too, went through this. I have a 5 year old son, then I had 2 micarriages at 10 weeks. The first one I experienced at home, it was horrible. The second one, I went in and they could not find the heartbeat, I was supposedly 9 weeks along. I then went in for a D & C. Then a couple years later, I got pregnant again. I went in for my first ultrasoound and they could find no heartbeat, I was supposed to be 6 weeks along, they doc. said it did not look good, I was so devestated. I prayed and put it all in God's hands, if He wanted it to be, it would be. I went in the next week, it was Hell waiting a long 7 days! Well, there was a heartbeat, we were soooooo happy, but even the doc. said we were not out of the woods yet. Well, I went on to have a very hard pregnancy, but in the end, we got our miricle, a 7.15 pound baby boy, healthier than ever, even though I had to have a c-sec. Don't give up, and don't let it pull you and your husband apart, let it make your marriage stronger! You will get through this!

Hi R.,

I'm sorry for your losses. I too experienced multiple losses both before and after the birth my 2 1/2 year old daughter (with no apparent cause). I have fibromylgia so I can relate to your problems with pain. It's hard to be in pain and trying for a baby because you can't really take your meds, and sometimes your whole regimen has to be changed so that you can make the best baby possible when you do get pregnant. At 28, I would suggest you go to the specialist as your doctor recommends if you really want to have a biological child. You still have many years ahead of you and if you really want to try to carry a pregnancy full term, then keep on trying. Plus you can always change your mind and consider other options if it gets to be too emotionally and/or physically painful. There's no right answer. There's just the answer that is best for you and your husband. God Bless.

a co-worker of mine had repeated miscarriages and all she needed to do was take aspirin daily. she was able to conceive the next time they tried. they never knew what was causing her miscarriages. talk to your Doctor. I am so sorry for your losses!!!

R.,

I am so sorry! That really stinks. There is nothing else to say other than that. All of the, "Things happen for a reason...take heart...keep trying, it will work out for the best". All said with good intention; however none of them bring peace.

I miscarried two times; first at 15 weeks and second at 14 weeks...had to deliver both. Why? Still have no idea.

Here is what I will tell you. I changed doctors two times (after each miscarriage) and decided to put myself in high-risk at Evanston-Northwestern hospital with Dr. Silver's group. I really believe that they made the difference. They are used to high-risk pregnancies. The medicine I was on during my pregnancies (because I had a bloodclot the first time around) was too high of a dosage. I remember Dr. Silver saying, that dosage would be for a MAC truck! I just think they have a higher level of knowledge on all different kind of issues (I had a lot; 39 years old, thyroid issue, over-weight, had a blodclot during first pregnancy, 2 miscarriages). They maneuvered through all of that and were able to give me an amazing peace and stability throughout the whole process.

I would send you to them 10 times every day this week and 20 times on Sunday. I believe to my core, they looked at my miscarriages in an all-encompassing manner with my health issues included.

It worked - Maggie Lynn is 21 months!

Peace to you and your husband through this. I would give you the advice that you have to sit on the couch or do something, holding hands or kissin' for a little bit of time EVERY day through this.

Good luck!

J.

Hi R.,

I would like to share some referral information with you. It is to Tanya Mchale. ____@____.com She works out of Oak Park and has served people throughout the Chi. metro region. I have know her for 18 years -since before her first of 3 children went through my home based Waldorf preschool program. She has spent her life work associated with caring for the health needs of women with a focus on pre-birth, birth and post-birth. She is a reg. nurse also and has developed more energetic healing modes and has been able to help so many people. If she is over-filled right now, she will help you find others. Also, she has the personal experience of the devastation of 2 (at least) miscarriages between her 1st and 2nd children. Best wishes. N. (I also taught Waldorf inspired special educ. before I had my daughters.)

Without getting to "emotional", let me ask, have you been tested for the anti-phospholipid antibody? I had 6 miscarriages; all first trimester losses- between 6 and 12 weeks- (included in that count was a set of twins- one lost at 6 weeks and the other at 12 weeks). If you haven't been tested for it, INSIST that your ob or rheumatoligist do this asap. That was what caused all my miscarriges. As soon as this was diagnosed, my next conception resulted in the sucessful birth of my son, and 14 months later, my daughter.

Treatment was a daily injection of a blood-thinning agent, (heperin type drug; I was on Lovenox), and a baby asprin, along with progesterin (either pill or injections), for the duration of the pregnancy. Such a simple solution to support the pregnancy, but MOST (98% +) of OB's refuse to do the testing or aren't willing to think of this to be a possible cause, when it's a simple blood test and I know that Quest Labs does the testing for it (the lab I used). This antibody is an auto-immune type of disease, and your rheumatoligist should be familiar with it. That may be the md to convince to do the testing. Even if your health ins. won't cover the test,(most don't, and it is expensive), but you can't put a price on your heartache and the possible prevention of any further. Most OB's are much too ignorant and lack the knowledge to even consider the antibody as a possiblility for your recurrent losses.

My hopes and prayers are with you and your husband. We have been there 6 times, and finally found the strength to try one more time (after the diagnosis), and had two sucessful pregnancies and deliveries. My miricle children are now almost 4 1/2 and 3 1/2. Don't give up just yet, insist on the test. If your md's aren't any help, I can refer you to the specialists I saw in the NW suburbs. My prayers are with you...

Please, don't think that it is always you. In my experience, sometimes the miscarriage is due to the improper development of the fetus and not due to you. Go see the specialist. Maybe he or she can zero in on the exact cause. Sorry for your loss.

I had a child and then preceeded to have three miscarriages. Sometimes these things can happen. Go see a fertility specialist if you can. They found a minor problem with my uterus and fixed it. The fact that you can get pregnant is half the battle. They also told me with my last daughter there was no heartbeat. After already having three miscarriages, and then a son I wanted to get the dnc right away. Good thing we waited, when I went back a week later there was a heartbeat and now my daughter is 4. We took all the tests and came up normal but it took a specialist to find a small problem with my uterus that was causing miscarriages. Good luck and remember that everything takes time!!!!

My friend has Lupus and also had several miscarriges early on and takes progestrone supp and then lovenox injections for (I think antilupus anticouagulant) she has some type of clotting deficit during pregnancy d/t the autoimmune disease. I am not sure if you Drs have tested for this but I thought you could ask them about it. My friend was able to have a baby and carry to term. Hope this helps. I am sorry for you loss. Northwest community hospital (in arlington heights)has a support group for mothers who have misscarried if you are interested I could get you the info. I think they have info on their web site

Hi, R.. I can't say I understand how you feel, but my sister has gone through similar experiences. First, she miscarried. Then she had 2 ectopic pregnancies. The last one busted her tube, and she had to have emergency surgery. Her ectopics were in the same tube, which the doctor said was scarred (the tube was removed during her emergency surgery). Although she says she feels relieved that the last 2 weren't viable, I suspect she's secretly sad about them. She's in counseling now. She has also asked that if she changed her mind and decided to go ahead and have another that I would not only be a surrogate mother, but the egg donor (she doesn't want to go through the whole process of harvesting an egg). I told her as long as her and her husband don't try to hit me up later for child support... But all joking aside, I would carry my sister's baby if that's what she really wanted. I never thought it would include my egg, which means that's my DNA walking around, but I can understand she doesn't want to go through all the shots and everything else to use her own egg. She has found a lot of comfort during her counseling sessions. I would suggest doing the same and just talking to a professional who could help guide you out of depression and help you decide what you want to do as far as your family. Have you ever watched "Sex and the City"? Charlotte also experiences infertility and miscarriages. I know it's fictional, but it's interesting to see how the writers had her picking her life back up. I am so sorry that you and other women have to experience these rough times! It's such a shame that there are women who desperately want a child and can't conceive or are having a hard time carrying the baby til it's viable, and yet there are women having abortions when that child could be so loved by a wonderful family! I hope for the best for you!

M.

I would see a specialist to make sure their isn't a cause for your miscarriages. I had a miscarriage between my two children and was devastated and feared I would never be able to have another child, so I can imagine you are very frustrated. My OB Dr. shared with me that his wife had 3 miscarriges before they went on to have 2 healthy children. She to had an extensive work up and went to a specialist and never found any answers. I would be highly suspect with your RA history that this could be caused by your autoimmune disorder and maybe get the DR can help you adjust meds etc.

I am so sorry for your loss. During a miscarriage a clinician friend suggested I consult a Traditional Chinese doctor who is very well respected in Chicago, by the name of Dr. Guo or Master Guo. (Please email me if you want his contact info) Chinese medicine is WAY different than the western approach, but I think it might appeal to you as it does NOT treat symptoms. TCM balances what is out of balance in the body. After my miscarriage I continued on a regimen of herbs in order to become pregnant and continued until I delivered a healthy baby boy. There are many modalities within TCM and a doctor can prescribe according to your needs. I know people who have been helped with infertility, allergies, post-cancer treatment... almost anything, as your WHOLE health picture is taken into account, not just one symptom (inflammation for example) or one health goal (successful pregnancy). This is very helpful for people who have complaints that have not been explained or treated accurately by Western medicine. I know acupuncture works well for many and has helped me with depression too. Insurance won't cover most treatments, unfortunately, but if you aren't satisfied with the answers or treatments you're getting, it might be worth it. Here's a good link to check out if you're interested, that will give you info on TCM: http://www.amfoundation.org/tcm.htm#INTRODUCTION
I wish you all the best no matter what you choose and believe you have a happy healthy pregnancy in your future.

I am so sorry for your losses; I too have been there. Everyone has given you great advice, but I do have a couple of things to add. First, you should check out Pulling Down the Moon. They are located in Chicago and work with women who struggle with infertility. You can check them out on the web and see if it might be right for you www.pullingdownthemoon.com. They helped me tremendously after I had several miscarriages.
Also, you may want to check out the book "Spirit Babies" by Walter Makichen. It really helped put the miscarriages into perspective for me and gave me a lot of hope and peace. Walter also does readings over the phone. I have been wanting to do this for some time and I expect I will soon.
I hope you can feel happy that at least you have your age going for you. You have lots of time and there are so many inspiring stories and great resources out there.

I had three first trimester miscarriages. The first one was chalked up to fibroid tumors, but I still had two after they were removed. I went to a specialist and had all kinds of testing as did my husband and they found nothing. The last miscarriage was horrible as I bled afterward for three months. They couldn't get it to stop. The specialist offered IVF, but since they didn't know the problem my odds for carrying a full term pregnancy were only slightly higher than carrying on my own. I declined the aggravation and expense. He suggested accupuncture, which I did. I don't really know if it helped. I decided to give up on having a child after about 2 1/2 months of accupuncture. I am older and was tired of the monthly emotional cycle. Two months later I was pregnant again and that pregnancy carried through to term and I now have two beautiful healthy children. I don't know if it was the accupunture and/or the reduction of stress (for my husband and myself). I think if you are not feeling good you need to take care of yourself first. But, you have to do what is right for you. Good luck. I feel for you.

I am so sorry this has been so hard for you.
I can only suggest what helped me:
--Prenatal vitamins, 3 months before we even started trying. Not the junk from the OBGYn, but Metagenics PreNatals. Still taking them and breastfeeding.
--Thyroid, mine is erratic and constantly had to be increased/decreased synthroid.
--Discovered gluten intolerance. This can make it difficult for you even if you're only sensitive (doesn't come up on the standard test). So you could try eliminating wheat/rye/barley to help cleanse your system. This is not easy, but it is a drug-free way to help your body process nutrients easier, as gluten is tough for all of us.

--MASSAGES. You need to help yourself by relaxing your system. Massage aids you in going into a parasympathetic state instead of the stressed state that we tend to live in these days. And well, it can never hurt to get a professional massage once a month. Since you're actively trying to get pregnant, see a massage therapist that is licensed in prenatal/pregnancy massage. The training is pretty intense.

--ACUPUNCTURE--Chinese medicine was developed over 5000 years ago to help women's health. I am not kidding! It's often the focus of acupuncturists. If you go to Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, they have a $40 clinic of monitored interns.

I know I sound sort of hippy, but I'm really not. I just have learned to incorporate western and eastern medicine for my own health.

Good luck. Be strong.

Hi R.,
I am so sorry to hear about your situation. I had a friend have a similar situation....miscarriages with no explanation.

You said you tried everything...but have you considered hypnosis or NLP? I am life coach, trained in both, and I had a session with my friend and infused a little of both of these in the session and she became pregnant soon after.

I know this may seem a little far fetched to some...but, we are both quite sure the session we had changed things for her.

I am not suggesting that this will do it for you...but, you have tried a lot and this is just one other option/approach that could help.

Kindly,
L.

R., I know how you feel. And I'm in special education myself, though not currently teaching. I've had my share of miscarriages. I've waited two years after the last one. There are things a specialist will test for that your OB may not think of. With the RA, there's also the possibility of an auto-immune disorder. In my case, apparently there's a gene that can cause blood clotting and lack of abiity to use folic acid.

Don't lose hope on this pregnancy yet, but don't get your hopes up either. Your OB should be doing blood tests to check your hcg count and that will tell a lot. 6 weeks is also on the early side to detect a heartbeat. If this one is a loss, definitely see a specialist. It can take a month to get in with one, and the one I see doesn't really have evening hours. So, it may be wise to try to get started before school starts. There are lots of visits just with the testing process.

Hugs and prayers going your way!

I went through the same thing many years ago, after the birth of my first child, only my 2 miscarriages were at 12 weeks and 16 weeks. After every type of test they could think of(which didn't show a thing!) they did a lower GI dye test. They discovered I have a septum in my uterus, which means there is a small membrane dividing it in 2, it seems the baby didn't grow on the one side. On my 4th pregnancy attempt my doctor (he was my normal OBGYN but he did high risk etc, too), was determined that I was having this baby and he saw me every week for the first trimester. He monitored everything had me on growth pills which were $500 for a full month. It worked....my daughter was and is healthy and happy. See the specialist they work wonders! Good Luck.

I know someone who was going through the same problem and they found out it was because of the autoimmune response her body was having on the baby (they figured out she might have lupus). They put her on medications (sorry I don't remember what) and she was able to get pregnant. Maybe the same is happening with you because of your arthritis. I would recommend seeing an OB/GYN that specializes in special care pregnancies. Also.......I really don't think you should be on steriods while pregnant, unless your OB/GYN really is watching closely and knows what they are doing. Good Luck to you.

I highly recommend you read Eat Right For Your Type. It's about the connection between blood type and your diet and how this affects you health and even the ability to sustain a pregnancy. I would read and then focus on getting really healthy--inside out--and then try for that baby again! HTH

I'm 31 now and have had 3 miscarriages. Insurance wouldn't cover any test until after 3, so we knew of no cause until recently. I would always see the yolk sac but no heartbeat as well. Basically, I've learned (via a simple blood test) that I have something called "anticardiolypin". My body produces too much protein and actually attacks the new cells when I'm pregnant. Sounds scary, but all it takes is taking one baby aspirin every day. (Frustratingly simple after dealing with three emotionally painful losses!!!!) As soon as we learned this and I started taking asprin, we had a healthy pregnancy. He's now going on 10 months. Miscarriages are so devastating...especially multiple in a row. I'm so sorry for your losses. I will pray for you by name tonight.
Oh, and I highly recommend getting off of any drugs you possibly can. We sought the help of a Maximized Living chiropractor (different than a regular chiropractor). I'm guessing they could help with rhematoid arthritis as well. I can give you some names of good ones in the area, depending on where you live. I'm in Wheaton. Good luck!

We saw Dr. John Rinehart in Evanston. He is a reproductive endocrinologist. He and his partner have a lot of answers to a situation like yours. He is located in Evanston and also has offices in the Western Suburbs. I am so sorry for what you are going through.. I totally know what it feels like. Best of luck to you.

I am so sorry to hear that you are going through all this. It can be a very deep and depressing time for a women but it sounds like you husband has stood right by your side.
You may consider taking a short time off from trying to get pregnant so you and your husband can just be together to talk about what your next step is. Depression can sneak up on you and drive a wedge in your now happy marriage. Don't be afraid to go and talk to a counselor if you really a feel depressed. Ask you Doctor if he can recommend anyone.
You are young and you still have time to try and have a baby in 6 months or a year from now. I did not have my son till I was almost 30 years old. I have a friend who was 45 when she had her last baby so you still have plenty of time.
The Lord may be just putting a book mark in this chapter of your life and will give you a sign when it is time to return to this chapter.
I will say a prayer for you and your husband. You keep praying too the Lord works in mysterious ways.
If you ever want to just e-mail me to vent please do so.

S.

Hi R.:

Please first let me start by saying how extremely sorry I am for what you've had to indure. Its not an easy thing to go through. I have somewhat been down your road. My husband and I tried when our daughter was four to conceive another child. We in fact did, however I lost that baby at 6weeks. We then went thru 5 years of unexplained infertility. We did the invitros, clomid, etc. everything possible to conceive, when we finally decided no more medical introvention, we found out we were pregnant. However, that pregnancy ended at 6 months invirto, my beautiful little girl was stillborn. Again, no reason. After much soul searching, my husband and I tried again and this time I now have a beautiful 3.5 year old daughter. My suggestion to you is to go to the specialist talk openly about your meds, your health, etc. It truly does pay to have a great OB, I actually changed my OB after I lost my daughter, because I felt that he didn't support me or my loss, and i found my new doctor, and couldn't have been any happier. My last (and final) pregnancy wasn't and easy one, however I did make it through it with flying colors. So go to the specialist and talk openly with him, get his thoughts as too what he thinks can be done. As far as your hubby goes... don't close him off, he's hurting just as much as you are. Get him involved, ask him if he wants to go with you to the specialist, talk with him about your fears, feelings, etc. Noing that you both are going through this together can make your relationship stronger. Good luck. Keep us informed as to how things are going.

I too have suffered from several miscarriages (Four before my son was born, and four since he was born), all happening between 5-6 weeks after becoming pregnant. As with you, we always got pregnant right away, but then lost the baby/ies. My doctor said some people just have more difficulty "keeping" a pregnancy than others. What I can assure you is that if you stay in good health and take good care of yourself, you will get pregnant and carry the baby to term. Sometimes I think it's just in God's plan, the way things happen.

I did have one miscarriage like your current one, where they found a sac but no baby or heartbeat. It'll take a couple of months for your body to heal and then you can try again.

Also, I went through terrible depressions, for which my doctor medicated me. My husband even left me for six months because he didn't like the person I became, and men just can't understand what we go through when we're pregnant and unable to see a pregnancy through. I know the feelings of incompetence, incapability, grief, mourning, sadness, etc. All I can offer you is the consolation that it will pass and you need to make your husband understand how much you need him during this difficult time. Don't let your marriage fall apart, no matter what happens, because you'll both need each other during pregnancy, and then through parenthood.

Just know that this is more common than you think, and you can have a healthy pregnancy. I wish you the best.

I'm very sorry to hear about your previous losses!

On the flip side, I wouldn't jump to conclusions of another miscarriage quite yet. Your dates could be slightly off and when the heartbeat can be seen varies. With my son we could see it at 5 weeks 6 days....with my daughter we didn't see it at 6 weeks 4 days but came back and it was there at 7 weeks 3 days.

I hope your next scan goes well!

all in all i have had 3 miscarriages and an ectopic for no apparent reasons. my first miscarriage was at 6 weeks and the others were about 7-8 weeks, but between them and the ectopic i had 2 beautiful daughters, now 3 1/2 and 10 months old, i know this is a hard thing to go through, but it will happen when it does, your body rejects for certain reasons, usually because there is something wrong with the fetus, and there is nothing you can do about it except take care of yourself. just know that when your body is ready you will have a child, and it is the best experience life has to offer. also if you feel the need to take a break, then do it and get yourself on track again, hope this helps

I never had a miscarriage but some women I have known were in your same situation.when they stopped trying so hard and worrying, thats when it happened. Good luck to you!!

hi,
im sorry to hear about your problems. i had a miscarrage also and found out i had endometrosis. i had the surgery, which was easy, and i also have fibromyalgia and may have rh. i have also had to adapt to a wheatfree gf diet and other things. have you concedered acupuncture and chinese medicine. i did that also and it worked. i have 2 boys 1 8 years and 1 3 years. good luck.
M. silver

Oh that's so very sad. I'm so sorry both for your previous losses and for this current state of anxiety. I'm holding out hope that they see the little heartbeat on Tuesday. Poor thing.

I HIGHLY recommend seeing a Nutritionist in addition to whatever specialist they recommend. Bonnie Minski in Northbrook deals with infertility and I'm sure can help the arthritis as well. They are connected in as much as there is imbalance in your body that is causing these problems. Not sure if one is causing the other but since they are both going on, addressing them through diet and nutrition can only help.

I'm not suggesting you have a junk diet. Bonnie was able to look at my bloodwork and see all kinds of things. And even some of the healthy choices I was making were simply not healthy in my body.

http://www.nutritionalconcepts.com/

Good luck!
E.

Hi R.
My heart goes out to you because I know exactly how you feel. I had two m/c's within 6 months and it was the saddest, loneliest time. I never knew I could feel so empty. The hardest part for me was not being able to try again immediately b/c of my husbands job. I think being able to jump back on board would've given me a little more hope for the next month but I guess it was good to give my body a rest. My first mc was at 10.5 weeks no heartbeat, and at 6 weeks, natural miscarriage. Now that he has made up his mind to stay with his current company we decided to try this month with the progesterone and baby aspirin. I am tempted to contact a specialist this time around, my ob is great, but seems to have a relaxed attitude about the whole situation and is convinced I will get pregnant. I have 2 kids, ages 9 and 2, and she beleives it is only low progesterone. I can't take a pregnancy test until July 17th, so I want you to know your post and replies have held me through such an anxious time!! I am praying I am pregnant, but am very pessimistic. I will have a hard time attatching myself to any pregnancy once I get a positive test I know. I guess I just wanted you to know that we're with you and you aren't alone! Miscarriages are so hard to understand and make sense of. The only thing that saves me is knowing that one way or another my body rejected these pregnancies for whatever reason. Trust your body and the universe and they way things happen. Keep on keeping on and don't give up. See a specialist if you feel like you'd be in better hands. I know they shouldn't see a heartbeat until after the 7th week, sometimes but rarely as early as 5.5 or 6 but isn't common, and some don't appear for up to 11!! Don't do a dnc unless you have cramping and bleeding, here's a website you can read to give some more advice as well, I'll be thinking of you and know you are not alone. hugs

http://lowprogesteroneinpregnancy.com/

Hi there,
I had 4 miscarriages (Annabelle, Jacob, Isaac and Francis) before having a healthy and intelligent beautiful girl! She is now going on a year old in August. They found out I was low on progesterone and also needed baby aspirin to thin the blood going to baby. Additionally it was discovered after second miscarriage (Jacob) that I had a septate uterus. Have they done the test where they fill up your uterus to see if it tilts, it if is septate or bicorniate? If all fallopian tubes work correctly?

Best to you....you are young, it will happen! I have a relative w/ rheumatoid arthritis and and she is around your age as well. She has a healthy beautiful smart boy!!

A. and Avi

You are getting a lot of good advise. I'm so sorry this has happened to you. Just want to know that my heart goes out to you and your husband. I know a friend who was told she would never get pregnant - she adopted a child; she tried in-vitro twice, one was successful and had her second child....and, well.....number three and four were normal pregnancies that just were never supposed to happen! Bad things happen for no good reasons. I hope you and your husband keep supporting each other - you really need each other now. All the best!

hi R.,
I would like to offer my advice,as you con't to try to become pregnant. I had a friend who had the same problem. One day her and I decided to pray together and it worked!!! Three babies later she is one happy fulfilled Mom!!! Everything happens for a reason. Bless you R., I'll be praying for you.
J.

Hi R.,

What you're going through is very difficult. Try to stay optomistic though, My SIL in three years was pregnant 5 times and miscarried 3 of those times. One of the pregnancies she lost was triplets, my nephew started as twinds but one "disappeared". My point in this is that we don't understand why this happens but...don't give up hope. The doctors couldn't tell her what the problem was either but she did end up carrying 2 babies to term. Just because you've suffered these losses doesn't mean you will not be able to have a child.

Timing of when progesterone suppliments are started can be very crucial. I have 2 previous miscarriages, between 6-8 weeks where the gestational sac began development but there was no heartbeat. With the first, no progesterone. With the second, progesterone started as soon as I got a positive test.

After seeing a specialist, they recommended progesterone immediately following ovulation, since the early development of the hormone levels are critical for the baby's growing hcG levels. I am now 36 weeks pregnant with my first child and am very optimistic that the specialist has pinpointed my problem.

Although it was a painful journey and I too approached depression, I'm very much looking forward to my delivery later this month. Keep the faith and I hope you have great news soon!!

You may want to ask your OB to check whether you may have blood clotting issues.

Dear R.,

I am so sorry for your losses. I will pray for you and your husband.

I have had one miscarriage, but did alot of research after that. The doctor was afraid that I had had a molar pregancy so I looked into that extensively. What I found was that there are so many things that can play into miscarriages and that many times the doctors don't know how they all link up.

I also had been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome early in my 20s...which of course they figured had nothing to do with my miscarriage. I'm still not so sure. I say this because after my miscarriage, when I was pregnant again with my daughter, my IBS went crazy. I had to go in for a colonscopy after her birth and they could tell me something was wrong but they weren't sure of the cause so they wanted to medicate me.....I'm not big on medication when you don't know what is being medicated (sometimes subduing the symptoms aggravates the cause). Anyway, to make a long story short I went in to see a naturopath. Among much advice that I was given I was also told to eliminate gluten from my diet. Within a week all of my symptoms went away. In doing research on gluten, there have been a few times that I have read that people with Celiac Disease or gluten intolerances have higher rates of multiple miscarriages.

I say all this to suggest looking outside the box of doctor's answers. Sometimes they are just not comprehensive enough, and too reliant on medication rather than natural issues, such as nutrition, etc. Your thought that all these other symptoms you are experiencing could go hand in hand with the miscarriages sounds very reasonable and probable. I would suggest looking into or at least speaking with a naturopath to get their thoughts on your situation. The naturopath office that myself and many people I know go to is located in Chicago. There are two naturopaths (Dr. Holk and Dr. White) and insurance covers most of the services. The phone number (if you are interested) is ###-###-####.

I am truly sorry for your continued struggle and pray that you will have peace and answers in your life.
Take care,
J.

Hi R.,

I have no experience with this, but I wanted to let you know that I will be hoping and praying for you and your family.

I would highly recommend you to see Dr. Charles Miller. He is out of Schaumburg and Naperville. He is very well known and his staff is wonderful!!! I had my first child without any problems. When trying for #2, I had 2 miscarriages prior to having successful IVF. I wish you the best and know what you are going through... :)
http://www.charlesemillermd.org/MeetOurTeam_miller.asp

Hi, I, too, have rheumatoid arthritis and prednisone is safe to take. I had to take it initially while pregnant or getting pregnant with my second. I understand the flare you are suffering with and I understand the pain. I did not miscarry, although my husband thinks we did very early. I do know that your body needs a little time to recover from anything like that and I would suggest a high risk specialist and your meds for a bit till you get the RA under control. We just don't seem to realize the stress that that can have on our bodies too. It is tiring and painful. I don't know what you take for your RA, but even to get you in what they call a controlled environment, would be good. Ask your doctor about Enbrel - I know it has been used for RA successfully and also for reproduction. I have had friends where you are and it is so sad to me - I don't know where you are spiritually, but I believe God and that He is feeling your pain too. I although I don't understand the reasoning of taking a child, there is something great He is preparing you for. Get control of the RA, research what has been going on, see a specialist or high risk doctor, and try again. You sound like an awesome person with a big heart and you will be blessed - I had my second, I believe, by miracle. I have RA, but also another autoimmune disease called myasthenia gravis (muscle issue instead of bone). Most people with this are not steong enough to go through childbirth, but I made it and she is beautiful. I was 40 when I had her (another slash as you get older). Hang in there and feel free to respond with questions about RA drugs - I do my research before I take anything. You are healthy, you aren't doing anything wrong - none of this is your fault. God Bless! D.

Hang in there...I know it is very difficult. I had two miscarriages and went through tons of tests as well. I find it interesting that your doctor said that your rheumatoid arthritis is unrelated to the miscarriages. I remember having a blood panel that looked for autoimmune disorders, so I was under the impression that the autoimmune disorders may be a cause of the miscarriage. Perhaps a specialist will be able to help you with that.

Don't give up hope, and be sure to give yourself time to grieve. I'll keep you in my prayers!

It is TOTALLY related to your RA> you need to get your th1/th2 cytokine ration tested with your ra and get to a reproductive immunologist. You need to be on at least 20 mg of prednisone and you need to do ivig before and after conceiving and you most likey should get on Humira for at least 17 weeks before tryign to get pg. then at first sign of + test get off it. yes you most likely need an aspirin or heparin too. hope this helps. there is a RI dr in Vernon Hills named DR. Kwak kim but she will not prescribe the humira . your body is attacking the pregnancies it is an auto immune disease and not many drs know about it or believe in it. There is a great dr in CA and you can do all the blood work here and jsut send it to him and all your appts are by e-mail and he takes BCBS etc.
get on line there is a yahoo group called somethign like immunologysupport. yahoo groups etc. all about this. YOU are NOT ALONE! this is sooooooooo comoon you just have crappy drs. sorry
good luck and hang in there , there is hope do your research and you will find it.
J.

Hi R., I am sorry for your losses. Having been through multiple miscarriages myself, my heart goes out to you. I also went through seven years of fertility treatments, 4 IVFs and what I thought was pretty comprehensive testing through two highly regarded fertility clinics. I had a very long journey, as many other women have, and only found out with my latest pregnancy that I have homozygous MTHFR and anti phospholipid antibodies. So, even if you are told that everything is being tested, make sure that you are being tested for blood clotting disorders as well.
I also would suggest that you take some time to heal emotionally with your husband. When you are under the stress and the pain of pregnancy loss it really puts your body and spirit through the ringer. Don't lose sight of your marriage, it is really easy to do during fertility issues.
And finally, keep the faith. Many, many, women (including myself) have multiple miscarriges and still carry healthy babies to term. Hang in there, S.

I had a friend who had multiple miscarriages. They found out that she has a rare blood disorder, in which her blood forms small clots and therefore preventing the baby from growing. The solution the doctor gave her was simple: she took one baby aspirin everday during her pregnancies, and now has two children! Ask your doctor about this.....and good luck!