Multiple Miscarriages -- Now What?

[Anonymous]

I am 35 years old and have a 3 year old son. I just found out that my second pregnancy this year is not viable. At what should have been 9 weeks, US showed a 6-week gestational and yolk sac with no embryo. Earlier in the year I naturally miscarried at 6.5 weeks for unknown causes. The first miscarriage I just chalked up to "these things happen". With a second in such a short time, I am not as sure. I know that you are not typically considered high-risk until 3 miscarriages, but frankly, I don't want to leave that up to chance. I am waiting to speak to my OB about this and to discuss any course of treatment or action. For those of you who have had this experience, how have you dealt with it? Should I consider progesterone supplements or baby aspirin? Is there any genetic testing that I should have? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

When we had 2 miscarriages, my RE tested us for genetic issues (which he didn't find) and for AP syndrome, which is treated with baby asprin. He didn't find indications of AP, but did find something else that was borderline, which he decided was enough to justify putting me on baby asprin for the first 10 weeks of my pregnancy. He also put me on progesterone. Ultimately, there was nothing that was a major indicator that we had anything other than horrible, horrible luck. With the combination of the two, I am currently pregnant at 15.5 weeks and everything looks great.

If you are going to begin genetic testing, I would definitely see an RE who deals with these issues on a daily basis instead of a regular OB. You want an expert on this.

[Anonymous]

Sorry about the miscarriages. That sucks.

Agree w/PP about going to see an RE and genetic counselor. You & DH could get karyotyped to rule out major genetic problem. I had 8 m/c's interspersed w/my 3 kids. In our case, the m/cs were just random genetic problems. Good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Definitely don't wait until this potentially happens again. I haven't been in your shoes (have been through years of ttc, which is different misery) but can't imagine going through 1, much less 2 miscarriages. It must be devastating and not having you tested after 2 just seems cruel. I would also ask about an endomeirtail biopsy. My re did this as standard protocol on ivf patients to check for infection and other things that according to them normally go undetected until after a few miscarriages, b/c docs don't routinely test. From my understanding, most of what that biopsy looks for can be cleared up by antibiotics if they see anything.

Others will know much much more than I do about this, but thats a quick, simple (although painful) thing they can do. There are also studies about this that post biopsy implantation rates are improved by up to 12% in ivf, so I don't see why it wouldn't help in non-assisted pregnancy either!

[Anonymous]

I had 3, in the last year and a half, one of which was at 9 weeks and there were little arms.

Honestly, it is fairly normal, though still not comforting. I went ahead and made an appt with an RE that had a 3 mos wait, but in the meantime got pregnant and am now entering my 2nd trimester with a viable baby.