TTC soon, 3 prior miscarriages -- INPUT?

[Jill-O]

We are going to start TTC again in 2mos. I want to loose a little more weight and am concerned to keep using the green tea supplement & Xenadrine once I am pregnant. So, trying to get to where I am happy weightwise, then stick with the low carb but stop the green tea and Xenadrine.

My history is not very good in this department. I had my last miscarriage about a year and 3 mos ago, haven't tried to get pregnant since. In about a 16 month period, I had 3 miscarriages followed by D&C's. Have had the genetic bloodtest work up on both my husband and myself and everything is normal and compatable.

With each pregnancy, it was as if the baby stopped progressing right around the 8wk mark, but the doctor doesn't think there's a condition that caused that.

Personally, in hindsight, I feel I was having some real problems w/ blood sugar and hope this is the reason since now I am sure that is under control. However, worried about scaring from the D&C's, and if that will be a factor in staying pregnant.

In my past, I had a problem with blood sugar (this is 15 years ago), but got it under control w/ diet and exercise, which over the years I slacked off on. When I was at the doctors for what turned out to be my 3rd miscarriage, the nurse came and asked what had I had sweet to eat that morning and I had nothing to eat. My sugar was high and now I feel they were not checking or monitoring close the previous pregnancies as I was doing the same thing then as that time.


Good news is when we try, I get pregnant right away. I just have a very hard time staying pregnant.

I'm now 37yo.


If any of you have some insight, I would be interested to read it. I'm not desperate to have a baby, but we want one, obviously, or we wouldn't have tried and plan to try.

[janetaz]

Hi Jill! I wish I had some information for you.

Why don't you join us on the Trying.....not pregnant thread? Everyone there is so nice and seem to have all kinds of different experiences and information.

[RoxanneRoxanne]

Jill, I'm very sorry about your miscarriages. I wish that I had more information to give you. It sounds like you're doing the right things by getting your weight down to where you're comfortable and stopping the green tea and Xenadrine before you try to conceive again. I would mention your concerns to your doctor and make sure that they monitor you closely with your next pregnancy. I wish you the best!

[averyjenn]

Jill, first I'm so sorry for your losses. I've had 4 myself and I know how devastating they can be. Mine were at 11w, 5w, 11w and 9w - the 3 longer pg all seemed to die about 8-9.5 weeks too.

I don't know much about diabetes and pg. I take Metformin due to PCOS but am not IR. Do you see an RE? If not, I highly recommend one. Have you had all the standard tests done?

Hsg
Endo biopsy
post-coital test
day 3 b/w

In addition to your genetic testing, did they do anti-body testing? Did they do it while you were pg and when you weren't? '
Has dh done an SA? Did he also do the more advanced SCSA?

There's so many reasons out there for m/c. I know some girls who add just a baby aspirin a day and go on to have healthy pg or some who add Metformin and that works. I hope you find out what works for you!

And please do come visit us on Not Pg But Trying board!

[CarolynF]

Hi.

I had 2 miscarriages (one before each of my 2 children) and we started to try when I was 31..so my eggs were getting oldish..(so to speak)..and unfortunately that is a reality that we as women can't help..But, I did have a healthy girl at 32 and a healthy boy at 38..so I guess there were a few good eggs left..LOL..

I would drop anything that might cause problems right now and start taking a good prenatal vitamin with folic acid right now..and you might get a blood glucose monitor to watch your levels..too..

Best of luck...

[Jill-O]

Thanks, folks!

I'm doubtful my doctors did these tests you refer to as I do not even know what they mean. I know they did test the fetal tissue, and did the blood work for genetics on myself and my husband. I believe that is it. I'm unsure if I will continue w/ this group of doctors, or go to a specialist.

I've been taking a prenatal vitamin all along (several years now!)

Jill

[LuckyKitty]

Jill - for all you have been through. I don't have any insight for ya, but I'll add my name to the list of PPs welcoming you to the "Not PG, but trying" thread. If nothing else, we can help support each other as we TTC and get our bodies as healthy as they can be for that time.

[averyjenn]

Jill - I highly recommend finding an RE. Shady Grove is in the DC area and they are FANTASTIC. You really need to get all the standard tests done, genetic testing is great but mine and dh's came back normal too - don't waste any more time with your OB! I'm 36, will be 37 this summer and I know time is still on our side, but not for much longer. I only wished I saw an OB the first 2 years.

[cenicienta]

I had a friend that was in a similar situation as you. She and her husband had no problem getting pregnant, the problem was staying pregnant. In the end, the doctors found that she had a problem with her thyroid. Once she started to receive proper thyroid care, she was able to carry two pregnancies to term. Make sure that your doctors have done all of the correct testing on your thyroid. A TSH test alone is not sufficient. You also need the Free T3, Free T4 and antibody testing. Check out that long running thread called "Thyroid Tests normal...are you sure?" Has a ton of wonderful information on it about thryoid issues.

Good luck!!!

[Becca917]

Has your doctor every monitored your progesterone levels once you got pregnant? I have had one M/C followed now by 2 healthy babies. For my last pregnancy, as I was now a bit older and it had been so long since the first baby was born, I asked my doc to do blood work after I got pregnant to monitor my HCG and Progesterone. They test you a couple of times with a few days in between. What they are looking for is an increase in both HCG and progesterone.

If HCG doesn't increase - there isn't anything they can do about it. That means the baby is not developing into a normal pregnancy. A miscarriage is inevitable.

But, if your progesterone doesn't increase, they can give you a supplement. I took one with the last baby for the first 14 weeks of the pregnancy. At this point, your body will naturally have increased your own progesterone and it can take over. Progesterone is the hormone that controls the monthly cycle. If it is too low, your body thinks it is time for you to menstruate, so it initiates menstruation. For some reason a lot of OBs don't talk to their patients about this, and I don't know why. It is such a simple solution.

I'll try to find an online article explaining it better than I did, and I'll post back.

Good luck to you!

[Becca917]

Here is a link about the test on Web MD. Remember, the test has to be done multiple times to look for the natural increase in progesterone. Each woman's levels will vary greatly, so one test doesn't really tell you much. Hope this helps.

http://www.webmd.com/hw/healthy_women/hw42146.asp

[Jill-O]

Thanks everyone!!!

I have decided to start seeing a new doctor. I have one picked out (based on family references) and will be calling to schedule a pre-conception appointment.

No, the other doctors did not monitor my progesterone. I asked them to after the first miscarriage, and was told that's nearly impossible to measure because it fluctuates all the time and throughout the day (true or not, I don't know, that's just what he told me).

However, at the start of the third pregnancy, he gave me a prescription for progesterone which did no good (3rd miscarriage). He told me that the next time (which I have yet to try for) I should start taking it about 1 week after I think I may have conceived, then come in for a test, and then we'd figure it out from there.


SO... I just want a new doctor and to go in and tell them what's happened so far (let them get my records from the old doctors) and tell them I'm concerned about my sugar being closely monitored, my thyriod checked with a more advanced test (it was checked by other doctors and issues do run in my family), and whatever else might help.


Still have SO MANY issues with this emotionally, but in an indifferent "do I really want this bad enough" kind of way. I get such tunnel vision where I am focused on career and horses pretty much period. For so long, I always felt like I could decide on babies "later" but all of a sudden I got to be in my mid thirties, and pregnant by accident and it changed things.

[Jill-O]

And, probably I will sound nutty, but I do understand some of what has to be going on with me based on what I know about breeding horses and having to keep some mares on Progesterone to maintain a pregnancy. How if you have one that's hard to get in foal, once you get her in foal then you can usually get her back in foal if she slips the foal or after she's completed that pregnancy. I feel like maybe my other doctors just really didn't take me seriously enough. Personality wise, I adored them, but this is "business". I don't care really if I can't stand the new doctor. Not looking for a friend, just to get this straightened out if possible.

[averyjenn]

Hey Jill - no you don't sound nutty! Glad you are getting a new doc - sounds like you needed one. Hope you like them as much as your old OB.

On the progesterone - I've never heard that about the levels during the day - regardless, low progesterone levels aren't good. I've done SO much research on all of this - from what I've read, even taking supplements, it may not all get into your system enough to do it any good anyway but it doesn't hurt. The most effective way to get it into you and have it work is by doing PIO (progesterone in oil) - shots in your butt. The next best way is the suppositories and the last is the oral pill. Personally, if you have progesterone issues, I'd do some sort of supplementing, as I said it can't hurt and may help.

Good luck with your appointment - let us know what happens!

[lbecker28]

I had 2 miscarriages 2 years ago. After I became preegnant again I used natural progesterone (not wild yam, has to be natural progesterone. I found it at vitamin world and used it afrom about 2 days after ovulation throught my pregnancy. I believe the dose was a dime size on fatty area of body 2x per day. I now have 2 very healthy babies. My dr cautioned me to make sure I took every doe. She was a dr of traditional chinese medicine and an MD and I feel like I got better treatment from her than my past MD's. Also she told me to coninue low carb, but not in ketosis during pregnancy. Hope this helps.

[lbecker28]

I see you are in Spotsylvania. I was in Louisa, VA at the time and my Dr. was in Cville.

[Jill-O]

Originally Posted by lbecker28

I see you are in Spotsylvania. I was in Louisa, VA at the time and my Dr. was in Cville.

Would you mind telling me the name of your doctor? jill@whinny4me.com

[lbecker28]

I will have to look for her name. I believe I brought copies of my medical records. I remember her office is near the dmv in cville. I took the 250/Hydrolic exit. I think I should be able to find her info.