The Mysteries of Miscarriage

Posted By: kshortSD @ 07/10/2008 11:59:08 AM

Comment: Thanks for publishing this article. I recently suffered a miscarriage during my first pregnancy and was surprised and devastated. I'm very healthy, and literally followed the book on what to do and what to avoid when pregnant, and miscarried at 10 weeks. I'm so relieved that I hadn't told many people, opting to wait until 12 weeks, but was shocked to hear from my closest friends that almost all of them had miscarried, and knew other women who had as well. I guess I just wish I had known how common it really is, even if you're healthy and diligent. I wouldn't have gotten so excited during the first trimester. It is really devastating. Women need to be aware so it's not such a horrible shock.

Posted By: alexizmalelo @ 05/02/2008 3:27:06 AM

Comment: Miscarriage can be heartbreaking for many expectant couples. This brings anxiety and fear for having another miscarriage and can be consuming, even edging out the excitement about being pregnant.
As what was mentioned, most cases of miscarriages cannot be prevented because it is the result of a random genetic or chromosomal change that occurs during conception or during early fetal development. But there are others that may have been prevented if only other factors such as smoking, drinking, and a even drinking coffee and cleaning cat litter might have been avoided It is good now that there are new researches that empowers prospective mothers to take care of their bodies in preparation to pregnancy and to avoid miscarriages
Alexiz Malelo
Medical Researcher
www.medicalhealthguide.com

Posted By: mykkig @ 04/24/2008 5:22:18 PM

Comment: I've jsut had my eighth miscarriage. I've had all of the workups done before and I was found to have chronic low progesterone (even clomid didnt' bump it any higher than 6 points!) My OB did not listen to me when I told him I needed progesterone supplementation once I found out about this most recent pregnancy. Had he listened and prescribed it, I may not have lost this pregnancy. I'm lost and so very tired of this all...

Posted By: washte @ 04/24/2008 9:37:15 AM

Comment: Misscarriage is soul-destroying but I had to learn that when it was time, it would be time. My (now ex) husband got to the point he did not want me to tell him if I fell pregnant after the 4 in 2 years. I had two more in the next year, including a set of twins 4 weeks apart. We had genetic testing and consultations with doctors who took one look at me and said it was my weight. Lose weight if you want a baby. I was 5"9' and 260. Fat yes but I've seen much bigger women with babies, so why not me? We were not offered help of any kind but told it was my fault.

My next pregnancy I had hormone shots, aspirin, and weekly scans until she was 4 months. Bi-weekly scans for the next 2 months then a scan the next month. My daughter was finally born via urgent C-section at 36 1/2 weeks weighing 7# 14oz.

The next pregnancy, just a few months later found me again on hormones and life sustaining assistance, weekly scans and bed rest for the first 4 months as I was having difficulty with this one. My son was born via C-section at 37 weeks weighing 9# 6oz.

Please do not give up. My husband did and I nearly had. Though I am now a single mom I would not give up my children for anything. I was blessed in the end.

Courage and strength to all ladies, and their families, experiencing this.

Posted By: lovo del norte @ 04/02/2008 5:01:21 PM

Comment: we have been trying to get pregnant for at least 6 years, it is so sad that we have gone through at least 4 different doctors, they just don't give us a real answer, they don't tell us what the procedures will be what will follow after the first try. at last we have found one that we are more confident with and we have become pregnant once but my wife miscarried just at about 5 weeks and the doctor says we have to try at least two more times before he can refer us to a genetist. I agree with all those women who have had a miscarriage, it is really sad. and we as husbands sometimes just know know what to do to comfort our wifes, at least it is my case. thanks

Posted By: deb35 @ 04/02/2008 12:49:47 AM

Comment: I am a firm believer that any woman who has taken the pill, especially for longer than a year, and miscarries should have their progesterone checked. I have a theory that the pill minimizes the female body's ability to produce the hormone, thus leading to failed pregnancies. This is not scientific, by the way, but all of the women that I have known who have had repeated miscarriages, including myself, were on the pill for over a year and went on to have several successful pregnancies with progesterone monitoring.

Posted By: olalekana @ 04/01/2008 2:43:53 AM

Comment: i have a friend that did ivf and still had miscarriage at 6mouth above. it was very sad, cos that would have be her first child. it was a twin and she been trying for almost five years now. i dont know what went wrong. but i will keep encouraging her. manythanks

Posted By: RochesterJenny @ 03/12/2008 11:10:47 PM

Comment: Sadly, I've had many friends who've miscarried -- in both their 20s and 30s. Still, I was surprised to read how common miscarriage is. (42% at age 40? That's so much higher than I expected.) I saw that MayoClinic.com's new pregnancy blog (www.mayoclinic.com/health/miscarriage/PR00164) discusses miscarriage today. (I'm a freelance writer for Mayo Clinic, so I'm a frequent traveler to their site and blogs.) The focus is on the emotional side of miscarriage. I recommend it.

Posted By: babyangel @ 02/15/2008 9:08:59 PM

Comment: Comment: Thank you. I had a miscarriage in November at 21weeks, he would have been my first child, I am upset about it because I am a only 24 years of age and in good health. I did not think that could happen to me. I needed to read this for my soul and I will try to conceive again.... THANK YOU MUCH

Posted By: babyangel @ 02/15/2008 9:03:06 PM

Comment: Comment: Thank you. I had a miscarriage in Noveber at 21 weeks and that would have been my first child. I am very upset about it, because I am only 24 years of age and in good shape. I did not think it could happen to me. I needed to read this for my soul. I will try again to conceive!!! and again THANK YOU!

Posted By: TMB1012212 @ 02/12/2008 10:14:39 PM

Comment: Thank you. I had a miscarriage in October and one just today. I am frustated and feel less like a 26 year old women right now. I have two daughters 3 and 4. So there is no question that I can conceive. However , I cannot, yet carry another baby to term. Your article made me smile. It is noce to have someone to relate to.

Posted By: COinCO @ 01/30/2008 12:56:21 PM

Comment: Thank you for dedicating time and space to the reality of miscarriage. While the statistics on the frequency of miscarriage are astounding, there is so much promise from technology to discover more of the underlying causes and then develop tests to identify potential risks proactively - before a woman has even one miscarriage.

I was especially interested to see the paragraph about clotting disorders. I am astounded at how many women I know personally who have been diagnosed with these issues, but only after the loss of their child. My hope is for the screening tests that are used to diagnose these disorders to become a standard test for all women before they start trying to conceive.

The final quote in this article could have been less chilly. As an attempt to set expectations for women that miscarriage is quite common, it serves. But, I am frustrated by the tone of the article being one of playing the odds, and focusing solely on the process and desired outcomes. You do a disservice to those who will read this article with an eye for answers about their own losses, while exluding the realities and complexities of the lasting emotional toll that miscarriage takes on a couple. Would love to read a future article on the statistics and medical perspectives of that subject!

Respectfully submitted,
Corinne O'Flynn
Executive Director
www.RowanTreeFoundation.org

Posted By: COinCO @ 01/30/2008 12:55:53 PM

Comment: Thank you for dedicating time and space to the reality of miscarriage. While the statistics on the frequency of miscarriage are astounding, there is so much promise from technology to discover more of the underlying causes and then develop tests to identify potential risks pro-actively - before a woman has even one miscarriage.

I was especially interested to see the paragraph about clotting disorders. I am astounded at how many women I know personally who have been diagnosed with these issues, but only after the loss of their child. My hope is for the screening tests that are used to diagnose these disorders to become a standard test for all women before they start trying to conceive.

The final quote in this article could have been less chilly. As an attempt to set expectations for women that miscarriage is quite common, it serves. But, I am frustrated by the tone of the article being one of playing the odds, and focusing solely on the process and desired outcomes. You do a disservice to those who will read this article with an eye for answers about their own losses, while exluding the realities and complexities of the lasting emotional toll that miscarriage takes on a couple. Would love to read a future article on the statistics and medical perspectives of that subject!

Respectfully submitted,
Corinne O'Flynn
Executive Director
www.RowanTreeFoundation.org

Posted By: tdn0024 @ 01/28/2008 1:13:44 PM

Comment: This is great news...maybe we can end political poloarization around abortion through technology.

Here's how:

What say the concerned pro Choicers and pro Lifers stand together for federal funding for "Simple Early Fetus Womb Transfer Technology."

Several massive benefits:

1) For mothers who want kids, but don't want the risk of miscarriage as per this article, early transfer to a cozy-synthetic outside womb might be very appealing as/when the technology could deliver a higher % of healthy babies than womb birth.

2) The potential to choose to opt out of womb birth would be very appealing to many women on a personal physical management basis: pregnancy, painful birthing, and post pregnancy is a process many aspiring moms would love to avoid.

3) For women who don't desire a pregnancy, if such technology is roughly similar in invasiveness to abortion, then the option of placing the future child for adoption would remove the moral uncertainty that abortion involves.

4) For proLifers, technology would give away to nurture to the maximum the number of fetuses, while far better respecting a woman's natural dominion over her own body.

5) For the rest of us, we could move on to political discussions that do not divide the nation on this issue, and give us a chance to break down needlessly entrenched cultural walls.

Posted By: Darci Klein @ 01/28/2008 11:05:49 AM

Comment: I applaud your thoughtful article about the many causes of loss. It important for families to know that obstetric guidelines discourage any testing to find a cause of miscarriage until multiple losses have occurred. The guidelines are thought justifies because half of all losses are caused by chromosome abnormalities- random, untreatable genetic errors. But what about the OTHER half? As you report, the likelihood of these errors goes down the longer a pregnnacy continues. For losses before 6 weeks, 70% are caused by chromosomes- but for losses after 10 weeks, only 5% are due to these random errors. Most of these women suffer from an undiagnosed disorder, and without proper testing and treatment, they may lose future pregnancies that could be saved. So when will the mainstream medical community begin treating a suspicious miscarriage as a legitimate medical symtom and recommend testing instead of delivering an impotent pat on the back? Darci Klein, Executive Director, PreventPregnancyLoss.Org