Pregnant after a miscarriage?

[mesa]

Just wondering if anybody would be interested in starting a mini-tribe for those of us who are pregnant after miscarriage(s).....I know this is the scariest part of pregnancy for most of us.....maybe you would like someone to bounce your fears and worries off of?

I just got my first beta back today.....391. I don't know if that's good or not. I'm 4 weeks, so I guess it's ok...I go back tomorrow for another draw. I've been taking extra folic acid, 81 mg of aspirin, and progesterone cream (my doc refuses to test my progesterone OR give me supplements).

I had 2 losses, one in December on my wedding day, and another one immediately after on March 16th 07.

[ChristyM26]

Well, not a m/c but a stillbirth. Still PAL though, and I think there are others here. Do you post in the PAL forum? I'd be happy to chat though.

[yonit]

I have had 8 miscarriages although none since my baby was born 8 months ago - but 7 in 4 years before that.

I don't really do well with traditional fertility treatment so I won't do any of the early testing, progesterone, etc...

I do give the baby reiki everyday though That was actually very helpful in preventing a m/c last time.

[BirthFree]

Oh mesa, that is so sad... to have a loss on your wedding day. But really, it's sad for all of you!

I haven't had a loss that has been past 5w, but I worry all the same (no, worry would not be the right word - obsess, fear might be better). I can't imagine if I had losses how I would feel. I'm very worried as I don't feel settled like I have before, and I'm worried it's b/c this baby won't stay - but I suppose it's not easier either way.

Wishing you all very sticky babies to the end and healthy wee ones.
~Julie

[LacieD]

I'm here. I've had 2 losses in the past year - one at 12w1d and one at 9w1d. Both times the baby passed around 7 weeks, though. I saw a heartbeat both times too, which makes me all the more anxious because I have to wait longer to feel 'safe'.

I have the least dangerous form of MTHFR as well as LPD, so I'm on a battery of supplements. Prenatal, extra calcium, Folgard, baby aspirin, and Prometrium. My beta at 4w1d was 106.7 and my progesterone was 24, and both numbers are higher than my last (m/c) pregnancy, so I'm hopeful that this will be a sticky baby.

I hope all of us bring home healthy babies next year.

[Oonah]

I had a blight ovum in '04 about 6 months after my son was born. Even though I've had a successful pregnancy since my m/c, I still have a lot of anxiety about this pregnancy. I was on progesterone support for all of my pregnancies and when I miscarried, I didn't even START bleeding until 12 weeks (3 weeks after I stopped progesterone supps)....the wait was horrible.

This time around I wanted to avoid betas, ultrasounds, progesterone suppositories and all that stuff. This was to be my stress free pregnancy! I wanted to let nature do it's thing and I especially don't want to artificially prolong a pregnancy that isn't viable.

Well...long story short...after a bleed last week I requested a beta....which doubled nicely but my p4 was on the low end of the scale (10) so I am on progesterone supps again....with an u/s scheduled for Thursday.

I am okay with the path we've taken. If I wasn't taking progesterone I'd skip the u/s however since the progesterone could delay a m/c I want to rule out a BO as soon as we can.

I feel like all will be okay....but I am still anxious....very anxious. I know in my head that I am doing everything I can to give this baby what it needs to grow and that that is all I can do. I can't prevent a BO. I know all of this...but it doesn't really bring me peace. It's nearly impossible for me to focus at work and I see that I am blabbering here....sorry.....just trying to release it, relax and enjoy.

Hugs to all

[lmonter]

First pregnancy was a miscarriage. Started spotting on our wedding day, continued through our honeymoon. Not exactly the greatest timing. (although we didn't have to worry about birth control that week!)

I'm not doing any blood tests or anything outside of my midwife's normal routine though. If I miscarry, I miscarry and we'll deal with it. I don't have to like it, but we can deal with it.

I'm still anxious until we hear a heartbeat sometime later next month and then when I can feel the baby after that. Then I'll be worried about yet another thing.

[mesa]

I know what you mean about a stress free pregnancy. After my first miscarriage, I was so incredibly shocked...I mean, I had never had anything like that happen to me before, and to be honest, I was a bit naive in thinking that it would NEVER happen....so when we got pregnant again, I thought I would "prevent" it from happening again by going to the doctor early and often (first appointment was at 5 weeks!)...I had several ultrasounds and beta checks, which all indicated everything was fine...then I went to my 10 week check up, and when the doc couldn't pick up the heartbeat by doppler, she took me in for an ultrasound. The possibility of another loss NEVER entered my head that day...even when the US tech left the room and came back in with my doc.

So, this time, when I called my doc and told her I was pregnant again, I was fully expecting to hear that she wanted to see me really soon. Now I know, though, that nothing she can do or say will alleviate my fears. All I can do is relax in the joy of the moment....love that I'm pregnant right now....and try not to worry about tomorrow.

My first appointment is November 27th, and I'm surprisingly ok with that.

How do you do reiki on an unborn baby? That's fascinating! I have high hopes for all of us.

[ChristyM26]

mesa, it's true that they can't do anything but it doesn't make it any less frustrating or stressful.

I get to go in on the 23rd (about 8 weeks, we think) to get an u/s for dating, so I'll at least know when this one should be due and should see the hb which makes me happy. Unforunately, it won't do anything to relieve my stress because I lost my twins at 20w, 3d when I went into preterm labor. So even making it out of the 1st trimester is no indication that I'll be safe and I'm a ball of stress. On the plus side, we know that there are, in fact, many things that we could do and the only tricky part is finding out what will work best. I'm feel lucky that my OB group has been incredibly supportive and everybody I've talked to has asked me how I'm doing and if they can do anything to help (obviously, from a medical perspective, but still). I think I have the best doctors in the world (so much so that I drive about an hour to get to their offices).

[applecider]

I had an mc three months before I got pg with my son. So this time I am def. holding my breath and trying not to get too into this. But I think it may be too late!! I'm already obsessing and reading every pg book I can get my hands on. PLus the timing for this one would be ideal. I don't really want to wait any longer. But I know that this is not in my hands. Everytime I go to the bathroom, I am nervous about what I might see!

[larastheme]

Originally Posted by cody'smomma

I had an mc three months before I got pg with my son. So this time I am def. holding my breath and trying not to get too into this. But I think it may be too late!! I'm already obsessing and reading every pg book I can get my hands on. PLus the timing for this one would be ideal. I don't really want to wait any longer. But I know that this is not in my hands. Everytime I go to the bathroom, I am nervous about what I might see!

I'm in the same boat. Every time I wipe, I inspect

I'm trying to be optimistic about this one (after all there's no reason this pregnancy should end in m/c too, I think) but it's hard. I waver over when to call the midwife, and then I tell myself that I probably couldn't do anything to stop another m/c anyway. (BTW, didn't do any testing after m/c--first one after two uneventful pregnancies). Soooo, probably won't go till I'm about 12 weeks, then I'd better hear a heartbeat! (Hey, how early can you see a heartbeat on u/s?)

[mesa]

I'd say about 7 or 8 weeks is a good time to see the hb on ultrasound.

[larastheme]

Originally Posted by mesa

I'd say about 7 or 8 weeks is a good time to see the hb on ultrasound.

Mmmm, maybe I'll make that appointment earlier then. Thanks!

[ChristyM26]

Yeah, the heart begins beating at the end of week 5, beginning of week 6, so by week 7/8 you can definitely see a strong hb.

[yonit]

Yes, you should be able to see the h/b on ultrasound by 7/8 weeks no problem.

But here are some reasons you may not want to:

Seeing the hb does nothing to reduce your chance of m/c. It is still very common to have a m/c afterwards. Hearing the hb on doppler (generally around 12 weeks) is a much better indication that you are in a safer territory.

Seeing the hb makes the pregnancy MUCH more real. This can be great, but can also make a loss afterwards that much harder. There is absolutely nothing more real than seeing your baby's hb - and then seeing it stopped a week later.

Just to share my experience - with my second m/c I started spotting at about 8 weeks. I had never spotting in pregnancy before, so while I knew it could be normal, it wasn't normal *for me*. Called my mw and agreed to an u/s so that we could see how babe was doing. Baby had a good strong h/b and everyone was very reassuring that all was well and I had nothing to worry about. 10 days later I had horrible cramps and bleeding. Decided to go to the ER -still not sure why. They did another u/s, where this time it was very clear that there was no h/b and the baby had died.

This was so amazingly traumatic you wouldn't believe it - or maybe you would. I swore i would never have a first trimester u/s again. And I never have.

Obviously, you should do whatever you think is best, but just wanted to make you aware of the other side of the coin.

[dkenagy]

I've just experienced my first loss after 3 beautiful, uneventful pregnancies. I was about 7 weeks. I found out I was pg again just about 5 weeks after the m/c, so I called my OB and agreed to have an u/s to date the pgncy. I think part of me wanted to go in there and see an 11-week fetus and prove that the previous month had been a huge, horrible mistake. Instead, we saw an empty gestational sac measuring right around 4 weeks. I had betas drawn at my behest during the next week. At 20 dpo my beta was 8038 and at 22 dpo my beta was 14688. Those numbers are very high and now I am schedule for another u/s on Monday to see how many babies are in there. Multiples could be very hard on me since I didn't have any time to recuperate physically or emotionally after the m/c.

Coincidentally, I'd never had a beta drawn or an u/s before 20 weeks before this pgncy. The loss changed me, though, and now I feel like I need that extra reassurance--an extra u/s or two (for the prgncy, I don't intend to have an u/s at every visit!), beta hCG levels--those are the things I need at this point in my life.

Although I hate that any of us has had to go through the terrible hurt of a loss, I'm glad there are other PALs here. It's so different being pregnant AFTER.

[Faithsmommy]

I am pregnant after a miscarriage. My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage after I saw the heartbeat on u/s at 8 weeks. I found out at 13 weeks I had a missed miscarriage and the baby measured 9 weeks. I have been pretty paranoid so far. I am constantly comparing my symptoms to my last pregnancy, wondering if everything is okay. I will have my first ultrasound at 9 weeks. I dont really know if it will even make me feel any better since I lost the last one after I saw that everything was fine. I'm also scared to death that I will go in for the u/s and there will be no heartbeat. Oh well, I guess whatever is meant to happen will...but I am glad to know that I am not alone in feeling this way.

[Parker'smommy]

Hello ladies. I'm fine with a thread here but I am also active on the PAL thread in Pregnancy and Loss board. Anyone is welcome there also. It's kind of nice to talk to moms who are doing it ahead of you and they give you confidence to make it through it all. I love my PAL moms....

I'm Heather, and finding myself pregnant for the third time this year. It doesn't seem possible. I had a 20 week stillborn loss in Feb. ( after 2 uneventful pregnancies) and was single handedly the most gut wrenching experience of my life and has change who *I* am to the very core of my being. I am a different person because of my experience. I then went to lose a 3-5 week baby in May. It really put me into a tailspin..." what the heck was going on?" and now, I'm 11 weeks pregnant. I try and stay positive most days, but sometimes it's a real effort to do so. I feel like my innocence has been stripped from me, and it's just so unfair. This pregnancy is so different than any of the others....I'm just paranoid. Things I took for granted before now are so important like checking the TP every.single.time I go to the bathroom. I can NOT not look. It's obsessive.

HUGS to everyone...it's a rough journey!

EDITED TO SAY- OMG...I just posted this and I get out and realize I'm in JUNE 2008...not May 2008....and realize that it's because I was in the June 2007 ddc with my baby that I lost in Feb....ugh. Anyways, I meant all of it and really, all of you are welcome to come to the PAL thread!!! GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU!!!

[larastheme]

Originally Posted by yonit

Obviously, you should do whatever you think is best, but just wanted to make you aware of the other side of the coin.

Wow, that's certainly something to think about. And I'm so very very sorry that you had to go through that; in fact, I'm sorry that any of us had to go through what we did.

We all need a very big

[happyhippiemama]

I'll join. I had a m/c in 03/02 at 12 wks along. It was a missed miscarriage, so her gestational age was actually about 8 weeks.

My DD was born with a birth defect, a month early, in 08/03.

I m/c again in Feb of this year at about 8 weeks, again.


I'm nervous as hell.