[sarahcecile]

I thought this might be the place to ask this question... if not Mods, please feel free to move it to the right place!

History: I've had 3 early miscarriages since Nov. 2007 and after lots of testing we recently discovered that DH has a chromosome inversion, which has been causing the miscarriages. Basically I've been getting pregnant with a combination of my apparently healthy eggs and his sometimes scrambled sperm. I say sometimes because we have a healthy daughter (conceived before any miscarriages.) We assumed we would just move on to donor insemination, but...

Then we have also discovered that I am homozygous for MTHFR C677T and I had my homocysteine level checked and it came back today - normal 6.0

Soooooo does anyone have any experience with this? Do I need to use the blood thinners during pregnancy in future even with a normal homocysteine level? Obviously I will be taking the required levels of folic acid, b6 and b12, and baby aspirin required, but if possible I would love to avoid Lovenox. I feel like the combination of needing to use donor sperm AND Lovenox would undue me.

I have an appt. in a couple weeks with my OB, but I would love any guidance any of you have.

- Sarah

 

[Amy&4girls]

No advice but I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your losses and all you are going through.

 

[SMR]

I tested heterozygous MTHFR and normal homocystine levels... I'm 17 weeks pregnant now (following a full term loss), and was told that I didn't need to take any medications or special measures. I hope you find some answers.

 

[btmama]

Sarah, I am sorry for the losses that you have had and the challenges that you face. It must all be so overwhelming!

I have compound heterozygotic MTHFR mutations. I have a different mutation in each allele. So, I, like those who are homozygous are more likely to develop high homocysteine levels. I saw a perinatologist who reassured me that with normal homocysteine levels it was okay that I NOT be on Lovenox. I take baby aspirin, 5mg folic acid, and a prenatal.

Good luck and

s!

 

[RunnerDuck]

I have had 3 m/c and have the MTHFR - 2 copies, normal homocysteine levels. I am told (and have read) the homocysteine is what matters... if that's normal, you're OK. I think MTHFR may make it more likely your h. levels go whonky, I don't know. I have heard of people having the h. rechecked once pregnant... I don't know what you do if it goes up, get more aggressive?

I had the testing done after my 2nd loss. I also had a slight elevation in one of the anti-cardio lipids - very slight... I was told all I needed to do was take a baby aspirin and folgard (a prescription b vite) ... the more aggressive stuff, the blood thinner injections, my clinic didn't do.

I considered going to another doc I know did them and paying out of pocket (we were with an HMO and this guy was not) but my gut feeling was, this was not my problem. It would be doing "everything we could" but... I didn't think it was needed.

I did, though, start to take high doses of fish oil which are good for blood thinning, anti-innflamation, and just all around health anyway...

My losses were all very different... one a blighted ovum at 7 weeks, one a very very early 4-5 week loss (chemical?), one a loss of twins at 8+ weeks - one never developed, one had a heartbeat. I felt like since they were all so different, there couldn't have been one cause - so it was probably just crappy luck... if I could get a good egg... that was all I needed. If I had felt more sure the MTHFR stuff mattered... I would have pushed for the blood thinners...

Don't know if that makes sense.

Anyway my 5th pregnancy finally stuck - I had my son, then the 3mc, then my girls - so I think it was really a matter of egg quality for me...

That's all I know.

I think the folgard, aspirin, and fish oil may or may not have helped, but are food for me for other reasons anyway (and good for a lot of people) ... I think the blood thinners may be more aggressive than a lot of people really need and are often a matter of "doing everything" rather than doing what's needed, if that makes sense...