"Recurrent Miscarriage Causes: Look Beyond the Woman"

"Recurrent Miscarriage Causes: Look Beyond the Woman", this article answered some important questions that I've always had especially about the developing embryo/fetus.

"Methylation Status of the Developing Child
A study from China[2] published in BMC Medicine states “that defects in DNA maintenance methylation in the embryo, not in the mother, are associated with abnormal embryonic implantation and development. The findings of the current study provide new insights into the etiology of early pregnancy loss (EPL). . . . We also found that disturbance of maintenance methylation with a DNMT1 inhibitor may result in a decreased global DNA methylation level and impaired embryonic development in the mouse model, and inhibit in vitro embryo attachment to endometrial cells.”

What does this mean?
This means that methylation in the developing child is directly correlated to a healthy pregnancy outcome – regardless of the methylation status of the mother or father.

What to do?

• Support methylation in the father and mother prior to, and during, pregnancy in order to increase the odds of optimizing methylation in the developing child.
• Identify genetic defects in the methylation pathway, namely MTHFR, in both parents and supplement accordingly in order to bypass the methylation defect thereby increasing the odds of optimizing methylation in the developing child.
• Identify DNMT inhibitors and have both mother and father cease their use prior to and during pregnancy (for the mother)."

I've wondered this for a very long time. Not just about MTHFR but just in general how much do genetics of the embryo effect the outcome of the pregnancy. It only makes sense that it would and that the mother's body would have to accomodate (if able). And if it can't a miscarriage occurs.

This article also talks about the importance of the father's genetics and if his MTHFR status affecting the outcome of a pregnancy.

I hope you will find this as interesting as I did. You may be interested in checking out these articles as well, "MTHFR Mutation? Oral Contraceptives Not Recommended" and "How Much Methylfolate Should I Take?".

Politics, BCP and abortion

I have no intention of turning this blog into anything political. However, due to the facebook posts plastered in my news feed, I feel the urge to speak up and say my peace.

First, let's talk about America paying for everyone else's birth control and the "Affordable Care Act contraceptive coverage regulation". Here you can read the transcript from testimony of Sandra Fluke that has raised a lot of this controversy.

For me her testimony does not convince me on why I should pay for your birth control and the next persons. Her testimony is based on women who she knows and women who have contacted her. The two medical diagnosis that she mentions are PCOS and endometreosis both tht are commonly treated with BCP. But should they? IMO, absolutely not. This is treating a symptom rather then treating the underlying cause. In my previous blog post about PCOS I said, "In the NaPro world there is a surgical procedure called Ovarian Wedge Resection that is used to treat PCOS. NaPro will also treat PCOS with hormone management for the rest of you life which is very important. [...] Not only does this effect a women's reproductive system but it puts women at much higher risk for obesity, high blood pressure, high LDL-C (bad cholesterol) and low HDL-C (good cholesterol), heart disease (at least a 7x increase risk), diabetes (by the age of 40, almost 40% of women will develop diabetes), and it is even thought to have a higher incidence of endometrial and breast cancer. So yes, this disease absolutely positively needs to be manage correctly. However, most of the time it is not and a person is given BC instead. Crap!

So I consider her "medical arguement" invalid. This is NOT the way to manage these diseases. I have an issue that doctors hand out BC without doing any type of thrombophilia work up not knowing if a woman is more prone to blood clots when taking BC. This is crap too!!

Our healthcare system is ruled by health insurance companies and let me tell you it will only get worse in the government's hands. Take for example, Medicare and Medicaid. These systems desperately need re-vamped...they aren't working!! Or welfare, another government system that is abused over and over again and used incorrectly.

Also knowing what I know about the Creighton Model and how effective it is when used properly, I don't give a crap that these women can't afford birth control. There is a FREE method out there. Well, I shouldn't say free because you do pay a teacher $50 every time you meet with her but I can guarntee that it does not cost 3K! BTW, where does she get that statistic?

However, people shrug off the Creighton Model because of it being designed by the Catholic Church or because its been drilled in their heads that its not effective. Guess what!? If its used correctly, just like the BCP may I add, its just as effective as the pill. However, this means people have to exercise self control. But if you truly do NOT want to get pg you will exercise self control.

People must remember to take a pill every single day if on BCP. How many of us forget? This puts you at higher risk for pregnancy as well. I'm confused how providing birth control for those that are let's face it, lazy will prevent unintended births as this article suggests.

I am absolutely amazed that Americans believe that we should pay for everyone else's birth control. This is a life style that someone is choosing. What about those who can't have children? Or those who have shoveled out 15K every time they try IVF to have a baby? We aren't paying or helping them out. Insurance companies in the US are not required to have this coverage (minus some states and then there is usually some kind of cap).

Moving on to the arguement of D&C/D&E's. I've heard that the government wants to take away a women's right to have one if she miscarried. This is ludacrious! I'm not quite sure how something like that could be done but to kill something that has a beating heart, is ok? Abortion is legal and I don't see that changing any time soon.

With age, knowledge, experience through RPL I have come to the conclusion that I am more Pro-Choice. However, I am completely against abortion for birth control. Its murder but that is my opinion. I believe life begins at conception and not somewhere inbetween. I've also come to the conclusion that this is not a state or federal government issue. They have no right to tell me what I can and can't do with my uterus. This is a moral issue, a religious issue and something that you and God (or a higher being if you believe) will talk about on judgement day.

I've also heard that some politicians want to make women carry stillborn babies until full-term. This is also ludacrious! That's all I have to say!

If all these cases are true why then can't we require those reproducing at rapid rates to have their tubes tied or getting a snip snip? Seriously? The article that I linked above, "The Fiscal Conservative's Case for Spending More Money on Birth Control", states that providing affordable birth control would decrease health care costs and taxes. Really? According to this article 50% of pregnancies are UNINTENDED and accounts for 3% of Medicaid's total spending equalling $12 B-I-L-L-I-O-N dollars per year. WTH is the other 300 BILLION dollars being spent on?

Just food for thought over 12 million pregnancies per year occur in the US. This statistic does not include miscarriages or abortions. So this figure could be 4+ million higher. So you mean to tell me that 6 million pregnancies are unintended???? Doesn't add up to me....

Want to read another article of things they are proposing? Here ya go 10 Reasons Why the Rest of the World Thinks the US is Nuts.

I'm stepping off of my soap box for now. If you care to share any stories with me that I may have missed please do. I promise this won't become a habit discussing politics.


 

PCOS

Recently, I've helped a friend who I met on the internet do a little diggin about PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome also known as PCOD or Polycystic Ovary Disease. I wanted to share some links and information that we've found.

There is no known cause of why PCOS occurs in women. However, androgens or male hormones, that are normally present in women tend to be much higher in women with PCOS causing an imbalance of hormones. Symptoms may consist of long, irregular cycles, or absence of periods. However, this is not always the case and some women continue to have regular cycles. Other symptoms may or may not include weight gain, decreased breast size, deepening of the voice, increase in hair on chest, face, inner thighs, and even around the areolas called hirsutism, thinning of the hair on the head, reproductive abnormality (usually infertility) and acne. It is very common for those who have PCOS that their female relatives (usually mother or sisters) also have a history of PCOS. Also 50% of women with PCOS have endometreosis, a completely different fertility issue that probably will need to be dealt with.

Not only does this effect a women's reproductive system but it puts women at much higher risk for obesity, high blood pressure, high LDL-C (bad cholesterol) and low HDL-C (good cholesterol), heart disease (at least a 7x increase risk), diabetes (by the age of 40, almost 40% of women will develop diabetes), and it is even thought to have a higher incidence of endometrial and breast cancer.

So what happens fertility wise in women with PCOS? Many times its hard to conceive due to long irregular periods and even more commonly the ovaries do not release an egg during ovulation due to the follicles not properly maturing. Instead the ovaries develop cysts on them. Ultrasound will commonly reveal a "string of pearls" on the ovaries (as shown below) which is not normal.

If you are concerned that you have symptoms of PCOS you may be wondering what tests should be performed.

Blood tests:

- Estrogen levels (usually low levels in PCOS)
- FSH levels
- LH levels (Sometimes a reversed FSH:LH ratio level is discovered. Normal is 2:1 ratio)
- Total Testosterone
- Free Testosterone
- Androstenedione
- DHEAs levels
- Thyroid function tests
- B-endorphin levels


Sometimes a seminal fluid analysis will also be advised for the husband.

Many times a laprascopy, hysteroscopy, and a selective hysterosalpingogram may be recommended as well.


How is PCOS treated? Well it depends what reproductive world you are in. Most of the time doctors will try to control PCOS symptoms with birth control. Please note: this DOES NOT treat the underlying cause of PCOS but rather the symptoms. If trying to conceive Clomid, Metformin and other drugs may be suggested.

In the NaPro world there is a surgical procedure called Ovarian Wedge Resection that is used to treat PCOS. NaPro will also treat PCOS with hormone management for the rest of you life which is very important. Please note there are graphic images on the Ovarian Wedge Resection site and you will need to scroll about half way down. Another NaPro website is Dr. Hilger's website that discusses PCOS and leads to other useful links.

Links I found to be helpful:

PubMed Health on PCOS

Soulcysters - Message Board

Has the Cause of Crib Death (SIDS) been found?

This article came to me on a message board I participate on and I wanted to pass it along. I know it doesn't have anything to do with miscarriage or pregnancy loss but it may be a preventive from Infant Loss; that too many of my friends have experienced. And I hope you never will experience!

Has the Cause of Crib Death (SIDS) been found??

The Duggar Family

Like many people, I am no fan of the Duggar Family or in their beliefs. They could very easily practice NFP, but they are letting it in God's hands to decide how many children they are to have. I find it incredibly hard to believe that you can care for 19+ kids at one time. It is mind boggling. But I am not here to talk about that; to each their own.

I am going to talk about no matter what your beliefs are no woman deserves to go through any loss, yet a pregnancy loss at 20 weeks. Its heartbreaking and one that will be in her memories to the day she dies.

Its also heartbreaking for those on facebook and else where to judge her and say things, "it serves her right". Until you have been through a pregnancy loss or miscarriage you have no right to comment on her loss. No right! I wouldn't wish a miscarriage or pregnancy loss on my worst enemy. There are no words...

Did it serve her right when she miscarried her second pregnancy? Which by the way led to why they have chosen to let in God's hands to decide how many children they have. Should those of us who have losses just stop trying, is that what God is telling us?

God gives us nothing more than what we can handle. His challenges and our struggles make us stronger and better people. They remind us we have so much to be grateful for and in the end God has a plan for us.

I will be praying for Michelle and The Duggar Family tonight.

New Blog

Here is my new blog, as promised Pregnant After RPL. Its a work in progress and doesn't quite feel as "homey".

Ummm....not what I was expecting!

I decided to POAS today, 16 dpo. I have so many OPKs that I was like WTH? Let's see what happens. Before the control line appeared there was a line at the test line. I totally did a double take.

I ran to the other bathroom to grab a dollar store HPT and that line came up rather dark as well. HOLY SHIT!

Not what I was expecting!! This can't be! I was just complaining that this cycle was a bust and that I was tired of BFP announcements and here goes mine.

I am 4w3d pregnant today and I love my baby.

I called, yes called, DH after I got out of the shower and said something along the lines of, "Hey, you're never gonna believe this! :::pause::: I decided to pee on an opk today because my period has not arrived. :::another pause::: It was positive! I got a HPT out and tested with that and its also positive. :::yet another pause::: I'm pregnant!" Needless to say DH was surprised as well and of course commented on the fact that he has super sperm. :::eye roll:::

DH called my doctor due to the fact that I had jury duty today. Kathy, Dr. Daggs nurse of course sent me for blood work later that afternoon. She warned me that this may still be left over HCG from my injections, which we all were fully aware of. However, if you remember the cycle before I tested out until AF arrived and my line at 15dpo was barely there.

Things however do look promising at 16 dpo my hcg level was 1032 & progesterone was 40. :::SHOCK::: When Kathy called to give me the results she said that these levels were great and Dr. Daggs said that these levels are high enough to support a multiple pregnancy. :::EYES POPPING OUT OF MY HEAD::: However, we would confirm that these levels are rising on Monday (really that long?) and when levels reach between 6-10 thousand I will have my first u/s. She said that she did not want to get my hopes up but that these numbers were excellent.

Now, this is the last time you will hear about Baby #6, unless of course I miscarry. I plan to get a new blog up and running that way those of you who are reading this blog will continue to visit and feel that this is a safe place. I don't plan to stop posting about RPL and miscarriage. I will pass along information as I come about it.

:::HUGS::: to all who need them! And especially to those who find this post difficult to read. I will be praying for you!!!