miscarriage advice (in human)

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I have recently suffered a miscarriage at 14 weeks after having a prior one in May at the very beginning of a pregnancy. I am 38 years old in very good health with six healthy children. I am wondering if anyone has any advice on herbs or supplements or anything else that might help maintain a pregnancy.

-- kathy (davidwh6@juno.com), September 26, 2001

Answers

I am sorry for your loss. I am not aware of any herbal full term pregnancy helpers other than raspberry leaf tea [calcium] and a diet rich in folate. Have you looked at common infections? The quiet ones we often do not even notice? A mild case of gingavitus->sp?,uninary tract infection, eating soft/brie cheese,sinus prob. All of these infections have been linked to miscarrages & early births.

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), September 26, 2001.

Actually miscarriage is very common. Like your first miscarriage, younger women not in tune with their bodies would have thought it was a bad period. For another one at 14 weeks, would mean you got pregnant right after the first one, the next month? This didn't give your body enough time to heal. I would also have a thorough exam, you could be harboring an infection. Give your body and soul time to heal this time. Sorry for your loss. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 26, 2001.

I think I remember reading that fennel seed was helpful, but can't remember where that came from so take it for what it's worth. I am sorry about your loss.

-- Terri in NS (terri@tallships.ca), September 26, 2001.

Kathy, you have my deepest sympathies! Red raspberry leaf tincture and false unicorn root tincture are both recommended to help maintain pregnancy.

It is entirely possible that your body is telling you it needs more time to heal, or even that it has had enough of childbearing. Childbirth takes alot out of you, and even though you are healthy, every person's body has different tolerances that it can bear, and six children might be it. Your body is the best judge, listen to what it is trying to tell you.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), September 26, 2001.


Susun S. Weed's book Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year recommends raspberry leaf tea to tone the uterus and prevent miscarriage. There's a section on miscarriage and other helpful herbs. Health food stores usually carry this book. Best wishes!

-- Bren (WAYOUTFARM@skybest.com), September 26, 2001.


I am sorry for your loss. I know how you must be feeling. I suffered a miscarriage in May - I was 8 weeks along. I also had a miscarriage back in 1998 when I was 14 weeks along. If you'd like to chat please feel free to e-mail me.

I don't know of any herbs to help prevent a miscarriage. Personally I am trying again and hoping for better luck this next time. I already have 2 beautiful boys but would still like at least a couple more kids.

Anita

-- anita (anitaholton@mindspring.com), September 26, 2001.


Also so sorry for your loss. If it is any consolation, miscarrying once or twice does not mean you still cannot carry a healthy baby the next times. I had two miscarriages after the first, had four more healthy children, then miscarried twice again before my last...The more weeks you carry, the more difficult that miscarriage is, but once you get a heartbeat, you're chances of carrying that child go way up.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), September 26, 2001.

It is a good idea to take some time off before trying to get pregnant again, a few months perhaps. By 38 one has more difficulties, and the rate of miscarriage is much higher than in your 20's. However, here's hoping you beat all the odds next time!

-- seraphima (gardener@com.post), September 27, 2001.

Hi Kathy, I think it's wonderful that you want to have a 7th baby, I hope that God blesses us with a big family too. Red Raspberry leaf tea strengthens the whole female reproductive system, and women's health in general. I often drink about 2 or 3 strong cups a day, I really need the benefits of this herb because I have had 3 babies in 2 1/2 years. I have had good pregnancies, gentle births, and very fast recoveries, my Midwives are even amazed at how strong my body has been through all this. I had my 3rd baby 6 weeks ago and feel as good as I did before I was pregnant at all. red raspberry leaves have the nutrition a women's body needs in order to work in the way it was designed. While you have a time of rest drink lots of this tea, buy it in bulk if you can get it where you live, a pound should be about 6 dollars. I make my own organic woman's nutritional tea blend, it has red raspberry, red clover, alfalfa and pepperment. I have lots of it and would be happy to send you some, you can just email me your address and I'll drop some in the mail for you. Oh, if you don't know stay away from preservitives, refined flours, sugars, and processed foods, these things are harmful to our health. God Bless you, Sarah

-- Sarah Brown (joshsarah@bigfoot.com), September 27, 2001.

Sarah, Where do you buy the raspberry tea in bulk health food stores?? and the clover and other things you mentioned sounds like I need to get some I'm almost 64, look 40'ish and intend to stay that way. Sally

-- sally stanton (mallardhen67@hotmail.com), September 28, 2001.


You have my sympathy. You also have my apologies in advance for what I'm about to say, which may sound a bit harsh and unfeeling; but please accept my assurances that it's meant for the best, and kindly meant.

Now - let's face it, you're getting on a bit. By no means past it, in fact in some ways just approaching your prime (just another two or three decades). However, you're entering the stage where it's more difficult for a woman to achieve a viable embryo. There are likely to be things going wrong more often than when you were younger, and in many cases the natural response to a damaged or wrongly-growing embryo is an early miscarriage. This isn't enjoyable, of course; but it may be preferable to bringing the defective being to fuller or even full-term. As an example, one of the most horrible things I could imagine would be bearing an anencephalic (no brain) child.

So what? So use the opportunity, unwelcome though it is, to ensure that the next time the chances are as good as you can possibly make them. This is not to say you did anything wrong last time - things can just go wrong anyway - bad luck, not anyone's fault. However, check up on what can optimise your chances for a healthy baby. If you're going to talk to the doctor about it (advisable) then phone first, tell her or him what you want to talk about, and make it plain that you're giving them advance notice so they can gather all the information you will need.

In particular, make sure you are getting the best nutrition. Vitamin B nutrition is important - it is certainly vital IN ADVANCE for cutting down on the chances of spina bifida or other central nervous system or spinal cord disorders. Also, of course, no toxins in your system. No "recreational" drugs (obviously, but we're talking for other audiences as well), no tobacco (and this should include your husband as well), be very careful and aware about any prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Be careful of foods which may be mouldy, or may not be quite fresh. Alcohol is debatable - a very small amount is probably not harmful, but while there's no strong reason behind it, do you want to take the chance? Really, an occasional glass or two prabably won't hurt, and in fact getting relaxed and "in the mood" might help. However, once pregnant, then it would probably be safer to avoid it during the first trimester (easy for me to say - I like a drink, but to the best of my knowledge I can't get pregnant, and if I do my fortune's made - the Immaculate Conception wouldn't be in it for newsworthiness).

Best wishes.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), September 29, 2001.


Kathy, You have my deepest sympathies. I understand what you are experiencing. I have had two 2nd trimester miscarraiges and one baby born with birth defects who died. I have 3 healthy children now and one due in 6 weeks. As a result of my losses, I did alot of research in reproductive/nutritional health. I would also reccomment you take a break for 3-6 months. Especially, if you have had D&Cs.

I would like to reccommend a book entitled For Tommorrow's Children by Preconception Care incorporated. This is the best books I have ever read on preventing miscarraige and birth defects. The med center who put out this book has had a huge success rate helping couples. If you are interested e-mail me personally and I will find the URL for the web site that sells this book.

As far as herbs go, False Unicorn Root is the absolute best at preventing miscarraiges. This herb is not easy to come across. Try Penn Herbs.

Problem is that as you get older it gets harder for your body to nutritionally compensate for your advancing age with a growing baby. I am not suggesting you are too old - just that you should be doing some extra things nutritionally to give yourself a boost. Cod liver oil (comes in mint flavored now) and wheat germ oil are essential. You can buy them encapsulated. Make absolute sure they are cold pressed. Viobin has a good germ oil. And TwinLabs has an excellent cod liver oil. Be careful you get a good brand. Bad cod liver oil is worse than no cod liver oil.

I agree with the suggestion that you investigate infections. Taking a good probiotic and some grapefruit seed extract will clear up most infections. Most probiotics are worthless. I found that Shaklees product worked well for me. No, I do not sell Shaklee.

All this info is covered in the FTC book I reccommended. Also, I reccommend a more technical book called Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price. Has a great chapter on nutritional factors in reproductive health. You should have no trouble getting this book through interlibrary loan at your local library. www.WestonAPrice.org has some good info too.

Hope this helps and your quiver will soon be blessed with another arrow!

-- Tiffani Cappello (cappello@alltel.net), September 30, 2001.


I am sorry for your loss Kathy and understand fully where you are coming from.

I myself have lost eight pregnancies and my only living child (a girl) has now lost two late pregnancies as well.

My first pregnancy was twins. . . one survived, one did not. My next was an ectopic pregnancy with emergency surgery (it ruptured on me). I proceeded to get pregnant five more times and suffer miscarriages at 8 weeks for all but one and that was a 12 week miscarriage. The reason was undiagnosed (although personally I believe it had something to do with previous abdominal surgeries for gallbladder and endometriosis (twice) but to medical personnel it was unclear).

The last time I got pregnant was also an ectopic pregnancy and I self- diagnosed it and got to the emergency room on a Sunday afternoon and told them when I walked in what it was, as well as details about bloodwork and urine tests for pregnancy on me (IF I am pregnant all urine tests come back negative while blood tests show positive . . . dd does the same).

I now have no tubes and cannot ever get pregnant but I am now too old to be thinking of having new babies myself. (Oh FYI dd was born in 1977, 1st ectopic 1987 and 2nd ectopic 1997 . . . . I'm afraid to greet 2007!!!!!)

However, dd's problem is an incompetent cervix which was not diagnosed after her first miscarriage at 4 1/2 months and when she was pregnant a year later she miscarried again but at 5 1/2 months and THIS TIME it was diagnosed that she has the incompetent cervix.

Myself . . . I was told by the dr who performed my last surgery for ectopic pregnancy that I have the "tightest cervix she's EVER seen in a woman" and I find myself wishing with all my heart that I could "give" that to dd.

I know of nothing you can take or do that will help in your quest to have a child. But I can understand your feelings and your loss fully.

-- wolfie (wolfiequinn@hotmail.com), December 27, 2001.


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