Seeking Advice About Preventing Miscarriage

Hi V.,

I had two miscarriages. Finally someone told me about progesterone. When I got pregnant again I took it as vaginal suppositories through the first trimester and carried to full term. That was 11 years ago. Sadly, I was pregnant again after my son was born and I didn't use it. My doctor didn't think the progesterone mattered. Well I miscarried again and never again got pregnant again so I regret that I didn't stick to what worked for me. The only side-effect for me was some added 'puffiness' which compared with losing a baby really didn't matter. I would highly recommend it. Good luck! -- S.

Good luck with your current pregnancy. I would like to recommend dr. Karen poley at st. Elizabeth's hospital. She was my ob.gyn and she is amazing. She is in a small group practice but if you are her patient she will see you on every visit and delivery, you don't just get the on call doctor. The staff is very friendly and they know you name. She is prompt when returning calls and scheduling visits. If you choose to go with dr poley you will get personal attention and excellent care. Good luck

V., I am soooo sorry about your miscarriages. I had one last summer and it was very sad. You should call Dr. d'Avenas. She's in Fresh Pond and is fantastic. They see me immediately and take extra precautions to make sure you're okay and that they catch anything as early as possible. She is affiliated w/ Mt. Auburn Hospital, which I cannot say enough good things about in their baby department. Dr. d'Avenas' phone number is ###-###-####.
Good luck! - J.

V.,

I would recommend contacting a reproductive endicrinologist. Most OB's do not have the necessary experience in this area. MGH has an excellent fertility clinic (phone: ###-###-####). I have 2 wonderful children of my own thanks to them:)

I would see if you could get an appointment-explain your history and that you are currently pregnant. They work with women that have repeat miscarriages. If you were to lose this prenancy, I would definately follow up with a fertility clinic. They also follow you through the first 10weeks of your pregnancy before they transfer you over to your OB.

Good luck, I know what if feels like to be on the rollercoaster of hope and loss. I hope that this will be your baby #2:)

I'm so very sorry for your losses. I was a patient at Boston IVF in Waltham, and I suggest seeing if you can go there whether it is close or not. When I got pregnant, they had me in at 5 weeks for a vaginal ultrasound. Also, right after they confirmed that I was pregnant, they had me come in for bloodwork a few days later to make sure my hormone levels were increasing as they should. I'm so angry to hear that MGH can't get you in for an appt earler after what you have experienced. I wish you the best of luck....

I would think you need to consult a high-risk OB ASAP and if, heaven forbid, this pregnancy also ends in a miscarriage, work with a high-risk OB **before** you get pregnant again. There are medications you can take prior to conception to help carry to term. Some of them run the risk of multiples but that can be a blessing for a couple who's lost several babies. And a high-risk OB will check you every week to help ensure a successful pregnancy.

I would check with your health insurance provider and express your desire for a new OB and see what's covered and where. I don't know of any specific doctors in your area but I'm sure your insurance provider can direct you to several and you can check them out to see which one you like the best. You might even try calling your current OB's office and see if they can refer you to a high-risk specialist.

Best of luck! Let us know what happens.

Hello V.. I'm so sorry that you have been through all this - I lost 5 before having my first all before 10 weeks. However I didn't waste any time with regular doctors. I went to an specialize and not even a high risk obgyn. I went to a Fertility center. I actually went to a fantastic one down in DC. But when we moved here I became pregnant and I went to Dr. Ian Hardy. And they will monitor you every other day with blood work to make sure the baby is doubling in numbers. They specialize in this. I told them my story and I went in at 4 week just pregnant and they monitored me to 8 weeks and then they sent me on my way. This is one of the greatest things here in the Mass. area, is that you can go and it is mostly covered by insurance. I think the blood clotting thing is great that they found out and I'm sure that the last one you had was a chemical pregnancy (which is very normal) I had 3 of them where they can't explain to you what happened. You can also do genetic testing. my husband and i did this and i found out that i have an enzyme that depletes my folic acid. Once i started taking it i got pregnant with a healthy baby. I highly suggest going to a fertility center. Dr. Ian Hardy is wonderful and very gentle and really knows what he is doing. Here is his link.

http://www.fertilitycenter.com/ourteam/

I would not mess around with it anymore. Good luck and please let me know if you need anything else. I hope that everything goes well for you.

S.

V.,

Congratulations.

I don't know how to prevent a miscarrage but you should also have your thyroid checked. It can be done by your PCP. You need them to check your TSH levels and also to see if you have Hoshimoto's disease. I have this and I am 4x more likely to miscarry if I'm not on medication during the pregnancy than if I am, even if all my levels are within normal range.

Good luck,
L. M

Hi V. - Wow, you have been through a lot in recent years... good for you for not giving up and getting to the bottom of it. I wish you all the best with this pregnancy and hope for no complications. I don't think there is anything you can really do to prevent miscarriage in general, but where you have an identified blood clotting issue, you absolutely should take that medication if that is what is recommended. It sounds like your dr. and MGH in general aren't as proactive as you need or would like, and I see you live in Brighton, so I know it wouldn't be too far for you to deal with Mt. Auburn Hospital (by the way, there was a thread on here a week or two ago about peoples' experiences there and they were all extremely positive). I have had a few medical issues there, including my two kids' births, and I LOVE LOVE them. It is a smaller hospital so you definitely get MUCH more attention, and faster. My OB is out of Mt. Auburn Practice for Women on Mt. Auburn St. in Watertown. Her name is Leslie MacDonald, and there is another OB there and a NP who are both wonderful. It is a smaller, more intimate office and they definitely know you and take care of you. I had hypertension with both pregnancies and I always felt VERY cared for, looked out for, etc., from the nurses to the doctor to the secretary. I have no idea if they are taking new patients now but you never know... the office number is ###-###-####. Good luck and best wishes for a healthy pregnancy.

I use a OBGYN affiliated with Brigham's and Womens hospital. They were always responsive and maybe you'd have better luck with them. Dr. Carolyn Cline is my OBGYN. Try their office. They are located on RT 9 just down the street from BGH.

I'm sorry for all that you've been through. I don't know much about preventing miscarriages, but I can recommend a group in downtown Boston. I used Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, which is located at 147 Milk Street (nearest the State Street stop on the Orange Line, for frame of reference). The staff, MDs and midwives were all great, it's always easy to talk to someone there and to make appointments. I don't know how they are as far as high risk pregnancies, but you could ask.

Best of luck!

Hi V.
Although I do not have personal experience, my understanding from those who have, Brigham & Women’s' Hospital has excellent maternal/fetal department. I believe they also specialize in high risk pregnancies.

Good Luck
G.

V. , You may have already called someone else,but I have been affiliated with the dr.'s and midwives at Dedham Medical, not really that far from Brighton. They are partnered with Newton Wellesley Hosp. and Brigham and Women's. I have had the most amazing experience with these women and highly recommend them, particularly Colleen Mannering who is a certified midwife. I have no problem making appts. and the response to phone calls is prompt and nurturing. Good luck with everything. Feel free to email if you have any questions. P.