Are my chances of miscarrying higher now?

Question

I have had 2 miscarriages in 12 months. One was removed surgically at 11 wks, the other was natural at 10 wks. The doctors won't test until you've had 3 in a row. We are currently trying again but was wondering if anyone knew if the odds of miscarrying were higher once you've had 2?

Just wanted to clear a few things up from your replies.
1. It was my doc who referred me for testing but the hospital that turned us down.
2. I am 27, my husband is 31
3. They were different losses-one was a 'blighted ovum', the other was a live baby that died
4. I am in the UK
5. I am still hopeful that they were both just 'flukes' but wondered if anyone else had had the same problem and went on to have a healthy baby?

Answer 1

Not necessarily. It really does depend on the causes. If they were both caused by the same thing then yes, you would be a higher risk now, but of course you won't know that just yet.

If they were both just fluke and it's coincidence that you have had two then your risk would be about the same, only very marginally higher but not any higher that it should cause concern above and beyond that of a first time pregnancy.

If you are in the UK, then no, doctors are unlikely to check for causes due to the above. Two miscarriages are unfortunately not that uncommon and there is often no reason for it.

However once you are pregnant you can ask to have hormone levels checked etc. This will help them understand what is happening with this pregnancy, and could possibly help them understand what went wrong the last two times.

Sadly, in the UK at least, 1 in 4 women will experience a miscarriage

I used to run a baby loss forum and therefore as a result have many friends in this situation. I know many who have had 1 or 2 and gone on to have other children with no problems, and others who have had up to 12/13 miscarriages, but these are down to a specific problem, tested for after the third loss.

I wish you well for your third pregnancy. I know it is not much consolation, but if anything goes wrong this will be the one that will get investigations started and hopefully prevent any further loss.

Fingers crossed for you :)

EDIT: your ages are a good thing, it means the m/c are less likely to be for that reason, giving you more chance of a successful pg next time round.

As they are for different reasons it's likely that they are both "one of those things", which is a horrid way to put it I know, but the best I can think of at the moment, sorry.

Your doctor will have known that the chances of investigation after two were slim, which is a good thing, because it means he is on the ball and you will be more likely to get help if anything happens next time around. Don't get rid of him, keep him!

One of the girls I met through the forum (who is now a good friend) has gone on to have two babies since being in exactly the same situation as you. Try not to panic, and just relax. Easier said than done, but it will not only help when you are pregnant, but with trying to concieve too :)

CG.

I have put a link below to risks of miscarriage. It says that around 15% of prenancies will fail. After 1 miscarriage the risk is 20% and after 2 the risk is 28%.

Bear in mind that although this seems like a large leap it is including all miscarriages with a common cause, which will make the stats higher. If that makes any sense? It then leaps to 43% for 3 previous miscarriages, to put the risk for the first 3 in to perspective. Sorry if I'm waffling...

Answer 2

No, I do not think that your at risks of having another miscarriage unless, there is a medical problem that is causing it.

Speaking from personal experience I can not carry children too full term because I have a incompetence cervix and what that means after my 5th mth of pregnancy I go into labor and I could loose my baby. My cervix is week and I am not able to carry full term unless I get a cerclage and what that means, I have to get stictched in order for me to be able to carry towards 9 month's of pregnancy. I have 4 children and my last 2 I had to get stiched in order to be able to have them.

My first child I was find I did not have a problem however, with the 2nd child I had him when I was 23 weeks (5 month's) he was 1 pound 9 ounces and he survived. Two years later I lost my daughter in my 5 mth, this is when I found out that I had a problem. The last 2 pregnancy I was stictched and I had a healthy little girl in 2002 and I recently had a son in 2006 on Nov. 2nd.. So there is hope for you.. Good Luck to you and think positive..

Answer 3

Some practitioners will order special blood and genetic tests to try to find out what's going wrong after two miscarriages in a row, particularly if you're 35 or older or have certain medical conditions. Others will wait until you've had three consecutive losses. In certain situations, such as if you had a second trimester miscarriage or an early third trimester premature birth from a weakened cervix, you might be referred to a high-risk specialist after a single loss so she can carefully manage your pregnancy.

good luck!!! and dont get frustrated, keep trying :) i'm sure when the time is right it will happen.

Answer 4

sorry to hear that hun

The first thing you need to know is that most miscarriages are spontaneous natural events that occur because of random, accidental combinations of the chromosomes of the egg and sperm during conception. These are spontaneous acts of nature over which you have no control. You did not cause your miscarriage and bear no responsibility for it. This is also the reason why, at least for the present, medicine cannot prevent these sorts of sporadic miscarriages



8 ways to reduce your risk of having a miscarriage the next time you conceive

1. Get to know more about your family medical and genetic history. Learn what conditions, if any, run in your family.

2. Make sure you are immunized against communicable diseases such as German measles and chickenpox.

3. Avoid exposure to infectious diseases such as Lyme disease, toxoplasmosis (contact with cat litter boxes, eating raw meat) and cytomegalovirus.

4. If you have had several miscarriages, have yourself checked for the possibility that there are anatomic abnormalities in your uterus or other reproductive organs.

5. Similarly, if you have had several miscarriages, make sure that your body is making sufficient levels of reproductive hormones to be able to sustain an early pregnancy.

6. Make sure your environment and your workplace are safe. Make sure the air you breathe and the materials you work with are not harmful to either you or your future fetus.

7. Make sure any medical problems you have are under the best possible control. If you are a diabetic, make sure your blood sugar levels are where they should be. If you are an asthmatic, make sure that your medications are properly adjusted.

8. Of course, stop smoking, stop the use of any recreational drugs and keep alcohol consumption to a minimum. Check with your doctor before taking any medications other than Tylenol or antacids.

Then, after making sure you are in the best possible condition to become pregnant, go ahead! Since miscarriages occur in one in five pregnancies, you have a four out of five chance -- 80 percent -- of having a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby with your next conception. Yes, you will likely have many fears during the early months of your next pregnancy. Yes, you will have difficulty discussing your early pregnancy with relatives and friends. But as the months of your pregnancy go by, as you first hear the fetal heart in your obstetrician's office and as you first begin to feel your baby moving around 20 weeks gestation, you will know that you have overcome the ordeal of having had a miscarriage and will soon be blessed with the healthy baby you have so long dreamed of having.

Answer 5

Don't believe it. Sometimes I think that junk is made up just to make others scared or women that have miscarried trying to rationalize it. Miscarriage just happens. It had nothing to do with the number pregnancy. Its not a truth. Out of my family and friends I only know one woman to have miscarried. The rest of us (quite a few) all gave birth to our first conceived child.

Answer 6

Make him test your progesteren level as soon and I mean as soon as you pee on the next stick and get a positive, because this can cause a miscarriage evrytime if it is low. If this is the reason, he will give you a cream or by mouth that will prevent it again! My sis in law had this problem and he needs to test your levels and should have early in the last pregnancy! If you are not 40 and over, and under 35, this is usually what causes mulitlpe miscarriages! But...... if your progest. is normal, they say no matter what 1 out of 5 will and do miscarriage and the same goes for every pregnancy, but he would test my progesteren in my next one if I were you!!! Please do this!!!!!!!!!!!! Best wishes!!! I had two, but not in a row and had three babies healthy in bewteen!!! I made an edit after you added info. In the case your's were both different reason with both, I feel sure you will probably be fine with the same odds 1 out of 5 that we ALL face! Yes, another relative of mine had 3 in a row and then had twins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

sorry to hear of your situation,
i've heard that the risk of more miscarriages after having one is higher, but i wouldn't give up hope you could still have kids, but if i were you i would give your body time to heal and over come the stress it has been through before trying again.

a friend of mine had a couple of miscarriages but now has two healthy girls, it is thought that the miscarried pregnancies were boys and that her body just couldn't carry males and i have heard this about other women as well

Answer 8

I've had three in the past, all 'natural' ones and i conceived fine now and about to give birth. I never got a referral to the hospital, never even heard the Dr mention anything about it so i guess you should just keep trying and if it doesn happen again you just have to take it from there. The chance doesn't increase just because you've had a miscarriage before, it will happen because it is something wrong

Answer 9

Firstly, I would like to say how sorry I am for your losses. I hope you have support from friends and family through such difficult times. I lost my first in November and am now pregnant , im 14 wks,my friend went through the same as you, she lost 2 and is now trying for another one. I think you should try to stay positive, not an easy thing to do with such a difficult time. Maybe try and give your body a rest, although im sure the yearning for a family is much stronger, and the last thing you want to do is wait.How about talking to the doctor? im sorry i cant tell you what you want to know,but i do hope you are successul in the future.

Answer 10

I had 3 miscarriages and i got the test done and the hospital told me that i could not carry girls. I did not believe this but put it to the back of my mind, and started trying again, when we did get pregnant i was a nervous wreak when i had my scan they confirmed that it was a boy. I went on to have another son as i think the hospital was right.So i will keep my fingers crossed for you. I know how wanting a baby can eat away at yourself esteem