Successful Pregnancy after M/C - Did You Do Anything Differently?

[PieMistress]

Hi,

Am trying to get my head around TTC again following my recent m/c at 7 weeks. It's taken my body a long time to get over it (and feels like it still is!)

I wasn't sure whether or not to post this on the miscarriage, conception or pregnancy board so went for conception!

Am just wondering, those of you that have also sadly suffered a miscarriage/s, and are now successfully on your way through a pregnancy, did you anything differently this time around ie/ taking vitamins, no caffeine, a detox, more/less exercise, chilling out about it all etc etc?

Since my m/c i've stopped my filter coffee (was only having one a day but from what i've read it could possibly have been one too many) and have started taking conception vitamins but just wondering if there was anything else people had done?

Thanks
Pie x

[Beamur]

I didn't do anything differently. I'd been taking folic acid anyway, had a reasonably healthy diet, moderate alcohol intake and some exercise. I was probably more stressed though, as it took over a year to fall pg.
In the news today it was suggesting that good oral hygiene helps too, with a swedish study saying women who flossed their teeth regularly took 2 fewer months (on average) to get pregnant. So, brush and floss your teeth if you're not doing it already, good luck.

[freelancegirl]

Hi Pie I can't help directly as I don't think (although am mentalling over potential imaginary symptoms) that I am pregnant again yet but I just wanted to say you're not alone in taking a long time to get over it. I still get physical and emotional echoes of the miscarriage 3 and a half months after mine started, and at 7 weeks after it started it was still kind of ongoing - so don't beat yourself up about it. It takes a long time to get over, if you can ever get over it.

I am not doing much different this time (currently in the 2ww!) apart from having to chart but am also being treated with steroids and other meds for very high nk cells.

I am still having the odd drink and the odd cup of coffee, decaf tea at home though but took conception vits last time and this time too. I really don't think that your coffee or anything else like that had anything to do with it and it might have just been one of those terrible things that happen. Knowing what I know now about miscarriage I think you really have to go some way to cause that much damage yourself!

I have also been told to take 75mcg of aspirin as apparently this has been show to have some positive affects in helping people keep pregnancies. Oh and Omega 3 and an extra Vitamin D. I would suggest taking all of those from my research, for everyone - not just those of us with high NK cells. Vitamin D has apparently been shown to also be particularly useful. And at this level it can't cause any harm so might be worth trying along with pregnancy vits?

[Beamur]

freelancegirl - shows how quickly I forget, I was also taking the very low dose of aspirin too.
Another thing to consider - is your partner also in good health, not drinking/smoking too much?

[freelancegirl]

I think low dose aspirin and extra vit D would be well worth taking Pie! Beamur I am also getting my DH to take male conception vits and try not to binge drink as much on weekends (the former easier than the latter...).

Am really crap at flossing, must do it more often!

[PieMistress]

Wow, thanks so much for the replies, very much appreciated!

I do take great comfort from this site. Miscarriage can be a very lonely experience (does that make sense?) and it's really does help having others to talk to. A close friend just announced her pregnancy yesterday and I had to go to the loo at work to a have a moment as I was really quite upset.

The vits i've started taking already have 25mg of Vitamin D in them so am covered there, DH doesn't smoke and only has the occasional beer on a weekend. I've also got him on male conception vits :)

Do you have any specific Omega 3 recommendations ie/ does it need to be a special pregnancy one?

I've been charting for a few months and am finding it really useful ie/ it showed I did ovulate following my m/c (but AF started today, I think, it's still playing up). My chart was triphasic too but sadly didn't lead to a BFP :(

What are the benefits of taking asprin?

Am quite an avid flosser! I do have a very dishy dentist so like to do as he says :) :)

I know i'm a bit of a stress head though so will need to really try and chill out. Am thinking of reflexology or acupunture?

Thanks again x

[freelancegirl]

I was going to look into omega 3 as at the mo am taking the ones that come with pregnacare, but they are expensive. Haven't yet looked into it though to see if other brands are ok! The miscarriage clinic recommends 40mcg of vit d 3 so if I were you I would take a separate tablet of 10mcg just to make it up to 35mcg. You can get this from holland and Barrett, it's vit d 3. That and baby aspirin is my no-way medically qualified but lots of research done opinion!. Yes miscarriage can be a very lonely experience, glad we have people on here who can relate!

[Beamur]

Blood clotting problems can account for miscarriage, so I think a mild dose of aspirin helps keep the blood thinner and can help. I was prescribed it by my doctor, don't just take it without advice, the dose is much much lower than the kind you buy over the counter.

[PieMistress]

Would taking a low dose asprin conflict with vitamin K (which aids clotting) that you get in conception/pregnancy multi-vitamins?

I already had some 10mg vitamin D from Asda so will take that alongside my multi-vitamin. Is the 40mg the whole way through pregnancy? I wonder what it is about Vitamin D?

Have seen omega 3 tablets as DHA on the zita west site but they are £10 for a months supply (and i'd prefer a liquid version rather than capsules)

Thanks freelance and beamur for all your very helpful info x

[freelancegirl]

I don't think there would be a conflict with the Vit K if they are already in the pre conception vits. But just having a look at Pregnacare and they don't seem to have it in anyway:

Nutritional Information Average Per Tablet % RDA

L-Arginine 100mg --
Inositol 50 mg --
Betacarotene (Natural Source) 3 mg --
N-Acetyl Cysteine 50 mg --
Vitamin D (as D3 600 I.U.) 15 mcg 300
Vitamin E (Natural Source) 30 mg 300
Vitamin C 90 mg 150
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 8 mg 571
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 5 mg 313
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 20 mg 111
Vitamin B6 10 mg 500
Folic Acid 400 mcg 200
Vitamin B12 20 mcg 2000
Biotin 150 mcg 100
Pantothenic Acid 6 mg 100
Iron Selenium 14 mg 50 mcg 100 --
Magnesium 60 mg 20
Zinc 15 mg 100
Iodine 140 mcg 93
Copper 1000 mcg --

Active ingredients
L-Arginine

Regarding Vit D, there's a load of stuff about it online and calls by some to raise the RDA, particularly when ttc and/or pregnant.

Here's a good piece on it:

sites.google.com/site/miscarriageresearch/vitamins-and-miscarriage/vitamin-d

Most advice I have found says you can stop taking Folic Acid, Omega 3 and Vit D around 12 weeks when the placenta starts to take over. And continue with aspirin until around 20 weeks.

[PieMistress]

Thanks free x

[PieMistress]

Found some liquid vitamin D3 drops in holland and barratt where you can adjust the dosage ie/ 4 drops = 10mcg and 10 drops = 25mcg etc so got some of that to up my daily intake a little from what is in my multi-vits.

Looked at lots of Omega 3 but they all had a lot of Vitamin E (which is already in the multi vits) and Evening Primrose Oil in them so didn't get any. The pregnancy specific capsules are expensive!

[freelancegirl]

the liquid vit d3 sounds great Pie. Just what you were after. Yes the pregnacare and omega three are really expensive. I try to justify it with other things - like I would easily spend that money on a bottle of wine if I was out and about. Hopefully you won't be taking it that long too....? I was considering taking some non-preg Omega 3 I already had in the cupboard but when for the special stuff myself. Probably falling right into their failsafe plan to make you worried enough to buy there expensive stuff...

[PieMistress]

Just resurrecting this old thread I started a while ago.

free did you find any non-preg Omega 3 at all? I've been looking specifically for a liquid one as the tablets are huge!!

I read your very interesting link on a thread on the miscarriage board which had lots of useful info on it regarding vits and miscarriage. I was intrigued to read that 750mg of vitamin C can help increase low progesterone (which i'm sure i'm suffering from, not least because my CD21 result was too low).

It also had high stats relating to stress and miscarriage. I am trying so hard to remove stress from my life but it's so impossible as my job has horribly high peaks of stress. But, have had 3 acupuncture sessions now and feel it does help to calm me down!

Anyway, just bumping this!

[freelancegirl]

Hi Pie! I've forgotten where you are at with everything - ie are you pregnant? I guess you know that I miscarried again then! I did have a couple of sessions of acupuncture when pregnant this time and I was taking all the vit and also steroids for high nk cells.

Funnly enough I have a follow up appointment with my specialist this week to see what the next step will be. Oh of course I have to get pregnant first so waiting for af in a couple of weeks, hopefully. Otherwise I have added a proper dose of selenium - on top of Pregnacare am taking an additional 150mg and have also added magnesium. Will let you know what else I change when I speak to the doc! Know I didn't find another Omega 3 but carried on taking the one with Pregnacare.

One thing I was reading about the other night was the Foresight plan and possibly considering sending off my hair for analysis.. check it out online. But am not sure at the mo.

[PieMistress]

Hi free ! Sadly not pregnant yet :( Am now on my 3rd or 4th cycle since the m/c (I do chart but get confused!) and my cycles have been all over the place so charting keeps me semi-sane! Have also been going to an acupuncturist which is helping with my stress levels at work/not sleeping well and, he said, can also help with blood flow for fertility (or something!)

I was so sorry to read about your m/c :( especially after you'd been given the steroids. Am so hoping that next time is THE sticky bean for you!

I probably sound like a woman obsessed but I guess i'm just trying to do anything I can to stop it happening again if/when I get pg. I'm so annoyed with myself in that if i'd been this informed 6 months ago then the m/c might not have happened (but I try not to think about that too much otherwise I get v.depressed!). Why was I still having a daily cup of coffee

[no1childminder]

hi piemistress im on cycle 4 after my MMC. it happened first time last time so its horrible that its taken this long this time :( i know i shouldnt be moaning about that though as i read on here some women try for years!

i also wondered if i should do anything different this time, but last time i was as good as gold. cut out caffeine, took pregnacare and avoided food i was told to avoid. i was stressed though, BIG TIME! im a nanny and worked for the most horrible woman ever!! this time im very relaxed, and ive joined the gym, last time i wasnt doing any exercise. I was on weight watchers when i fell pregnant, and im back on it now.

im due to test fri morn, so i got my fingers crossed!!!

fingers crossed for you too!

[hairylights]

I cranked up my already healthy diet and I didn't have any scans til
After 8 weeks. No baths just showers. No sex until 12 weeks. Are lots more eggs while ttc and went on holiday 2 weeks before I conceived.

[PieMistress]

thanks hairy I think stress is playing a key part in all of this for me. I am trying to do something about it though as it is also really affecting my sleep. We had a nice week off last week though which was great but sadly had to come back to work.

good luck with testing no1childminder fingers crossed!

[Velvetcu]

hi Pie sorry for your loss - it's really shit isn't it.

On the cycle I got pg (cycle 6) after my mmc I did a couple of things differently. First off I stopped stressing. I know it's hard to do but I had kind of given up. Following on from this I went on a couple of boozy nights out around ov time to try and get back to normal which led to SFF rather than just for TTC.

I also started eating brazil nuts at day 14.

Don't know if any of it helped or if it was just coincidence.