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Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum. See also legal rights and support after baby loss.

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Original poster

Can a really bad cold/virus cause a miscarriage?

28 replies

HeadFairy · 23/01/2009 11:01

I've just had my second mc in a row. The first one I put down to bad luck, just one of those things, something went wrong at early cell division... usual things. This time I'm hoping that a terrible cold/virus I had over Christmas might have caused it. I had a four week cold, with a temp of 39 for four days right when I ov'd. The rest of the time I had the worst sore throat of my life, then a hacking cough that lasted two weeks. I was dosed up to the eyeballs with paracetamol/benylin/lemsip/strepsils just to get through Christmas. I had an early scan yesterday after I'd had some spotting and the sonographer couldn't see anything in my uterus at all. After I went home I started bleeding heavily and last night I miscarried. I'm thinking the embryo never implanted, but I'm hoping it's because I was so ill and not because my eggs are old and rubbish (I'm 38). Does anyone know if that's possible/likely?

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Malkuth · 23/01/2009 11:03

I was told that a bad virus was the likely cause of my second miscarriage and that the EPU always saw more mcs over the winter months because of that reason.

So sorry that you are going through this.

wasabipeanut · 23/01/2009 11:22

I have wondered this too. I had some sort of stomach bug over Xmas - felt really dreadful and didn't want to eat at all for a couple of days on Xmas day and Boxing Day. After that point I didn't feel pregnant anymore and, as you probably know, the baby didn't make it past that point.

If it was the case that me being ill caused issues I take some comfort from it - it was just bad luck as opposed to a more serious problem.

Original poster

HeadFairy · 23/01/2009 11:41

That's just what I was thinking wasabi, that if it was caused by some kind of bug, it gives you a bit more of a chance next time. So sorry you had such a terrible thing happen over Christmas and new year. It's such rotten timing, esp as you're supposed to be all jolly and happy.

Very interesting what you say about a peak of mcs in winter malkuth... I might ask the mw at the EPU when I go on monday if she's seen a similar peak.

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wasabipeanut · 23/01/2009 11:49

Yeah as Xmas's go it was pretty shite tbh.

How are you HeadFairy - have you started to mc naturally? Are you coping ok? x

Original poster

HeadFairy · 23/01/2009 11:52

I can imagine.

I'm ok wasabi thanks. I'm fairly sure I'm mc'ing naturally. I haven't had anything confirmed, but the amount of blood and clots has got to be a mc. I've had a good cry, and been sensible this time and booked myself off work for a week to recover. Last time I only took one day off work and despite being emotionally fine, I was washed out for weeks. I've never been so pale and poorly!

How are you doing? Did you mc naturally and has your cycle returned properly? Last time I ov'd 15 days after my mc (I used opks just to see what was happening) and I was back in my normal 28 day cycle straight away, so hopefully that'll happen this time, which is something to be grateful for.

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wasabipeanut · 23/01/2009 11:57

I'm currently still in the middle of it! It's taken a few days to get going but started on Monday lst a lot of blood and clots now so am hoping that it may start to taper down soon.

Am working from home today and will have a very gentle weekend then I am at home with my ds on Monday and Tuesday.

I am just hoping that everything comes away naturally and that after all this I don't still have to have a EPRC. That would be the worst - I am scared of having a GA if I am being honest. I'm also hoping that my cycle gets back to normal quickly.

ThumbBurns · 23/01/2009 12:03

so for you - I doubt this is of any real comfort now but might be later..

My mum had a really bad cold/flu virus when she was pg with her 2nd baby (prob 1st trimester) and it affected the foetus, seemingly. He had to be delivered by CS, prematurely and only lived a few hours. He had oedema of the arms (hugely swollen) and was described oh-so-sensitively on Mum's notes as "monster" (an old-fashioned medical term). She later found out that there was quite a high incidence of pg problems as a result of that particularly virulent virus that year. So, while a MC is a dreadful thing to have to deal with, it could be seen as preferable to the option my mum got.

wasabipeanut · 23/01/2009 12:07

my God ThumbBurns - that's just horrific. I sometimes wonder how people who have had to endure an experience like that can continue to function

ThumbBurns · 23/01/2009 12:13

well she didn't do very well for a while and it did rather scar her for life, but she got on and got pg again the following year and had twins. She alwasy maintained she got twins to make up for the one she lost, which was a nice way of looking at it (didn't make me feel any better about suddenly having TWO babies taking my mummy away but hey! It's not about me..)

When I say it scarred her for life - she wasn't a hopeless depressive or anythign but it was a very strong point of reference for her - she was on morphine for a while and during that time, my nan and my dad managed the sad part of dealing with the baby. What really got her, and I can see why, was that they felt it would be better for her not to know what happened or where the baby ended up. This state of affairs would never be allowed now as it is well understood that grieving is part of the healing process, but this was 1970 and on the tail end of the "you've just got to forget about it and move on" sort of attitude.

Original poster

HeadFairy · 23/01/2009 12:14

What a dreadful thing your poor mum had to go through thumbburns... God are we ever lucky to be having our babies (or trying to!) in the 21st century. My mum miscarried at about 22 weeks in 1969 and she had to deliver the baby, which was whipped away, she doesn't even know what sex it was, she never got to say goodbye to her baby or even where he/she was buried, if he/she was buried at all. The grief she endured caused the most horrendous pnd which continued for years after I was born 15 months later. Instead of any kind of bereavement counselling she was filled up with sleeping pills and lived like a zombie for years. Dreadful.

Wasabi, sounds like you're in the same place as I am, I think I've had the heaviest bit of bleeding. It was last night, I didn't turn the light on when I went to the loo, didn't want to see what came out to be honest, but in the gloom I could see it was a lot. I'm still getting mild cramping now but the bleeding has settled down to average period level. I might sound bonkers but I'm going to count today as cd1 and try to look forward as much as I can to ttc again. PMA is my watchword (positive mental attitude!)

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Original poster

HeadFairy · 23/01/2009 12:16

ThumbBurns - x post, but crikey, it's shocking how similar their experiences were. I'm so glad your mum went on to have twins, it is lovely as you say, to get two babies to replace the one she lost. Sadly my mum coped less well. She didn't touch me for the first 6 months of my life because of the pnd. My dad had a crash course in looking after a baby!

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ThumbBurns · 23/01/2009 12:16

dreadfully sad for your mum too Headfairy - as you say, we are so lucky that we have our pgs in this era and not 40 years ago.

wasabipeanut · 23/01/2009 12:34

HeadFairy - your poor mums's story is also horrific. What women had to endure in those circumstances was utterly barbaric - there can be no other word. I agree that we are lucky to be of the age we are now.

Jesus I am genuinely shocked at the way both of your mothers were treated. It certainly makes you realise how far we've progressed.

Daynee · 23/01/2009 13:20

Hi ladies - Thanks for sharing your stories. I certainly agree that times are more sensitive now and medicine has come a long way...and yet I think there is still a long way to go. I wonder what the future will hold. Fewer women will probably have mc's because they will know more about the causes...Currently, it seems we are all looing and begging and praying for answers--anything that can help ease our minds.

I've never been sick during a pg but it sounds to me that this could be a viable cause considering how intricate and sensitive our bodies are. NOw you have me thinking - could stress actually cause a mc? I kind of doubt it but who knows? I've had a lot going on with work 50 hours a week and night school (going for a Master's) and I'm just naturally a nervous person! I'm also wondering if decaf coffee is okay to be drinking. THere is only like 2% caffeine in it.... Any thoughts?

kittywise · 23/01/2009 13:26

Thing is you will never know, that's what's so frustrating about most m/c.

When in very early pg with no 3 I had 4 weeks of HORRENDOUS flu and then pneumonia. Thank heavens it didn't affect the baby.

Original poster

HeadFairy · 23/01/2009 13:26

I've always been told stress can't cause a mc. My grandmother loves telling me the story of how my mum was conceived during her two day honeymoon in London with my grandad, during the war, in the middle of an air raid. They were trying to take their minds off the bombs dropping!! Now if my grandmother can conceive and stay pg during the Blitz despite regularly sleeping in air raid shelters and tube stations, I reckon a bit of stress won't harm a baby if it's healthy in all other ways.

I figured my body realised this time it was going through a bad virus with a high temp and just prevented the embryo implanting as it would probably have been damaged by the virus, so it hung around a couple of weeks giving off enough hormones to stop my periods.

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Original poster

HeadFairy · 23/01/2009 13:27

It's true, you'll never know kittywise. I think the difference with me was that it was bang over the time i ov'd so the pregnancy never got going.

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kittywise · 23/01/2009 13:33

Tbh I doubt a viral infection had anything to do with it. I'm not an expert at all, but I've researched and researched masses over the years. I have had many M/C and many children!

Some viral infections can of course make difference to the growing embryo, chicken pox and the like. But most of the bog standard stuff we get won't make any difference o the success of a pg as far as I've read up on/ been told so far.

The chances are your 2nd M/C was for the same reasons as your first and it is most likely that it was just not viable.

However, you should always speak to the 'experts' if you need to. Most of the time though, they don't know the reasons either.

Good luck

belgo · 23/01/2009 13:36

I wondered with my first m/c if it was caused by a UTI. With my second I wondered if a bad cough I had had somehow caused the embryo not to implant properly. Pure speculation on my part.

NimChimpsky · 23/01/2009 13:39

When I had a mc I worried if it was because I'd been really poorly around the time of implantation. My GP said it was extremely unlikely but possibly the medicine I'd taken to combat said illness could have caused it. The medicine I took is definitely contraindicated in pg (didn't know at the time that I was pg).

It's so difficult because you want a reason for it happening but then if you find a virus could have caused it, it has implications for the next pregnancy because viruses are so unavoidable and you end up stressed as soon as one starts.

I am truly sorry any of you have to go through this.

Original poster

HeadFairy · 23/01/2009 13:51

Nim I was taking tons of medicines, combining them any everything. Most of it says not to take during pregnancy but to be honest I thought that was just standard as a caution. Maybe that was it.

I know I'm just clutching at straws, maybe it's my way of coping

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Tillyscoutsmum · 23/01/2009 13:57

HeadFairy - so sorry you're miscarrying

I don't know anything about a virus causing in, but I do recognise the need to want a reason for it.

Original poster

HeadFairy · 23/01/2009 14:03

Thanks tillyscoutsmum,that's kind of you. I was going to update my earlier threads but just couldn't face it... am entertaining myself reading everyone's guilty secrets instead

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banjaxed · 23/01/2009 14:21

So sorry headfairy - it's so tough. Look after yourself.

I had a mmc at 9wks and the baby measured 7+4. I had a really nasty 24hr stomach bug at 7 wks - high temp and throwing up all night. I asked the sonographer if it was likely that it had a role in the miscarriage and she said not likely.

I still wonder though. We're told not to have hot jacuzzis during pg, and I know that UTIs have a definite link to mc (I was routinely tested for one at my booking in this time around), so it's not clear that a fever isn't harmful.

But, as we all know, we'll never know short of chromosome testing every miscarried foetus.

Original poster

HeadFairy · 23/01/2009 14:33

Banjaxed, I'm increasingly coming round to the idea that the virus didn't cause the mc. I've just spoken to the mw at the EPU and she said that it was unlikely the virus caused the mc, and that the outcome of a pregnancy is usually determined the moment the egg and the sperm meet, so it's much more likely it was some kind of chromasomal problem. She was very reassuring about my age though... she said that although I'm 38 statistically I've still got a very good chance of having a successful pregnancy.

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