Expert: Pat G - 1/12/2010

Question
QUESTION: i had a miscarriage on 7/9/09 when i was 6 weeks pregnant.i usually have regular menses of 7days with intervals of 28days.im having my menses after the miscarriage,started 7/10/09.the problem is, it has been 13 days, and im still having spots of blood whenever i pass urine.
it started off with 3 days normal menses,and then it stopped completely.from there on,it has been drops of blood whenever i pass urine.please help on the issue.

ANSWER: Hello, alisha,

When a woman has a miscarriage, it may cause her hormones to be out of balance for awhile. But since it has been more than three months, by now things should have settled down.

You really need to see a doctor to get an answer to your question because nobody can tell you over the internet what is wrong specifically with your body, not even a doctor. You could have a problem with your urinary tract, either an infection or an injury. Or, your hormones could still be off for some reason. So please go see a doctor about this.

Another thing you should look at is diet. If you are malnourished, this could keep you from having a normal period. If you think this is a possibility, let me know and we can talk about it. If you are a vegetarian, I would say that it is highly likely you are suffering from malnutrition, but we'd have to talk about it in detail.

Please let me know what you find out, and take care.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hello there, thank you very much for the immediate guidance on my problem few months back.I'm glad to say that I'm feeling great and to be frank,I'm ready to try again.
the irregular menses which i had immediately after the miscarriage was because of hormone imbalances and nothing serious. now that I've passed three menses cycle with regular and normal menstruation, i would like to know if its safe for me to try again.
according to my gyn, the more you rest, the better.she's saying, what is the hurry,I'm still very young!but i really want to have a baby and my heart says I've taken enough rest. so please advice on this matter.i don't want to experience another miscarriage because i failed to take complete rest!

ANSWER: Hello, alisha,

You're welcome.

It sounds like the doctor wants to play it safe. That way, if you get pregnant right away, and have another miscarriage, she can say that she advised you otherwise. It's actually better if you have your babies when you are still young. Having a healthy pregnancy is much more likely when you are young. If you want a baby, there is no reason not to try again. Often, we have no idea why a given baby didn't make it. Unless they ran some tests and got some results, they don't know in your case, and not all miscarriages are due to a problem with the mother's body. About 1/4 of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. As long as you are eating a good diet and feel good, I don't see why you shouldn't try again. There are no guarantees, but certainly I wouldn't blame lack of waiting for a problem if it develops. Whether or not you want to have your babies now isn't really your doctor's decision.

So no, I don't agree that you should have to wait a long time. You might not even get pregnant right away, anyway. Once you do, you can have your hormones tested to see whether the pregnancy is as it should be.

Let me just point out one thing that may help ease your mind. Obviously, my story isn't going to mean a whole lot in your particular case, but you may find it encouraging. I became pregnant in July of 1977, if I recall the year correctly. There was something wrong from the outset; I kept having periods. A couple of months later, I had a hemorrhage and went to the emergency room. The bleeding subsided. A pregnancy test was positive. The following month, I had slight bleeding. And the month after that, no bleeding at all. However, in retrospect, I noticed fertile mucus two weeks before that period was due. At the beginning of December, I felt strong movement one day, and after that, nothing at all. To make a long story short, I conceived a second child in the middle of November, and this child sustained the pregnancy. The first child died at the beginning of December, and my body took care of the remains. This is all a matter of medical record. I started feeling movement again in March. My son was born the following July, completely healthy. There was no sign of the other baby, and the birth was a normal homebirth. In fact, I had very little pain. He is now married, the father of two healthy children, and he has a fourth degree black belt in taekwondo. He does TV cable installing for a living, which means climbing electric poles. In other words, he's as healthy as a horse.

We know that women sometimes carry twins and do fine. There is a medical term for what I experienced, but I don't remember what it is. So obviously, if I can have a successful pregnancy under such circumstances, and women can have twins, and some women actually sometimes have babies a year apart, I don't see why your prior miscarriage should even be an issue. If there is something wrong with your body, I'm sure you will find out. But the only way you can find out is to try. Good luck, and let me know when you're pregnant! :)



PS. Thank you so much for all those very kind words. You have very much lifted my spirits!

Hugs,
Pat

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Pat G. Hope the new year brings you lots of happiness and joy.

Like you advised,I actually started trying for the next baby.My last menses was 6th Dec 2009. But after 36 days (10th Jan 2010), I did a home pregnancy test. Since the 2nd line wasn't really clear (I'm referring to the Test Line), I thought I wasn't pregnant and thought of giving myself another 4-5days. But on the 12th Jan 2010, I had my menses with a slight cramping.

My question is,if I were pregnant,but I failed to notice,does that mean I'm having another miscarriage? Or its just a delayed menses? Because I believe,having another miscarriage is definitely not a good sign! Hope you can guide on this matter.

Actually I explain well in writing,so, having you as my online gyn is a great feeling! Thanks once again.

Answer
Hello, alisha,

Thank you. I hope you also have a year full of happiness and joy, including the happiness of a new baby.

Please know I am not a doctor. So I can't be your online gyn. But I have done a lot of research, and I have talked to a lot of women. I believe a healthy woman who is in a stable relationship has a right to have a child whenever she wants. Usually, that means marriage. It is rare for the relationship to be stable otherwise. Being married also can help ease a woman's fears, and that may help her to be able to have a healthy child.

I don't know what it means that you got a very slight positive. While tests can give a false positive, I don't know whether pregnancy tests tend to do that. Given when you tested, it's very possible that if you were pregnant, the baby wasn't viable. This doesn't necessarily mean that your body is at fault.

You should take a look at your diet and your environment. Are you eating a healthy diet? You need animal protein and fat, so if you are eating a vegetarian diet, this could be part of the problem. Meat, eggs, or milk will help. I know that milk is not a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine, and I'm assuming you eat Chinese, but I could be mistaken. Also, there is probably a lot of pollution in Hong Kong, so that may have an effect. And if you are taking medication, that might interfere. Also, if you smoke, you should stop. That will help.

You should probably have your hormones tested to see if they are back to normal. Also, if you learn to tell when you are fertile, that may help. You have to chart faithfully, and you can't be using any hormones. To learn more, go here:

http://www.fertilityuk.org/

Then you can time your sexual activity for when you are fertile.

I will look forward to hearing that you are pregnant and doing well. Take care!