Can you prevent miscarriage?
Before I begin my story I would just like to say a couple of things. I'm not a doctor, a nurse, a naturopath or a midwife. I have no medical training whatsoever. But, I do want to share this story with you simply as an account of my personal experience. What you do with the information is your choice. I also want to wish you all the best in your journey as you strive to become a mother.
In 1995 I fell pregnant for the first time. It was a little bit accidental, I was on the pill but, due to a few days of gastro, it was ineffective for one cycle. After taking a few weeks to get used to the idea my husband and I were beginning to adjust. We waited until the twelve week mark to begin sharing our news. Our families were a little surprised, as we had only been married for eight months at that stage, but of course they were very happy for us.
Then, at thirteen weeks and two days, I began to bleed very heavily. A scan confirmed that we had lost out precious little baby, and even though we had not originally planned the pregnancy, we were now ready to be parents. The grief we felt took a long time to heal, for us and for many family members.
Six months later I was ecstatic to discover that I was pregnant for a second time. I was at the six week mark when I did the test, and I told my husband the news the minute he got home from work that evening. The joy we felt only lasted one week. Once again I began to bleed and our second baby was also lost to us through miscarriage.
I was never offered any kind of explanation for my miscarriages. I was simply told "these things actually happen quite regularly" and "we don't begin investigating reasons for 'reoccurring miscarriage' until it has happened at least three times", and worst of all 'don't worry, you can always have more'. These kinds of statements were more hurtful than helpful.
At this stage I began to get very depressed. But we did not give up. After two more years of trying to conceive, including many doctor's visits and a fertility specialist, I was told it was time to begin treatment with Clomid. My sister in law had told me about the naturopath that she had been seeing, so I decided to make an appointment with him before turning to fertility drugs.
The naturopath was a wonderful old gentleman. After a full check-up and a long discussion of my history he prescribed four or five different drops and tablets. There was one jar of tablets in particular that I believe made all the difference in the world.
He explained to me that these tablets were only to be taken if I was ever in the process of having a miscarriage again. He said to take one tablet at night when I went to bed if there had been any bleeding at all during that day. And, I was to stop taking them immediately once the bleeding stopped. Getting as much bed-rest as possible was also recommended.
This was something my doctor told me not to worry about. "If you are going to lose this baby, then there is nothing you can do about it. Bed-rest won't help", he said.
And so, two and a half years after my second miscarriage I fell pregnant for the third time, without the help of my doctor or Clomid, but with the help of the naturopathic prescriptions. About halfway through week eight I began to bleed once again. I was so upset, but I tried to keep a positive attitude and I took the special tablets exactly as they had been prescribed.
After three days of bleeding, (this got progressively lighter as time went on) it finally stopped completely. I took a total of three tablets and got as much rest as I could. Seven months later my beautiful daughter was born.
Twelve months after her birth we were ready to start trying for our second child. Since my previous pregnancy I had moved house a couple of times and somewhere along the way I was packing things and came across the tablets. They had passed the used by date and so I discarded them. I told myself at the time that I would have to buy some more next time I conceived.
It took two more years, but finally I was pregnant for the fourth time. I had stopped charting my fertility at the time I fell pregnant as I felt this was creating even more stress for me at the time. I had simply been living healthy, taking my vitamins and waiting for an egg to stick. In fact, I didn't even realize I was pregnant until I started vomiting for a couple of days in a row. My daughter was thirsty and wanted a drink from my water bottle, but I told her that I would get her a bottle of her own because I did not want her to catch the bug that I had. My husband gave me a funny look and said "there is no way she can catch the little bug that you have got in your tummy"... He knew what was going on before I had even realized.
An ultrasound soon after showed me to be at about seven weeks, and everything seemed to be progressing fine. Then at about eight weeks something just didn't feel right. I was lying in bed one morning and when I felt a sudden rush off wetness, I jumped up and hurried to the bathroom in panic. I was hemorrhaging so badly that there was blood on the ensuite floor and, as I sat myself on the loo there was so much blood that it actually sounded like I was doing a wee. I was terrified for the baby and for myself.
After a trip to the hospital and an ultrasound I was told that I was most likely going to miscarry again. I was sent home to wait. At that stage I had not bought another bottle of the special tablets, And, I now lived a long way from the place where I had bought them. I rang my mom and dad, and it was very difficult for me to give them the news that I was pregnant again but that I was beginning to lose the baby.
I told them about the tablets and where to get them. They lived about twenty minutes away from the store where the naturopath had his practice. When they arrived he wasn't in that day. They spoke to the shop keeper and explained the situation. However, she was not keen to hand out these tablets without the naturopath being there to assess the situation. Dad tells me that the very dramatic words, "this is a life or death situation" were used. The woman handed over the tablets and my parents drove directly to my home, a journey of about five hours.
I took the tablets that night and for the next three nights. I rested and I waited and I prayed. The bleeding stopped. I went to my Doctor and requested another scan. There was a tiny heartbeat. Later that year I became mum to a second gorgeous little girl.
Some people say that a miscarriage is nature's way of telling you that this baby just is not meant to be, that perhaps there is something wrong with the baby, or with you. But I was not happy just doing nothing. I had to give my little babies every chance at life that I could, and even if they were to be born with disabilities I know I would still love them just as much, if not more.
Having said that, I want you to know that my two daughters are strong, healthy, active and intelligent girls. No bias on my part of course, but they are also beautiful.
So now, here I am trying to conceive baby number three. I rang the store where I purchased the special tablets 12 years ago. Sadly, the naturopath has now passed away, but after hearing my story the store owner wanted to help. She even went out of her way to look back through the archives for my file and then she rang the supplier to verify that she had the right tablets and that the active ingredients had not changed since I used them last. She sent them straight to me, express post, and I now have a little jar sitting in my bedside drawer, I pray that I won't need them, but it's good to know that they are there if I do.
The tablets are made by 'Blackmores Professional' and they are called 'Z.B.M.'. They are not available to the public. They need to be prescribed and supplied by a Natural Health Care Practitioner. Did these tablets prevent my two threatened miscarriages from progressing to complete miscarriages? In my own case I definitely believe they did.
To offer a person false hope is wrong. To leave them with no hope is a tragedy.
