missbec recently mentioned a list of miscarriage exams in one of her posts, I did most of these and they were all fine, except MTHFR. It came back as indicating a genetical mutation ("compound heterozygotous MTHFR mutation"). Apparently this means that I have inherited this condition from one of my parents. It wouldn't be a problem per se if it was only one mutation, but there are 2 of them ("compound") which makes it a risk. I am taking 4mg of folic acid daily (ten times the normal dosis) and will be on heparin once I'm pregnant again. Does anybody have a similar condition and experience to share?
Indy--I'm a little late in your to our little thread! Sorry for the loss you've suffered, I pray that you find comfort and security among the awesome girls we've got here! Big *hugs*
jenushka--Will be thinking of you and your first little angel today! Good luck with your Halloween u/s--can't wait to hear all about your little punkin!
Mel--It can be such a comfort just knowing you're not alone.... we all understand the anguish and angst that come attached with a m/c. Please feel free to vent anytime you need to! We're all here for you! Big *hugs* coming your way!
chappas--Buggers, d@mn AF! Here's some anti vibes for you! Will be here to continue cheering you on with the next cycle!
plc--You have a talent for wording things so beautifully! Always appreciate your posts... they always make me smile! Tomorrow.... chat.... be there, or be square!
Tam--Unfortunately mollycat wasn't blessed in the usual Angel/Jen experience.... had too many distractions going on! But in my own defense, my usual chat time is early in the am... and we chatted in the evening, which is a hectic time for me... so, sorry, mollycat if we were a touch boring last night! Will aim to do better next time! The best chats are the ones that leave your tummy hurting from laughing too much, and you've got tears of laughter in your eyes! So both of you--be there--Friday night!
Easha--Hmmm.... maybe you should get a BT done if today's temp is still above coverline.... could you possibly be UTD during AF? It's possible.... Hope you get some answers! *hugs*
Milla--Sorry to hear about you BT results. I wish I could offer you some advise... hopefully one of the other's will be able to answer your question on the MTHFR. Am I the only one that thinks this looks like an abbreviation for a not-so-nice cuss word? Hope you find the answers you're looking for, Milla! *Hugs* for you!
Angel--Missed you this am! Looking forward to Friday! *kiss*
Krystie--Hope you can join us on Friday! It's been too long! So happy to see you poking your head in, though! It's great to see your beautiful avi again! *kiss* Bellyrubs to little Chyan from her favorite Auntie Hen Jen!
WTH--Thinking of you! *hugs*
Hi's to Toccara, issy, Van, Megsmum, & smi Big for you all!
Me--Just have to add that I had an interesting temp jump today.... hmmmm.... but not looking into anything just yet! Too busy to POAS anyways, but will keep you posted on how things progress! Fingers crossed!
Last edited by jen805; October 16th, 2008 at 11:54 PM.
: added "me"
dellydoo... I think you've made a good decision to go back to work and get out of the house...
Angel Babies...It is simply too hard to leave this special place and all the wonderful support! The benefits are umm...NICE to say the least...let's just say I am pretty stress free at the moment LOL
Thanks ladies for giving me such a warm welcome back to TTC...I appreciate all of you and the support you've given has been 1st class!
Jen, you are very right about the name MTHFR ...I does sound like the 1990 Prince hit:-)
Here are some information I found on the Internet. Maybe it can be useful to some ladies here in the forum. My former ob/gyn didn't want to run the tests; he said they are normally done "after a 3rd m/c". I had to convince him to do the after all, and now I know that there is something I can treat next time. I'm now with a new ob/gyn who is much more proactive and I think that's a good thing. I don't see the point of going through a 3rd m/c with all its pain and heartbreak if I can potentially avoid it by taking a simple blood test.
What's interesting here is that the MTHFR mutation is also linked to anxiety and depression. I have had a major clinical depression 8 years ago for now apparent reason (I was on anti-depressants for 2 years), so I am wondering if there is any link.
I hope the following information will be useful to some of you ladies out there: (as I said, my treatment is high dose folic acid and daily heparin once pregnant)
What is MTHFR?
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is the name of a gene that produces an enzyme, also called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. If a person carries the genetic mutation that inhibits production of this enzyme, it can result in hyperhomocytenemia, which is an elevated level of an enzyme called homocysteine found in blood plasma.
When the body is deficient in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, its ability to absorb folate (also known as vitamin B9), such as folic acid, is inhibited. Folic acid and B9 are both essential to the development and health of the fetus.
MTHFR and Pregnancy
Because of a mother with MTHFR?s inability to efficiently metabolize folic acid and vitamin B9, the disorder has been linked to a variety of pregnancy complications such as chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome, and congenital malformations.
Elevated levels of homocysteine have been associated with placental disease, preeclampsia and recurrent pregnancy loss. 21% of women with high levels of homocysteine experience recurrent pregnancy loss.
Symptoms
Because MTHFR is a blood-based disease with many varieties, symptoms vary depending on the exact mutation of the disease. They can include:
blood clots
depression
anxiety
Detection
Blood testing is the most accurate way to screen for MTHFR. This is especially true if women have a history of complicated pregnancies, including recurrent pregnancy loss and/or stillbirths, or if they have given birth to a child with neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.
Treatment
Taking folic acid can help women with certain mutations of the disease. Folic acid can be found in eggs, dark leafy vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli, oranges and orange juice and legumes, such as peas and dried beans. Vitamin supplements also contain folic acid.
Jen Jen.... i sooooo sowwwwwwyyyyyyyy....... i went out to the movies...well and diner... couldnt help it.... i ve been stuck at home over 2 weeks coming up to3...... I said to DHl... what can we do for dinner.... DS1 came in and i asked him... and he said how bout going out to dinner and then to a movie.... so I thought... what a damn fine idea... bit of quality family time.... PS.. movie was bloody funny... was a silly Australian one with a cameo appearances from a couple of my favourite football players.
Anyway i jumped straight into chat when i got back but i know you would have already been gone for school..... sorry
Milla.... what a word "Methylenetetrahydrofolate" i dont think I ve ever seen a word that long... it looks misspelt... didnt touch it honest.... but thanks for the info.
Smi.... its good to have those BENEFITS occasionally..... I know i used to ENJOY them... to say the least.... I ended up marrying him... but it wasnt the plan at the time ohhh still enjoy them... dont you worry....
FIFI... good to catch up this morning.... hope the next 6 days fly past.... i m sure everything will be fine
Ohhh and I am soooo dobbing on Jen Jen...... now to everyone who has been in Friday night chats.... when you go to leave... Jen Jen will put it on you about piking so early.... mind you its like 12 or 1am........ so here I am off work.... so i figure... lets make this easier and i ll catch up with her nice and early her time..... what does nana do... she chats for a while and pikes... its like 9.30 her time or something like that.... but she has to head off to bed...... LMAO.... what jen jen... did you have the little grandma nighty with matching grandma undies on and a little night time bonet. i can picture you... did you need the walking frame to make it from the computer to the bed ahhh i m loooooooosing it here... i d better stop before i choke.
Esha..... no idea about temps hun.... ask grandma up above... she would know
Molly... good to catch up today... although breif..... looking forward to tomorrow night instead
Tam.... was great getting to know you better the other night..... my throat was soooo sore girl..... DH and Both DS s were laughing at how stupid i sounded
BB good to see you had a nice day yesterday..... my parent s went out also and brought candels.... and lit at 7pm..... then rang me at 8 to proudly announce that they did...... doesnt life get funny sometimes. I really do appreciate that they did it though.
Well thats about me caught up..... Krystie... hopefully you and little chyan can keep it together tomorrow night long enough to pop your head in... looking forward to seeing everyone there..
Take care... huge hugs to everyone including anyone i ve missed.
Hi, sorry I missed everything. Had a bad few days. Seen my dr today he told me to wait 2 cycles. I'm only waiting 1. Lots of love and prayers to everyone here.
Well what can i say. I'm addicted to BB. I am sitting here typing with one hand whilst i dry my hair with the other. Angel you could imagine how long this is taking me to type
Mila Sorry to hear about your BT results but looking at it from a glass half full at least the found something and it's something that they can treat. I'm glad that you pushed your obgyn into doing the tests and your one step closer actually probably a whole football field to having a healthy stciky pg.
Jonisteve Sorry that the last few days have been rough on you hang in there, there is light at the end of the tunnel. They say that there is no real reason why you cant ttc straight away. From what I have read they say that for emotional reasons so it gives you time to grieve and recover. So I think whenever you feel up to you could start. So if it's next cycle as you said in you post I would say go for it
Angel Glad to hear that you went out and had a great time with your family As much as I missed you in chat last night I guess I have to share you Hopefully I will get time tonight to get on, DH is home from work so might be a bit hard.
Jen What a shame I missed you in Chat even if you were lame I will try my best to come in tonight but DH is home so might be a bit hard. He gets a bit jealous of BB. Oh an I have added in my temp chart below so giving you the right to chart stalk if you wish
Easha I have only just started BBt this cycle so I cant help you with the temp thing. They only thing I can suggest is going for a BT. I hope that you figure out what is happening
Indly sorry that you have had to come to this forum. I hope you are doing as well as what can be expected. I hope that your stay here is short.
WTH Just thought I would let you know that I am thinking of you and praying that you caught that egg and get a sticky BFP. Sorry that they had to cancel your first cycle. Hope that if there is a next one that it works.
Dellydoo Hope that you are still feeling strong and that if your back at work just take one step at at time.
AFM AF has almost left the building almost. I would say one more day and the gooonnee and hopefully not return for another 9 - 10months. Still no side effect from the clomid yet so praing that it is working. Well this post has taken me almost 40 minutes to write. So I have to finish getting ready and then going shopping for DH b'day present which is next month.
Last edited by Tam83; October 17th, 2008 at 10:11 AM.
Tam... i m not going to hassle you with how long it took for the post... typing while hair drying... thats pure dedication girl
jonisteve... Some days hun the fog is so dense you can hardly see through it... we all know those days.l... it does lift however hun... and remember.... One Day At A Time
Jen - stunning chart, beautiful temp rise .... understand if you are not wanting to jump the gun - you are the master at holding out on poas!I have my for you, but have a good feeling about this one. And also - - thank you for thinking of me today...
Tam - we don't call it addicition here, we call it dedication as Jen will tell you!! So good to hear you haven't had any side effects from the clomid
WTH - I'm also sorry that your first cycle was cancelled, and I also understand how nervous you feel that you tried naturally this month ... one things for sure, it is never easy is it?! Thinking of you
Milla - thanks for the info on MTHFR. Like the other ladies have said, it is daunting receiving a diagnosis but the good news is you have a strong plan of action next time around.
Smilinatu - hi and welcome back officially from me too!
Hello and hugs for angelbabies, dellydoo, easha, mummy of 3, toccara, ruthie (any more news?), mollycat, mannie, jonisteve, krystie, joey, plc ajc and anyone else I may have missed!
AFM - it is my first angel's due date today so most of my thoughts have been with her, and am feeling quite emotional. Although I am fortunate to be pg with a little bean, each of you ladies know that I still wish with every piece of my heart that I could have been able to hold her in my arms ... I have bought a candle and some white rose petals, and tonight when dh gets home and ds is in bed we will take some time to think about her. I'm also going to read the 'Do you remember" poem from Angelbabies' post - thank you Angelbabies for giving me the words to my thoughts...
Jenushka - As inappropriate as it may sound at first... Happy due date Hopefully you can use today to remember each happy and precious moment you had with your angel, rather than the sadness of not having her in your arms today. While she wasn't destined to be born into your arms, she was born in your heart long ago.
My thoughts are with you and your DH. The candle and petals sounds lovely
jenushka.... there really is no other way to put it other than to say EDD s suck. Mine was a few months ago now but the pain reminds you of the pain you felt when you lost them. I am soooo glad that "little bean" is there to help you today. I m glad the poem has helped or at least verbalized it for you...... Dont try to push yourself today.... just allow yourself to be...... Thinking of you hun.... HUGE hugs
I have only read the last page but already see I need to send a big hug to Jen , Jenushka and Tam for thinking of me. Oh, and a heap for Angel and MegsMum for your helping me out behind the scenes earlier this week.
Just to let you know that my FS appointment this morning went well. And.... because I was UNDERstimulated, I am commencing a different and shorter kind of IVF cycle (Yep KrystieLove - I call it an "Orangutan" cycle, too ) as soon as AF arrives. So, I do not need to wait months to try again. Yipee!
Milla - I did every test under the sun after my three losses. I too have been found to have the double Gene for MTHFR. It was explained to me that this doubles our risk of MC over the normal population (not double your age-related risk). I have been taking Megafol (5mg) since my first loss. My homocysteine levels are normal, so I do not need to take Heparin/Aspirin which are blood thinners. I have checked about this with two FS'es just to be sure because if I get another bubba on board I do not want to risk it by not taking Heparin. Just to let you know this double gene is hugely common. I think I read 10% of the population, but I would need to double-check that.
Where There s Hope...... Thrilled you dont have to wait hun..... and glad your appointment went well...... remember... even though IVF takes control... you have the final control.... dont be affraid to use your voice if you need to
WTH - I'm glad to hear that you won't have to wait!! Waiting is sooooo depressing! Good luck for the next try and thank you very much for the info on MTHFR! It seems to be quite common indeed, and I am actually relieved that they found something, especially since they found that my last miscarried baby was normal from chromosomal point of view. At least I have identified a potential enemy now
Jonisteve- I am so sorry to see your mood as "depressed" - just hang in there hun, and know that better times will be ahead (although it is very hard to believe when you're in the midst of this huge fog). This is why this board is so important; we have all been through the same, and still are, so you know that everyone understands your feelings here and can give you comfort in these difficult times. When I had my D&C my doctor told me to stop TTC for 1 month (actually the month of the D&C), but I have to admit that I didn't follow his orders
The thought of letting slip another opportunity just depressed me too much, so we gave it a shot (the result was a BFN). I had read somewhere that this 1-month rule was actually a doctor's invention because when you fall pregnant after a D&C they have a hard time dating the pregnancy and they don't like that. I thought either my body is ready for another pregnancy or it is not, so I gave it a try.
I'm actually in a similar situation now - had a diagnostic hysteroscopy yesterday and some bleeding and cramps after the procedure.Today seems to be ok. The doctor basically told me that it would not be advisable to TTC this month, but he also said that it wouldn't be the end of the world if it happened. How I hate these situations!! But I'm almost certain what I will be doing this weekend
Milla... i agree... waiting is so hard.... i think its the same for everyone but when you "clock" is ticking just that little bit louder... its deafening. I put my body through hell and back. One main reason... the words of the FS saying..... if we get these eggs now they will stay 38. Put a hoop in front of me... i m going to jump through it cause the eggs wont get any older than 38....... not saying its easier if your younger... i m just saying.... can someone get me some earmuffs... the clock is driving me insane
Angel - I am totally with you as far as the earmuffs go! Can a have a pair please
Here's an alternative to the earmuffs: Every time I am depressed about my "old" eggs, I take Randine Lewis' book on TCM and read the chapter "Advanced Maternal Age" (that's over 35). Here's what she says "Certainly the DNA contained within our eggs becomes less stable as we get older, and a woman's eggs are usually healthier when she's 32 than when she's 40. But contrary to what Western medicine would lead us to believe, a woman's eggs do not have an "expiration date". They respond to their surroundings just as the rest of our bodily systems do. This news is a double-edged sword- our ovaries and eggs respond negatively to poor diet, drugs, toxins, stress hormones but they also respond positively to a healthy diet and a pure lifestyle. The ocean of our fertility doesn't dry up, it just becomes still. And with help, it can flow once more".
some medical issues
to our little thread! Sorry for the loss you've suffered, I pray that you find comfort and security among the awesome girls we've got here! Big *hugs*
vibes for you! Will be here to continue cheering you on with the next cycle!
Always appreciate your posts... they always make me smile! Tomorrow.... chat.... be there, or be square!
Hope you find the answers you're looking for, Milla! *Hugs* for you!
for you all!
i m sure everything will be fine
As much as I missed you in chat last night I guess I have to share you 
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