Multiple pregnancy losses: How many miscarriages is too many?
When you are dealing with infertility, you are often laser-focused on getting pregnant. For some women, however, the issue isn’t achieving pregnancy, but carrying the baby to term. David T. Vandermolen MD, MS, our Northern Louisiana fertility doctor, treats women trying to conceive as well as those who have suffered recurrent miscarriage, or repeated pregnancy losses. If you are having difficulty staying pregnant, our skilled medical team can help.
What is recurrent miscarriage?
Approximately 10% to 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, a sudden loss of pregnancy before the 20th week. For anyone who experiences pregnancy loss, it is physically and emotionally devastating, but most women go on to have a healthy baby in the future. In some cases, women have underlying issues that contribute to recurrent miscarriage, which is defined as two or more miscarriages.
Dr. Vandermolen understands that multiple pregnancy losses can leave you feeling discouraged and hopeless, and he has the clinical expertise needed to increase the odds of success.
What are common causes of repeated miscarriages?
Generally, a miscarriage occurs when the fetus isn’t developing properly, which usually involves missing or extra chromosomes. With multiple pregnancy losses, our Northern Louisiana fertility doctor will suggest a complete fertility evaluation to uncover any underlying issues that could contribute to recurrent miscarriage. Dr. Vandermolen often finds that the following issues can contribute to repeated pregnancy loss.
- Physical irregularities in the uterus, such as polyps and fibroids, scarring, or congenital defects
- Certain medical conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), diabetes and thyroid disease
- Hormonal imbalances
- Maternal age
- Inherited genetic abnormalities
Treatment options for multiple pregnancy losses
Before determining the best treatment plan, Dr. Vandermolen will gather a complete medical history, perform a physical exam, order blood work, and schedule an ultrasound. The results of these tests will allow our Northern Louisiana fertility doctor to formulate a path forward.
With repeated miscarriage, he may suggest hormone supplementation, IVF or pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) to check embryos for chromosomal or genetic defects. In certain cases, reproductive surgery is needed to correct a physical defect in the uterus.
Getting pregnant is not always as easy as it seems, and staying pregnant can be even harder. If you have suffered repeated pregnancy losses, seeking help from a fertility specialist like Dr. Vandermolen can make the process less overwhelming. Call our office to schedule an appointment.