Leigh

You can have your folate and multiple other factors tested by a
blood test requested by your doctor.
The genetic Counsellor recommended specific tests before i tried to
concieve again which i had and took the high dose of folic acid. I
cant remember all the tests. I can probably find out if i need to.-

-- In as_ap@..., "Leigh" <bbuddies@...> wrote:
>
> I just wanted to share something I read in a mag today, which as I
> lay in bed, suddenly put a few of the missing pieces of the puzzle
> together in my head.....
>
> New Idea or Woman's Day (sorry, can't remember which), ran a story
in
> the later part of 2008 about a woman, who after giving birth in
2000,
> went on to suffer 18 miscarriages, all around the 7-8 week mark,
over
> 8 years.
>
> The first 3-4 m/c's were put down to 'bad luck' by her Drs. The
> following dozen+ were due to 'unknown' factors.
>
> Thankfully, after so much heartache, someone in the medical
> profession had the insight to test further, and it was discovered
> that the woman's body was not storing folic acid. The medico
> realised that the miscarriages were all at the same stage of
> development, ie. when the spinal column was forming.
>
> She then had folic acid injections (never heard of them??) prior
to
> conceiving, fell pregnant (for the 20th time), and then had
another
> injection in the first trimester (I think prior to 7 weeks?).
>
> She had a U/S at 8 weeks, one week more than her previous pg's,
which
> showed a healthy heartbeat, however she still thought she would
lose
> the baby. She finally delivered a healthy baby at term.
>
> Me...............
> My 1st baby micarried at 8.5 weeks. My 2nd pg - (id twin boys)
Tyson
> was diagnosed with Anen at 12 weeks, and died 10 min after birth
at
> 32 weeks. My 3rd pg miscarried at 5-6 weeks.
>
> I just wonder if the 'test' is widely available? Could it be
> something that all women should be encouraged to take prior to
> conceiving, as it is with Rubella immunisation? It is simply not
> enough to tell women to take folate supplements (which I did for
all
> my pgs)if the womans body isn't storing it.
>
> It just makes me sad (and crying as I type this), that a (simple?)
> test could save so many little lives.
>
> I did genetic counselling after losing Tyson, where it was
> recommended that I increase my dose of folate from 0.5mg to 5mg.
>
> I did this for both following pgs, but it seems that it may have
been
> a 'fluke' that Jed & Dael survived, and are healthy, when the pg
> prior to J & D (after Reilly and Tyson) didn't survive.
>
> If my body was also not absorbing the folate as it should, then my
> babies are here only because I won a horrible gamble. It makes me
> sick and angry that I may have put their lives at risk.
>
> I really would like to follow this up and see how hard it would be
to
> get this test available to all women.
>
> Leigh
>