Updated 25 September 2017
I started this blog in late
March 2016. I've recorded the costs for Pyeongtaek St. Mary's
on
this page. It includes testing and pre-natal care, but not the birth. I
wanted to have a home birth with Danica the midwife and Jinny the doula from
Mamas Birth Center. However, I ended up with
an emergency C-section at Pyeongtaek St. Mary's.
Research and Online Support
I've put together a
list
of useful websites and articles that discuss immunological issues
related to miscarriages. I found the Yahoo group
immunology support to be very helpful. They also have a secret Facebook group called reproductive immunology support. In order to join the Facebook group, you'll either need to ask in the Yahoo group to be added or have someone already in the group add you.
Infertility Treatment in Korea
You can read more about these hospitals and clinics at
Infertility Treatment Centers in Korea and
Birthing Centers in Korea.
My Medical History
First Pregnancy
I got pregnant the first month I tried in 2011.
My daughter was born in October of 2011 at
Kim Ok Jin (Rosa) Agitanseun Natural Birth Center (김옥진조산원) in Ansan. I got divorced shortly after she turned 2 and I re-married in the summer of 2015. My husband has no children from his previous marriage.
First Miscarriage: Chemical Pregnancy
I had a suspected chemical pregnancy in November 2015. I didn't take a test, but I was late and ended up bleeding for about 10 days. Looking back on it now that I have more experience with miscarriages, I'm pretty sure I was pregnant then.
I went to
Dr. Yoo Women's Hospital (유광사여성병원) in Seoul in early November 2015 to make sure I was ovulating. They did an ultrasound and checked my lining as well as did some blood tests and everything seemed fine. I never went back because I found out I was pregnant a few days later in late November 2015.
Second Miscarriage: 6 Weeks
I went to the doctor at
Soonchunhyang Hospital (SCH) in Seoul at 6 weeks in early December. The baby was measuring about 6 days behind what it was supposed to, but they assured me everything was fine even though my cycle was not based on 28 days.
I had a sinking feeling about it and went to
IMom Obgyn in Pyeongtaek 2 weeks later in December 2015 to get a cheap ultrasound (you get what you pay for). There was dried blood on the sofa in the waiting room. The doctor there had a horrible bedside manner and just said, "miscarriage" and literally shooed me away, telling me to go back to Seoul.
Back in Seoul at
Soonchunhyang Hospital (SCH), I was livid. I found out they had entered the wrong information about my medical history and then said then said that they had thought something was wrong at the previous appointment but neglected to tell me. When I said I wanted to file a formal complaint, they told me to email. Since it had been about 3 weeks since the baby had died and my husband and I weren't living together, I decided to get a D and C in January 2016 so I didn't risk hemorrhaging at home. I did it at SCH and to add insult to injury the paper I signed said I was getting an abortion (big difference), even though three ultrasounds had confirmed the baby had died.
I would never recommend
Soonchunhyang Hospital (SCH) or
IMom Obgyn due to the inexcusable mistakes and horrible bedside manner of the doctors.
Third Miscarriage: Chemical Pregnancy
In March 2016 I got pregnant again, only to have a chemical pregnancy three days later and end up in the
ER on Osan AB due to hemorrhaging. During this time they decided to draw 4 vials of blood. At this point I figured something was wrong, despite the doctor telling me it wasn't my fault and that it was bad luck. Three losses in five months just isn't normal.
What Could Have Caused the Miscarriages
All of these issues can cause implantation failure. Since my
miscarriages occurred before or around 6 weeks, I thought that if I
could stop my body from attacking the baby during implantation, then I
should be able to carry a baby to term.You can see a list of everything I took/was given, such as IVs, hormones, vitamins, supplements, and medicine on my
my Rx protocol.
Anatomical: Uterine abnormalities
Anything that is not normal is a
uterine abnormality. Things such as the shape of your uterus, uterine scarring, and incompetent
cervix (horrible name, it means weak cervix), can be it hard for the
baby to implant and/or thrive.
Genetic: Chromosomal defects
Neither my husband nor I
had been tested for anything so we didn't know if we could have been
carriers, however,
chromosomal defects
in the baby could have caused miscarriages
Genetic: Thrombophilia
I thought I might have a type of
thrombophilia disorder, such as
antiphospholipid syndrome (APS),
Factor V Leiden,
or
methylene tetra hydro folate reductas (MTHFR) because they can cause
sticky blood and blood clots.
This means that nutrients to the baby are cut off. That could explain
why I had such early miscarriages.
Some people believe as many as 50% of
the population has a type of MTHFR gene mutation (there are different
kinds, such as homozygous and heterozygous). People with
MTHFR cannot metabolize folic acid (the synthetic form of folate), so they should take folate.
MTHFR living has more info on how to prepare for pregnancy if you have a MTHFR mutation. In order to thin my blood I started taking
low dose aspirin
at night before I went to bed. Taking pills at night cut down on my
nausea. The doctor told me to stop using it at 10 weeks, but I continued
throughout my entire pregnancy. I figured that if it wasn't broken, why
change?
Hormones: LPD (Luteal Phase Defect)
Since my cycle was
down to 23 days, I thought I might have a LPD. This means that the
uterine living sheds too soon and the baby does not have enough time to
implant into the lining. I took
progesterone cream in order to help with this. It can also help so you
don't get blood clots. If you use progesterone cream make sure it comes from natural sources.
Emerita is recommended by Wray at
Progesterone Therapy. On Amazon,
Smoky Mountain Naturals is a best seller.
Here's some info on
how to use progesterone cream
by Wray Whyte. She has a bunch of information about progesterone
therapy. I didn't use as high of a dosage as she suggested though. I
only used 1/8 of a teaspoon twice a day. What works for me might not
work for you.
B vitamins are also said to help with low progesterone. I was taking those as well.
Hormones: PCOS
I really didn't think I had
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) because
I had no symptoms;
however, I know that not every woman has symptoms. PCOS causes you to
have too much testosterone as well as irregular cycles and difficulty in
having the endometrium lining to develop properly.
Infectious Disease: Mycoplasma hominis
Another plasma issue is
mycoplasma hominis
like ureaplasma urealyticum can be responsible for RPL (recurrent
pregnancy loss). I tested negative for this but your body is constantly
changing.
Infectious Disease: Ureaplasma Urealyticum
I also know I have a high level of
ureaplasma urealyticum
and that might be responsible for RPL (recurrent pregnancy loss).
However, when I went to the doctors, I wasn't tested for it.If I still
had a high level it didn't affect this last pregnancy, but maybe that's
because the IVIG did something and lowered it.
Immunological: High NK Cells
I also found out that
high NK cells might cause RPL and attack the baby. Some doctors believe high NK cells are caused by inflammation, such as
endometriosis or an immune-related disease, such as
lupus. I was not tested for either.
Traditionally,
prednisolone/prednisone (steroids), IVIG, and intralipids have been
used to treat high NK cells. These are available by prescription only.
There are
natural OTC alternatives to prednisolone, such as
Licorice root (buy it from
Amazon),
Maca (buy it from
Amazon), and
Wobenzym N
(buy it on
Amazon). Wobenzym N actually has
been proven to help with immune related pregnancy loss.
Sixth Doctor: What I Was Tested For
I then went to
Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital in Pyeongtaek
since they were close and they had fertility treatments on
their website. I later found out that they have a very high success rate
for IVF (53.6%), have fluent English speakers in the international
clinic, and are famous for fertility treatments. I am not a candidate
for IUI or IVF. I can easily get pregnant on my
own. I just have trouble staying pregnant. I'm seeing Dr. Jeongrae Lee,
who is supposed to be a famous infertility doctor in Korea. He works a
lot and is very nice. Never heard him speak a word of English, but they
provide free translators, so I don't care. (ETA: I finally heard him speak English after my emergency C-section.)
They tested me for high NK cells, thyroid issues, and did an HSG test
(I asked for a shot of
ketorolac in the butt, it made the HSG painless for me, but I know other people have gotten the shot and it hasn't done anything. It cost me 5,000 won so I thought I would try). Only my NK cells were high; the other two tests came back negative. I was told that IVIG would help.
My Rx Protocol
I used
progesterone cream (to help with a suspected LPD) and
low dose aspirin
(to help thin my blood). For my high NK cells, I was given
prednisolone,
IVIG, and
intralipids. The doctor also suggested I take two OTC medicines. The first one was
progesterone cream to help with a suspected LPD. If you use progesterone cream make sure it comes from natural sources.
Emerita is recommended by Wray at
Progesterone Therapy. On Amazon,
Smoky Mountain Naturals is a best seller. The second was
low dose aspirin to help thin my blood.
The doctor also suggested I take two OTC medicines. The first one was
progesterone cream to help with a suspected LPD. If you use progesterone cream make sure it comes from natural sources.
Emerita is recommended by Wray at
Progesterone Therapy. On Amazon,
Smoky Mountain Naturals is a best seller. The second was
low dose aspirin to help thin my blood.
I
had been taking both of those since I found information online from
women who said it had helped them (which beings me back to the message I
posted above about being proactive). I also took supplements. To find
out more about the dosage of my prescription and over-the-counter
medicines and when they were taken, please see
my Rx protocol.
Summary of Dates
November 2015
- Early Nov: Suspected CP (pregnancy #2: miscarriage #1)
- Mid Nov: Confirmed ovulation
- Late Nov: Positive HPT (pregnancy #3: miscarriage #2)
December 2015
January 2016
March 2016
April 2016
May 2016
June 2016
July 2016
August 2016
September 2016
October 2016
November 2016
December 2016
