QuestionQUESTION: Hi Sarah
Thanks for the site, a great help to us.
I'm very worried that my periods have permanently changed since a missed miscarriage I had 2 years ago. It was a natural miscarriage (no D&C) but immediately afterwards my periods, though always regular and on time, became very light and less painful. They only last 1 day and 1 night with a little on the 2nd day and I'm worried that my uterine lining isn't building up enough for pregnancy. Also, the flow, though red blood, isn't particularly free and often seems to hang around inside for a while building up. I had my progesterone and thyroid levels checked and all seems to be fine - I'm ovulating every month and get a decent bbt rise so am not too worried there. Do you know if it's possible to get pregnant with periods that only last 1 day or should I get this checked out? The Dr just said the miscarriage can take away more tissue but I'm worried that I may have adhesions though no surgical procedures were involved in the miscarriage, just an ultrasound check-up. Is it possible for the uterine lining to be damaged with a natural miscarriage? THANKS
ANSWER: Hi Alice
I can understand your concerns. The most important thing to remember is that you are still having periods regularly & that you're ovulating. Changes are often noted after a loss & are normally temporary, occasionally these changes can become permanent.
Surgical procedures would be one of the obvious causes of damage, but there can also be other natural causes. For example, endometriosis (where fragments of uterine lining break off & attach themselves outside of the uterus) can cause scarring & PID (pelvic inflammatory disease - where an infection can spread and causes general inflammation. This would not necessarily be an STI as women are prone to bacterial infections.) can have the same effect.
A period means your lining IS building up, it's just thinner. This shouldn't affect your chances of falling pregnant & carrying a full term baby. Miscarriage is most common with 1st pregnancies & it's easy to worry that something will always go wrong, I know the feeling as I was exactly the same!
To be honest, you won't know what'll happen til you try again. Do remain positive, look after yourself & once you get that positive result on the test stick enjoy every day of your pregnancy! This is what I did & I found it really got me through.
I hope this has helped & wish you he best of luck. Do come back if I can help with anything else.
kindest regards
Sarah
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QUESTION: Thanks Sarah, much appreciated. I must admit I was worried about PID but have no pain in between periods and my periods aren't that painful so I guess this wouldn't apply to me? I was thinking about having a hysteroscopy but maybe this isn't necessary if I've had no surgery and it doesn't seem like I have PID - what do you think?
THANKS, Alice
ANSWER: No problem Alice.
PID can cause pain inbetween periods but that's not always the case.
I don't think an invasive procedure is necessary at this stage and to be honest, they can really set you back if you're trying for a baby.
As I said before, you are ovulating & the length of your periods shouldn't reflect your ability to conceive. Once you've had a loss it's natural that you're going to worry about it happening again & we want to do everything to ensure it won't, but I'd say I think everything is on your side.
If you're wanting to try again I would do so & see what happens, you'll probably find that everything will go smoothly! If it helps to put things into perspective, in the UK they don't normally investigate recurrent miscarriages until a woman has had 3.
Hope this has helped & best of luck. Come back again anytime! :)
Kindest Regards
Sarah
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QUESTION: Hi Sarah
Thanks very much for all your help. I was very worried because we have been trying to conceive on and off since the miscarriage and I was beginning to think I had Ashermans syndrome caused the miscarriage or by an instrument being put inside my uterus to check if all the pregnancy tissue had come away properly. It's very easy to get paranoid! I'm relieved to hear from you that my regular periods mean that I can conceive and will continue to try. I did have a progesterone and general blood test for thyroid levels etc and all seemed to be ok. I'm now trying to encourage my husband to have a sperm count as he isn't particularly healthy as he has diabetes and a bit of an alcohol problem. It's very easy for women to assume it's all their fault isn't it! Thanks again and best wishes, Alice
AnswerHi Alice
Ashermans syndrome is usually caused by medical procedures, being as you haven't had any from my knowledge, it's unlikely to be the cause. The instrument you mentioned that was used to check your uterus, if this was done whilst you were awake and you could see the result on a screen then this is what's called a transvaginal ultrasound. It's basically a scan which is done internally. The probe is inserted into your vagina and the weaves pick up a picture through your vaginal walls. This probe does not enter your uterus, so you do not need to worry about damage from this.
However, you raise other issues which are more probable.
It's likely that his sperm count is low and of poor quality due to the alcohol. They may not be efficient swimmers, so by the time a sperm break through an egg it is old. There are theories that 'old' sperm or egg can cause the embryo not to develop properly or not develop at all, thus causing miscarriage. It's also likely that because his health isn't 100%, the doctor may not give him a fertility test due to his lifestyle. Alternately they may test him with the view to getting him back on par.
I wouldn't normally give any advice on this subject, but seeing things as an outsider (and please don't be offended) I would say to prioritise your husbands health & put trying for a baby on the back-burner for now.
It's so important that your husband gets the correct treatment for his diabetes and his alcohol issues, not only will these both affect his fertility but other aspects of his (and your) life. A baby is a huge strain on any relationship, so it's important that he gets some help with his alcohol consumption. That way he can direct all his love, devotion and energy into helping you bring up a child. You are going to need support & your husband will need to be strong for you. When alcohol is present in a family home, it can sometimes take priority. In fact, I'd liken it to living with another person in the house. You don't need the pressure of a new baby & a husband who likes to drink. There is lots of really good help for alcohol dependants, they can go to group therapy or alone, as a couple or individually.
It's important to you all (including your future children) that your husband gets the help & treatment he needs to get his health back on track. Not only should it make it easier for you to fall pregnant, you will have a fit and healthy man to help you through it all. After all, some of these positions that they get you in during labour need a strong chap to steady you!
Whilst your husband is getting sorted, keep a note of the start and end dates of your period. Once you have done this for a few months please do come back. Not only would I love to know how you're getting on but I have an excellent calculator that gives you the dates of your most fertile week!
I send you both my best wishes and really hope that you can both get back on track soon.
Kindest Regards
Sarah
