Induction booked for 6th Jan 2016

Met with Dr today, if baby hasn't arrived by the 6th she will induce me. Everything seems healthy and normal. Baby weighs 7.2lb.

Full term

Yeah, we're 37 weeks and full term. Baby still wriggling around and meeting with Dr next Monday to discuss induction at 39 weeks if it hasn't come before.

Yeah!!!!

Here's a photo:

34 weeks

Met with the midwife, all well.

Am feeling very stressed though cause last week I had a whooping cough vaccination... Now I'm paranoid that maybe I shouldn't have.

I made sure I had lots of folate at the time and after, but what if...

I was trying to balance the risk of autism vs the baby getting whooping cough. Both are not good scenarios. I don't want to vaccinate baby until at least 3 months, if not later, so that's a long period to not be protected from whooping cough and apparently there's a lot around. I thought it would be best if I made sure I was metheylating, then used my body rather than baby's to pass on immunity. Really hope it was the right decision.

Thing that's making me paranoid is day of/after my vaccination the baby stopped moving as much. Apparently at this age they slow down cause they run out of space, so praying that is the reason. Please, please don't let me have made the wrong decision.

33 weeks

Another good meeting with Dr today. No issues. Baby weighs 2.2kg now.

Hospital visit

As part of an antenatal class we did a hospital visit to the delivery ward last night. They took us into a delivery room so we could get a feel as to what it will be like on the big day. In that room I choked up and had to fight back the tears, I can't believe we've made it this far. I honestly can't believe it.

Key milestones: 28 and 32 weeks

Our obstetrician told us that key milestones in pregnancy are 28 and 32 weeks. She said after 28 weeks the baby is likely to live if born. After 32 weeks it will live and not have any premature issues.

We are over 32 weeks now! Yeah! Here's a photo:

My dream

I dreamed about having this baby for the first time last night. It was a normal birth, everything went well and the baby was healthy and sweet. What's strange is it's the first time I've dreamed about babies, or miscarriages, or any of the issues we've been going through. The first time in 9 years. Something psycological happening there, especially when pregnancy/miscarriages/fertility is virtually all we've focused on.

Please don't let anything go wrong now. Please.

I'm 30 weeks and it's kicking like crazy.

29 weeks

Had another scan with the Dr today - all still going well. Baby was sucking it's thumb - cute!

Good news is the baby has turned so that it is not in a breech position, apparently it is sitting in perfect place. It's weight is now 1.4kg which is about average, heart beat is perfect, and my blood results all came back with no issue. Oddly, it seems that, so far, the pregnancy has been text book perfect. Very strange feeling. I keep on repeating to my husband 'I can't believe it's happening to us - after everything we've been through.'

I keep on expecting our luck to turn...

Dr says our next milestone is 32 weeks.

Another catch-up with my Natropath

Yesterday I had another phone appointment with my Natropath, this is what she told me:

1. She said that 3rd trimester was time to increase my Omega3 fish oil to x2 captuals a day - baby's brain is developing now so it's important for that. Note: my DNA says I don't absorb Omega oils well, so maybe x2 a day is more than normal.

2. She said it's important to have x1 probiotic each day - important to help with the baby's immunity.

3. She said to make sure I'm having almonds, eggs, cauliflower, fish and avocado along with my normal diet.

Negative for Gestational Diabetes

Oh, I'm beginning to feel so happy. There's kicking and movement on a regular basis and today I found out I'm negative for Gestational Diabetes. My readings were in the middle of the normal range for the 2 hour test - yeah. That's a big deal because in the past, when not pregnant, I had a Glucose Tolerance test and scored above average for it. Dr told me my insulin levels were high and my body was struggling to break down sugar (though that could have been for the 1 hour test). He told me that while I didn't have diabetes, I was susceptible to it - so I felt there was a high chance of getting Gestational Diabetes, especially seeing I did research on why the baby could have a big stomach and found there was a correlation between the two. But my obstetrician must have been right, she told me she thought the large stomach was the sign of a healthy placenta. Oh, so happy.

Note: the 2 hour Glucose Tolerance test was not fun. I felt like vomiting for the full 2 hours, and it had me in tears. Yuck.

28 weeks

Yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah! We've made it to 28 weeks. Dr said it's a major milestone. Know it's alive cause can feel it moving.

V happy.

26 Weeks

All still going well. It's 1kg now, in the 60th percentile. The doctor said if it was born today it would have a 90% chance of living. She took an amazing 3D image of it, see below.

Can't believe everything has been so problem free. Not normal for us, praying it stays this way.

3rd Trimester

Yeah, we've made it - for the first time ever!

Lots of kicking now and frequent night time trips to the loo. Tummy growing rapidly!

Can't believe this is happening to us.

23 weeks

All still on track.

Our obstetrician's first words to us today were "you're viable now". 

Our baby nearly weighs 700g, with 500g being average. It has a very fat stomach that is nearly 2 weeks above average (in the 88th percentile), our obstetrician checked it's internal organs and everything is fine. She said it's better to be bigger than smaller, and that the stomach size is a sign I have a good placenta. 

She checked the veins supplying blood to the uterus, which she said was very normal and good. Apparently if they are low then there is a high chance of preeclampsia and premature labour. 

She also told me that from now on it's a good idea to always be close to a hospital that you would be happy to deliver a baby in. So that means no weekends away to our holiday house. 

It was nice to see baby's movements in the ultrasound. Yesterday I didn't feel much movement, so last night I phoned the midwife who told me to come in for a scan with the Doppler. It was late, so I had to go into the delivery ward. Of course the heart beat was immediately picked up and everything  normal. The midwife said that sometimes the baby turns in the uterus and directs their kicks at the spine. 

Seems strange, but the closer we get to achieving a birth, the more upset I feel. I guess there is more to loose with everyday. 

Advised to stop Clexane

I forgot to mention, the other day when I spoke with the naturopath she said she feels confident for me to stop taking the Clexane injections... She said that is because I have a good homocysteine reading. 

She told me if I want to I could take them like twice a week - just in case - so I'm going to do that. But it seems EVERYONE is confident that taking an aspirin every day will stop any blood clotting issues the MTHFR may bring on. 

Really looking forward to not having to inject myself every day - and have a constantly bruised stomach. 

More on flu/whooping cough vaccination and MTHFR

So today I had a really good chat with my naturopath about getting the flu and whooping cough vaccination while I'm pregnant in order pass the antibodies on to the baby before it is born. Here are the conclusions we came to:

I am not going to get the flu vaccination. Reasons why:

1. In the first few months of life, I intend to stay at home, keep warm and not socialise with others or see any one who is sick. 
2. We intend to vaccinate ourselves and grandparents against the flu. There are no other young children in the family to pass on flu. 
3. The child will be born in summer, hence low flu time. 
4. The flu virus changes from season to season so even if we do get flu vaccine, not all flus will be covered any way. 
5. The biggest reason is, because the flu virus changes so often, so too does the flu vaccination. Because of this it is not tried and tested... It's a bit of an unknown quantity for people like me, people with MTHFR and prone to autism. 
6. If the child does get the flu, chances are it will survive. 
7. Later I spoke to the doctor about flu, she said the main reason for vaccinating is to stop the mother getting flu, not the baby. I had the flu vaccination just before getting pregnant - so I should be fine. 

I am going to get the whooping cough vaccination. Reasons why:

1. Unlike the flu vaccination, whooping cough vaccination is a little bit more of a known quantity.  It doesn't change from season to season, hence it's more predictable. 
2. Because I'm taking such good medication and have sorted my methylation system out, it means I should be able to process the vaccination without any problem. My naturopath says my homocysteine levels are great, and that's a good sign I'm methylating. She said if I was not methylating then she would not recommend it. 
3. Whooping cough is pretty nasty and can be deadly for a young child. It's something you really don't want them to catch. 
4. It's probably better I'm the one vaccinated when taking the right medication, than vaccinate a small baby who you aren't medicating. And whooping cough is something you want it vaccinated against. 
5. The doctor also agreed that if you were to choose one vaccination, whooping cough or flu, she'd recommend whooping cough. She also said there is an out break of it here at the moment. 

It's a risk, the naturopath said she feels torn with the whooping cough debate but is confident with not to flu vaccinate.

She also said she wouldn't consider vaccinating a child at 6 weeks - it's too young. She said they should be a minimum of 3 months old, and they should be fit and healthy before it is done. 

Any ones comments or thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated. I've still got time to make my mind up. 

20 week scan was perfect!

Yeah, baby is still alive and well. Heart there, brain in order, and all measurements perfect. Person scanning said baby is 1 day older than it should be.

Wonderful result.

I then spoke to the naturopath who was thrilled. We discussed vaccinations and the fact that I'll need more magnesium as the pregnancy progresses from now. She said to look out for cramping muscles and twitching eyes, a sign of low magnisium.

We had good discussion re flu and whooping cough. She said not to have flu vaccination, but was on the fence over whooping cough. I'll update my vaccination section with our discussion soon.

20 week scan today

I am feeling nervous.

Was feeling quite emotional last night, stressing that I hadn't really felt much movement over the past couple of days. Bad news flashed through my mind, and dread of today crept in. I'd been invited to a friend's place for a musical concert put on by the symphony orchestra, 1/2 way through the concert I felt kicks, including the biggest kick I've felt yet. Relief.

After the concert a friend came up to me and asked if I felt kicking during it. She said it is quite normal as the little baby can apparently hear now. Then I spoke with one of the violinists who said her baby kicked like crazy during rehearsals when she had them. Babies seem to love music. So now I'm thinking I'll take to playing Mozart during the day, surely the sound waves and rhythm will be good for it.

Oh dread, the 20 week scan. It's an hour away! :-(

I can feel kicking!

Yes, baby is kicking. I can even feel it with my hand. It started off feeling like a little muscle twitch inside my stomach, I wasn't sure if they were kicks or not. Now they are stronger, and undeniably kicks, though it hasn't been kicking too much today.

I have my 20 week scan on Monday, hopefully that goes well. Gosh, every stage of this whole process is so nerve wracking. Just imagine if I lost it now. I'd be heart broken. Big breath.

18 weeks - heart beating

Today we had our first appointment with a midwife. We filled in some hospital forms, gave personal information, and had a scan with the Doppler machine. My poor husbands face went white and dropped as the midwife searched for the heart beat, it takes a bit of finding with that thing and 10 seconds of silence felt to him like 10 minutes... The one and only time he's been present with a Doppler was when we miscarried at 17 weeks, but today the heart beat was there - Yeah! We're still on track.

Next time I see the midwives is at 30 weeks.

Next appointment is our 20 week scan. Apparently it is very detailed and takes 1 hour. Our Dr said 2 out of every hundred have some kind of issue, but from what she's seen she thinks we will be ok.

17 weeks - OMG, it's still alive!

I just can't believe it. 17 weeks and it's still alive. Nearly brings tears to my eyes. Am beginning to think it might work this time. After nearly a decade of trying, we've never been this far.

It was 17 weeks we discovered the death last time :-(

Our doctor said everything looks completely normal. It's heart is the right beat, it's head and measurements the right size, brain developing well - everything. Baby was so big, it's now haunched over inside and they have to measure pieces of it rather than one length.

Can't believe parenthood might be an option for us.

During this time of trying my emotions have shut down, and while we've been doing nothing but IVF, special diets, injections, and visiting doctors for scans over the past six years, I haven't allowed myself to visualise a live baby at the end. Now I feel torn, it brings tears to my eyes - the feeling of allowing myself to hope is frightening. Maybe it's best to stick on autopilot and not think.

Here is the latest scan:

And this scan is too funny, it's of Baby's finger... We spent a while working out what finger it had up, for a moment we thought it was the middle one. Dr said she would have framed it and put it on the wall if that were the case. We all had a good laugh:

Flu/Whooping cough vaccination & MTHFR

Our doctor has recommend I get a flu and whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination between 28-32 weeks of pregnancy. She said to do this so that the vaccination is passed onto the baby when it is born, hence protecting it.

In the old days I would blindly trust what the doctor recommends - but, now, seeing their knowledge of  MTHFR is so poor, I feel I have to be cautious of everything. Especially seeing MTHFR and vaccinations are linked to autism. So I'm going to research the internet and talk to my naturopath.

This is a pretty good article convincing me that a vaccination maybe NOT a good idea:

http://www.safeminds.org/blog/2014/09/24/physicians-assessment-flu-vaccines-pregnancy/

There's some threads of discussion and information on vaccinations in general:

http://mthfr.net/forums/topic/mthfr-and-vaccinesimmunizations-contraindicated/

http://vaxtruth.org/2014/09/susceptible-groups/

I'll keep updating as I find more information. Please comment if you have any thoughts or ideas on this.

15 weeks - another success

Just had my 15 week scan. The receptionist at the clinic instantly commented on my bump. According to my husband I really do have one!

Was so nervous last night, didn't really sleep, so it was a relief to see the little thing doing sit ups when the doctor scanned.

Here is a photo:

MTHFR & pregnant - debate of when to stop Clexane

As mentioned in a previous post, both my obstetrician and my IVF doctor told me to go off Clexane at 12 weeks. My naturopath said to test for folate, homoststine, and thyroid first, and if they are healthy then it's OK to go off. Reading online, and hearing from others online, it seems there is debate about going off Clexane when you have MTHFR.

So I felt in a bit of a pickle, and have continued taking Clexane as it has no adverse affects on the pregnancy. I will continue until 20 weeks.

My blood test results came back, they were:

• My Vit B12 and folate at a good healthy level, which is great.
• My TSH (thyroid) is at 3.8 – My naturopath said "a little higher than we would like it – in pregnancy it should ideally be below 2.0. At the level it is now, your thyroid appears to be functioning on the low side of normal."
  She recommend that I talk to my GP/midwife/obstetrician about it and see if they feel it  important to give a low dose of thyroxine. Otherwise, she recommend taking an extra 100mcg of iodine.
  I spoke to my obstetrician who said the TSH was in the normal range and that hCG are directly tied to the thyroid. So she wasn't worried.
  My naturopath then said, "Holistic therapists do look at  thyroid results differently to most doctors. But if she and you are happy with the results that is fine – I would however suggest you increase your iodine levels to ensure you are having a total of 200- 250mcg per day."

• Homocysteine - 5.2 (The optimal range is 5-7.) My naturopath says this  means I am currently methylating well and hopefully it means less risk to the pregnancy. This makes it a bit easier to make the decision to go off Clexane at 20 weeks. She said if I still wanted a natural blood thinning alternative (without the side effects), she recommends Nattokinase. See http://www.seekinghealth.com/nattokinase-supplement-flow-fx.html

I had heard that folate levels can sometimes appear normal with MTHFR but not be, so I asked my naturopath about that as well. She said, "Yes, it is true that the folate level is not really indicative of the true levels of red cell folate – however, if they come back really high, that sometimes shows you are not absorbing the folate – so at least this is not happening. You could always ask for a red cell folate test next time instead of the usual test that they do." 

She said "it is probably best to take the clexane till 20 weeks. We can also check your homocysteine level at this point to see if all is well before you go off blood thinners." 

So there we have it. I'm still taking Clexane, though I really hate it, so have dropped back to taking it once every 2 days. 

It's really hard with all the conflicting information and lack of knowledge doctors have. Maybe this might help someone out there? 

My whole family has MTHFR

Since we've been on this MTHFR discovery, my whole family has also been tested for it, and they are ALL positive. Every single member of my direct family has homozygous C677, and my husband has compound heterozygous C677T and A1298C.

My husbands nephew has autism, and his uncle has Parkinson's, but they have not been tested.

My sister has had one miscarriage and one live birth. Her successful pregnancy was before she knew she had MTHFR, interestingly, she said she felt sick when taking multivitamins with folic acid in, so she didn't take them. For some strange reason, at the time of the pregnancy, she had started drinking smoothies with kale in them. I wonder if that is why it was a success? She also has her own vegetable garden and was eating vegetables from it.

Both my parents have started taking 5-methylfolate, and there have been some interesting developments. Most significant being my mother's Pompholyx which is a common type of eczema  affecting the hands. She's been in agony with it for years, and previously found nothing that can fix it. On taking the methylfolate it's gone away completely and she's over the moon. She also has lost the pain that was in her joints, and feels she's loosing weight. 

Interestingly, the methylfolate has caused my father gout. It's directly related, the more folate he takes the worse the gout gets. When he stops taking folate the gout goes away. We're not really sure what's happening. 

We are trying to get the others to take the folate, but they aren't really taking it seriously. 

Anyway, thought you might find some of that interesting. 

Recurrent Miscarriage - Coping Strategies

I thought I should write something on my personal, miscarriage-coping strategies and techniques. Maybe they're not for everyone, but perhaps there's someone out there who might gain strength from another person's perspective?

There have been so many times on our journey where I felt like falling in a heap, giving up, and allowing depression to set in. Perhaps that would happen now if this pregnancy were to fail. Let's not consider that!

But, in the past, I knew if I gave in to depression things wouldn't end well. I'd probably have ended up with no husband AND no family.

So I fought, and focused on staying focused.

The past five years have not been happy ones, but I have managed to hold it together and keep things in perspective. Right or wrong, these have been some of my coping strategies:

• Firstly, I told myself it's ok to not be ok. I accepted the lull point in my life, and while aware of the negative feelings, I tried to always think positive. 
• Acutely aware of my body clock, I knew there was a limited window of opportunity to realize our dreams, so I set about problem solving via doctors and specialists, telling my self 'no time for emotion, only time for thinking'. (Of course the emotion was there, but I just couldn't let it take over). 
• The path I was taking was different to the rest of my social group, who I'd always been close to. This made me feel isolated. The worst of everything for me. Not being part of their 'play group' or 'birthday party click' was upsetting. So I mentally detached. Worrying about feeling isolated, rejected, and lonely was something I figured I should do when I was past the age of having children. I needed all my energy to remain focused in problem solving, and working out what was wrong with me.
• When feelings of depression set in, I fought them off. I tried not to cry, or think bad thoughts. I knew if I let them in, they'd grow, and multiply, and perhaps get out of control. There wasn't time for that. 
• When pregnant, I didn't ever associate it with a child. I thought of it more as a medical condition that I needed to get right. 
• When I miscarried, of course I felt sad, but I also thought it fate. What is meant to be, will be. And at the end of the day, 25% of all miscarriages fail. The miscarriage was probably for a good reason. Again, I never associated it to a baby.  
• I accepted with fertility there are some things you can control, and some things you can't control. I let go of the things I couldn't control, and allowed them to be. Miscarriage is something you can't control. Doctors, medication, diet, exercise are things you can control. 
• Time is something you also can't control. Whilst under immense time pressure, you can't influence how long this will take. So focus, but don't try controlling or being impatient with time, it's out of your hands. Take one day at a time. If and when things fail, start again.
• Doctors are people, and often people get things wrong. So I listened carefully to everything doctors said, but always researched the internet after consulting them. I made sure I saw a wide range of doctors, and got lots of second opinions and points of view. I took responsibility of my own medical diagnoses, and made sure I understood everything that was happening to me. I didn't want to be in a position where, at the age of 50, I felt resent towards a particular doctor for telling me the wrong thing. I do, however, regret not seeing a naturopath sooner. 
• I realized my husband coped differently, and also needed support. We openly discussed the different ways we were coping. Often he wasn't there for me in the way I wanted him to be, I guess I just had to learn to be emotionally tough, and to cope by myself. Trust me, it was s***, but I just kept reminding myself it was temporary. People cope differently. Men are a different species all together... But they mean well, I think. 
• I didn't worry about spending money. I compared having a family to having a house, and asked my self what I'd prefer... Every time it was the family. Just because everyone else doesn't spend money on having a family doesn't mean I shouldn't, besides, what's money if you have no one to spend it on? Letting go of worrying about money is a great feeling, it gives you energy for other things. 
• When I had to have operations and medical procedures I'd tell myself I how lucky I was not to have cancer. Having your health is an amazing thing. I'd hate to have to go through all those procedures then still be sick at the end. 
• Sometimes I thought being concerned over having miscarriages was a bit of a first world problem. There is so much pain and suffering in other countries, we really are lucky to be born where we were. 
• If for some reason we didn't end up being successful, was it the end of the world? Not really. Maybe it would be destiny for my genes not to breed on. 
• I'd never thought of my miscarriages as a loss, just that I hadn't gained. 
• And there was always adoption to fall back onto.
• I just needed to find what path in life was right for me. Maybe it was going to be different to others? But while I was of child bearing age I'd give it my best. One thing for sure was not going to happen, and that's for me to regret in later life that I didn't try harder. 

I think that no matter how bad you are feeling, and how awful the situation is in reality, it's important to try and think positive. The more you tell your self positive things, and the more positive light you look at it in, the better you'll be able to cope.

Hopefully some of these thoughts and feelings might help others.

13 weeks - still alive and wriggling

Another positive scan today. It's growing so much, doesn't look like there's much room for it to get any bigger.

Very happy.

Next scan is at 15 weeks. Long wait.

Understanding your genotype for MTHFR

Recently I discovered you can be homozygous for both 677 and 1298.

Apparently, you can be any one of these possible, common, combinations:

• Normal/Normal for both 677 and 1298
• Heterozygous 1298 / Normal 677 (i.e. one parent passed down a single 1298 mutation)
• Homozygous 1298 / Normal 677 (i.e. both parents passed down the 1298 mutation)
• Heterozygous 677 / Normal 1298 (i.e. one parent passed down a single 677 mutation)
• Homozygous 677 / Normal 1298 (i.e. both parents passed down the 677 mutation)
• Heterozygous 677 / Homozygous 1298 (one parent passed down the 677 mutation; both passed down the 1298 mutation)
• Homozygous 677 / Heterozygous 1298 (both parents passed down the 677 mutation; one passed down the 1298 mutation)
• Heterozygous 677 / Heterozygous 1298 (Compound Heterozygous: one parent passed 677; one passed 1298 mutation)
• Homozygous 677 / Homozygous 1298 (Compound Homozygous, meaning you have two 677, two 1298 mutation)

Deciphering  genotype for MTHFR C677T

CC = a normal C677T MTHFR gene
CT = a heterozygous mutation which is one mutation of C677T
TT = a homozygous mutation which is two mutations of C677T

Deciphering  genotype for MTHFR A1298C

AA = a normal A1298C MTHFR gene
AC = a heterozygous mutation which is one mutation of A1298C
CC = a homozgyous mutation which is two mutations of A1298C

MTHFR 677CT + MTHFR 1298AC = a compound heterozygous mutation which is one mutation from two different parts of the gene.

MTHFR 677TT + MTHFR 1298CC = a compound homozygous mutation which is two mutations from two different parts of the gene.

12 week scan a success!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Our 12 week scan was successful. Everything looks normal, just how it should be. The lady said the fold measurement at the back of the neck was the smallest measurement possible, which is good.

So relieved. So happy.

When to stop Clexane?

So both my IVF doctor and my gynecologist have told me to stop taking Clexane at 12 weeks, which is what I am today. They told me the Clexane was to help with the implantation of the placenta and that taking baby aspirin would help thin my blood if that was an issue.

I'm conscious that both these doctors don't really know about MTHFR, and don't 100% subscribe to it. So today, on a phone consultation, I asked my naturopath what her opinion of going off Clexane was. She hesitated, then told me I should check my homocysteine levels. She said if they are between 5-7, that's good, and going off Clexane is ok. Otherwise I should stay on it.

To be honest, I trust her over the doctors.

So tomorrow I'm getting my homocysteine levels checked, also my B12/red folate, and thyroid THS levels tested. The naturopath said I need to fast before taking the blood, so before breakfast she said.

Big scan tomorrow... Will keep you posted.

Hurry up Tuesday

Tick, tick, tick... Feels like forever we have to wait.

On Tuesday we have our big 12 week scan. At it we find out if the baby has all its internal organs, and if they are working properly. They can tell if the heart has formed properly, if the bowels are working properly, if it is swallowing. They look closely at the nose, and the width of a tube at the back of it's back, this is to see the likely hood of Downes Syndrome, which we already know it's not likely to have.

I've only made it to the 12 week scan once before. Shame, everything was perfect then. But it only lived to 15 weeks (discovered at 17). Strangely, I do consider that pregnancy a success because it had a valid reason for dying. I had contracted toxoplasmosis!

Frustrating, cause not only do most people not know what toxoplasmosis is, most don't know if they're immune, and don't know how to prevent. I had studied up very closely on the topic, and knew I wasn't immune. Everything in my power was done not to contract, yet I still got it. What are the chances? Bad luck.

After speaking with my naturopath I wonder if everything happens for the best. She told me that if the child had lived it could have been effected by the lack of folate it had been getting, causing ADD, or learning difficulties, that type of thing. She said that all the vitamins I'm taking now will have such a positive effect on this pregnancy.

So now I am immune to toxoplasmosis, I'm on methylfolate, taking the right vitamins, organic. Will that be enough?

Fingers crossed.

I'll report in on Tuesday.

Wonderful news - low risk for syndromes

Yeah!!!!!!! Feeling so happy, today we had our 11 week scan - all still on track, heart ticking and baby is right size. Results from the syndrome test hadn't come through, but tonight at about 6.45pm our doctor called to tell us that she got them in the afternoon and everything is 'low risk'. Yeah!

Apparently the test is 99/98% accurate, so very happy.

She also told us the sex of the baby, but we're keeping it a secret. Don't want the world to start thinking of it too much as a living human yet... Not until it really is.

So hope this works.

Community for MTHFR women suffering miscarriage

If you want to discover a whole community of women going through the same miscarriage scenario because of MTHFR, then follow the link below:

http://community.babycenter.com/groups/a6704685/moms_with_mthfr_mutation

Brilliant summary of MTHFR

This person has written an excellent summary of everything to do with MTHFR.

http://www.dietvsdisease.org/mthfr-mutation-symptoms-and-diet/

Nervous

I'm feeling worried about getting the results of my genetic testing back.

We've been through so much, I'm not sure I can handle any more bad news. I'm worried that our MTHFR (both my husbands and mine) has affected the DNA of our sex genes, and that at conception there was something wrong, as we hadn't been on 5-methylfolate for very long at that stage.

I'm most worried about Downs Syndrome. Not so much about Edwards and Patau. I've had Patau before (reason for one of the miscarriages), what happened then is the fetus size was significantly smaller than it should have been based on our dates. This happened with a number of our other miscarriages we didn't have tested, so I assumed they also had a syndrome. The history of syndromes fits with our MTHFR profile. That's why I'm worried. 

This time our fetus is the right measurements. Because of that I assume it not to have Edwards or Patau, as they are the worst and would either have miscarried by now, or be small. Not sure about Downs, feel I'm kind of high risk, especially at my age (40). I'm thinking it will either have Downs or be normal. 

Please, please, please let it be normal. I'm not sure I can handle any more. Really, I don't think I can. 

If this pregnancy fails, it's time to call it a day. 

Sigh. 

Exhausted thinking about it. Big breath. 

Eating organic - a must for MTHFR

So, as an MTHFR sufferer, our bodies can't get rid of toxins the same way normal peoples bodies can,  so it's really important we don't put toxins into it. If you have MTHFR you should do everything you can to be on an organic diet.

Sigh. What an effort. And man, that's expensive.

Yep. Unfortunately we're in the high risk category, so, if we want to live healthy lives, it's something we have do it.

I'm 100% organic at the moment, not sure if that's going to be sustainable, but I've looked at ways of incorporating it into my life with the least effort. To start with I had an hour long chat with a very knowledgeable lady at our local organic shop. She told me that the best foods to buy organic are vegetables, vegetables and fruit with lots of juice/liquid in them, like cucumbers and apples. She said the more liquid equals more pesticides, and pesticides are the thing we want to avoid. So if you're on a budget, just focus on fruit and veges.

I discovered a local organic delivery service who delivers fruit and veges to the door, so I signed up. I also resigned my self to the fact I'm going to spend the rest of my life eating quality food, not quantity. The food is going to cost more, but I'm going to eat less. I'm going to do a major shop at the organic shop once every 2 weeks, and use the local supermarket for everything else.

The Dirty Dozen (actually, the dirty 22) & the Clean Fifteen

Here is a list of the foods to focus on in terms of organic. I was shocked to find that apples have 40+ pesticides sprayed onto them. I was also surprised to find that potatoes are in the dirty dozen:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/news/g168/dirty-dozen-foods/

10 weeks today

Yeah! Just had a scan with the specialist, and everything is perfect. The little baby was wriggling, it was the perfect measurement and had the perfect heartbeat.

What a relief. I was worried because I've stopped going to the bathroom so much, was going x3 times in the night, now only at 6am. Dr said this was a good sign because it means the placenta is taking over.

We have the next thing to worry about now, that is a Percept cfDNA blood test that I had taken. It can tell us if the baby has Downs, Edwards, Patau, Turners, Klinefelter syndromes, and it can also determine the sex. We'll know the results in about a week. Hope it's ok. Our Dr told us that they are v close to being able to determine the baby's entire DNA through this test. Amazing.

No negative pregnancy symptoms - other than tiredness

The most surprisingly good thing about this pregnancy is that, in contrast to all other pregnancies, there's been no negative symptoms other than tiredness.

I haven't had:

• Morning sickness
• Mood swings
• Constipation
• Sore breasts
• Headaches 
• And I haven't been needing to go to the bathroom as often as in the past

It's strange. My naturopath told me it's because my body is able to clear toxins, so there's no build up of hormones etc. Thank you 5-methylfolate.  

Not surprisingly, due to lack of symptoms, I worry the baby has miscarried every week and am always shocked to see it's little heart beating. Right now I'm feeling that way, worried. 

Please dear God let it still be alive on Monday.

P.S. Did I mention that I've been loosing weight? Yes. Despite the pregnancy, I've lost 5kg since starting on 5-methylfolate, AND, some of that is from my stomach which is a place I've never lost weight from - not in my life, not even in the skinny-university-days. 

Conditions associated with MTHFR

Some conditions that may be associated with MTHFR gene mutations

• Autism
• Addictions: smoking, drugs, alcohol
• Down’s syndrome
• Frequent miscarriages
• Male & female infertility
• Pulmonary embolism and other blood clots
• Depression & anxiety
• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Chemical Sensitivity
• Parkinson’s disease
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome  
• Stroke
• Spina bifida
• Migraines
• Hyperhomocysteinemia
• Breast cancer
• Atherosclerosis
• Alzheimer’s
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
• Methotrexate Toxicity
• Nitrous Oxide Toxicity

Methylation Overview for Professionals

http://www.drkendalstewart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Methylation-Overview-for-Professionals-10.11.pdf

BioBalance Liposomal B Complex For Pregnancy

This is the product I believe is behind our success:

See information at:
http://blog.healthpost.co.nz/2014/new-generation-b-complex-best-pregnancy-vitamins/


Where to buy:
http://www.healthpost.co.nz/biobalance-liposomal-b-complex-for-pregnancy-bblbp.html

We've Graduated to the Obstetrician

At last we've graduated from the IVF clinic to the Obstetrician and today we visited her for the first time. It was our 9 week scan, and there's still a healthy heart beat! Yeah!!

Good news continues

8 weeks and 1 day today. Just had a scan and heart is still beating and size is growing perfectly.

Big relief.

Is folic acid poison to pregnant women?

If you’re a woman of childbearing age, you’ve heard—likely more than once—the message. Whether it’s from special interest groups like the Spina Bifida Association, whether it’s from the buzz surrounding “Folic Acid Awareness Week” every January, or whether it’s your own OBGYN handing you supplements, the message is ubiquitous: You need to be taking folic acid.

They’re (mostly) right... Just not when you have MTHFR

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/03/is-folic-acid-poison-to-pregnant-women.html

More good news

The scan was perfect. It had a heart beat and was exactly the size of 7 weeks and 1 day.

Not sure if my doctor 100% subscribed to this MTHFR theory, I think he thinks it was good luck - there's nothing wrong with me after all. Anyway, I'm pregnant and thrilled about it.

Fingers crossed.

About to go for first scan

Don't really know what to think or feel :-(  Sitting in the doctors waiting room now, hoping the tearful feeling is pregnancy emotions. Might have to let my husband do the talking.

Fingers crossed we are still on track.

Best stop writing, not helping the head space.

Yes! Still Pregnant

Yes! Still pregnant.

hCG is 24527, just where it should be.

Thank you god.

My DNA Test Results

Yesterday I got my DNA results, and they were extremely revealing.

Firstly, my husband was also found to be homozygous MTHFR, which is significant. My naturopath was happy that she had also put him onto methyl folate and methyl B12 before our IVF incase he was positive. Thank goodness for that.

My results were:
Type 2 Diabetes - High risk for all except 1 gene. 1/7
Inflammation. - High risk for all except 1 gene. 1/3
Food responses - sodium sensitivity, moderately increased risk of celiac disease, reduced Coq10, decreased levels of Omega 3/6
Vitamins - insufficient in all but 1. 1/6
Methylation - high risk in all but 1. 1/6
Choline deficiency
Oxidative stress - high risk in all 3 genes.
Liver detoxification - high risk in all but 1 gene. 1/5

My naturopath said it was no wonder that my body couldn't hold a pregnancy, with my MTHFR, my husbands MTHFR, my poor methylation system, liver function, and also poor ability to absorb vitamins. She said all these things together is a recipe for miscarriage. (Not that there's actually anything wrong with me. I have zero symptoms of any of these things, and a doctor would give me a clean bill of health - it's just based on what my DNA says.)

So I now have all the right vitamins. Fingers crossed this pregnancy continues. If it doesn't, I'm still convinced we are on the right path. We started the vitamins close to egg collection when we should have started them 3 months out from egg collection so that our DNA was right. Anyway, we'll see. I'm feeling nervous about Friday.

The place I got my DNA tested through was Smart DNA in Australia: http://www.smartdna.com.au

My hCG still rising

OMG, hCG is still rising. It's 5131, just where it should be said the nurse.

What a fantastic feeling.

Thank you God!

Explaining MTHFR in relation to pregnancy

This is an excellent video in relation to pregnancy:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u2APDYUNUrQ

Explaining how MTHFR fits into the Methylation process

The Methylation Cycle is a biochemical pathway that manages or contributes to a wide range of crucial bodily functions, including:

• Detoxification
• Immune function
• Maintaining DNA
• Energy production
• Mood balancing
• Controlling inflammation

All these processes help the body respond to environmental stressors, to detoxify, and to adapt and rebuild. That’s why lowered methylation function may contribute to many, major chronic conditions, including:

• Cardiovascular Disease
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Adult neurological conditions
• Autism and other spectrum disorders
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Miscarriages, fertility, and problems in pregnancy
• Allergies, immune system, and digestive problems
• Mood and psychiatric disorders
• Aging

Methylation is involved in almost every bodily biochemical reaction, and occurs billions of times every second in our cells. 

MTHFR plays a crucial role in this cycle, and when there's an MTHFR deficiency we get into trouble. 

I get confused by all the big words they use, but I think this video does a good job at explaining how essential MTHFR is to the methylation cycle and hence the functioning of our body.

It's simple, short, and easy to understand.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ah2oHgQvj3A

Here's a diagram of the methylation system:

Here is a diagram that shows how both folic acid and natural folate need to be broken down to 5-methylfolate before it can be used in your system, and how if you have the MTHFR gene mutation it can't do this:

Explaining MTHFR - Video

These videos are quite long but do an extremely good job of explaining the MTHFR issue. Worth watching.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA8GUIRqIkE

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BM3RXJ28I2Q

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nYoGrqdMCaU

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JEeedfavEeE

Why didn't someone tell me this 8 years ago?

Here's a shorter video that explains it as well:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=REYL1kEv7A4

Morning Sickness

I have been pregnant so many times I've become acutely aware of how morning sickness feels.

I can usually tell if I'm pregnant or not 5 days after IVF implantation. A couple of times my IVF pregnancy test has come back negative, but I know I was pregnant based on how I was feeling (just an early loss).

My morning sickness feeling was different to nauseous, it was like my body was anxious and discontent. Like it was screaming out for me to eat something, but I wasn't sure what... And nothing I did eat would make it go away. In recent miscarriages, I could tell the day I had miscarried based on this feeling. 

This time, with my new active folate and vitamin B medication, I was convinced I wasn't pregnant. I felt completely normal after IVF, with no 'morning sickness' feeling what so ever. You can imagine the reaction when the nurse told me I was positive over the phone... 

Now I am 5 weeks, and still no 'morning sickness', which is extremely unusual for me. I have experienced a little nauseous in the car, very mild. The feeling is very different to before. I wonder if this is because before, my body was deficient and it was screaming out for what it needed, and because it didn't get what it needed it miscarried.

It's an interesting thought.

My Daily Medication - Undiagnosed Recurrent Miscarriage

So as a MTHFR homozygous C667T, undiagnosed recurrent miscarriage patient, I'm doing the following daily:

• X1 Clexane injection
• Woman's multi vitamin, by Thorne (L5-methylfolate on the label)
• Liquid 5-methylfolate & vitamin B especially designed for pregnancy
• Baby Aspirin... most doctors tell me to take this daily, yet head of the recurrent miscarriage unit in London (Dr Lesley Regan) told me not to take it. For his reason, I take a baby aspirin every second or third day.
• Loads of other vitamins prescribed by the naturopath
• Standard post IVF drugs (Cronone, Progynova)

Then, with my diet I do the following:

• Avoid anything with synthetic folic acid in, this is most multivitamins (note: in Australia and New Zealand the government kindly puts it in bread)
• Eat organic foods, especially vegetables
• Organic house cleaners and makeup (People with MTHFR struggle to get toxins out of their body)
• Try to avoid fish with high metal content in them (we MTHFR sufferers struggle with too much metal in our body as well)
• I have been going hard on green vegetables, eating huge amounts of them. Need to get as much natural folate into my body as possible, because MTHFR mutation means my body only absorbs 10-20% of what it should.

Nearly all doctors I've seen over the past 8 years haven't known/explained the difference between 5- methylfolate, folate, and folic acid. That's probably 15+ doctors specializing in fertility.

Here are photos of my multivitamin with active folate and active vitamin B, so you can see what to look out for.

Multivitamin with active folate in:

Active vitamin B:

http://blog.healthpost.co.nz/2014/new-generation-b-complex-best-pregnancy-vitamins/

I'm still pregnant and hCG levels increasing

My hCG levels are increasing... They are at 440. I'm five weeks on Monday.

Please dear God, let my naturopath be right.

Just had a huge dinner of organic green vegetables.

Next test is Friday next week.

Feeling happy.

MTHFR gene mutation and Folic Acid - the wrong combination!

Over the past 8 years, infertility treatment has taken me all around the world. I've been treated in 4 different countries by countless doctors... Some leaders in their field. There's not a single infertility test I have not undergone. I'm undiagnosed.

Last month I visited a naturopath (had only been to medical doctors up until then). She knew a lot about the MTHFR gene mutation (which 40% of all people have, and I have). She told me to stop taking folic acid, because when you have MTHFR gene mutation, folic acid is not a good solution, especially when you are homozygous. 

Folic acid is ineffective at best, and furthers your condition at worst. 

MTHFR sufferers have a decreased ability to metabolize folic acid and other B vitamins, because they struggle to convert folate to active folate which is what your body actually needs. Folic acid is synthetic folate. What MTHFR sufferers should be taking is methylfolate which is the name of active folate. 

With MTHFR gene mutation, you need to take high levels of active folate, and active vitamin B. Big emphasis on the word active. You can tell it's active if it has 'methyl' in front of it. Most over the counter vitamin B isn't active, and synthetic folic acid, referred to as 'folic acid', is not only not active but also blocks your receptors so natural folate can't enter your system. This is essential if you want to have a baby. Again, all this only applied to people with the MTHFR gene mutation (40% of the population). 

Last month I stopped taking synthetic folic acid. See the products I changed to. 

This month I am pregnant. 

Tomorrow I have another hCG reading. After 14 miscarriages and failed IVFs, I'm feeling optimistic. 

Just off to have another plate full of spinach, as instructed by the naturopath.

P.S. Most doctors don't seem to know about the MTHFR gene mutation. To date, no IVF or infertility doctors have told me about active folate vs synthetic folic acid. 

Here are some links you might find interesting:
http://www.bellybelly.com.au/pregnancy/mthfr-is-the-mthfr-gene-mutation-affecting-your-pregnancy/

http://www.mthfrsupport.com.au/folic-acid-vs-5-mthf-debate/

http://doctordoni.com/2014/04/folic-acid-and-mthfr-could-you-have-a-genetic-mutation.html

http://chriskresser.com/folate-vs-folic-acid/

http://wellnessmama.com/27148/mthfr-mutation/

Undiagnosed Recurrent Miscarriages

I'm a recurrent miscarriage sufferer.

To be honest, I'm beginning to loose count. I think it's been 11, with a couple of failed IVFs thrown in, I'm now onto my 14th either miscarriage or failed IVF. Though, I guess it isn't failed or miscarried yet. Fingers crossed. 

Don't know why but I remain optimistic.

I'm 40 years old, have been married and struggling to have a family for 8 years. Everything about me is healthy. No serious illness, no obvious reasons as to why... Though I have the MTHFR gene mutation, homozygous. 40% of all humans have some kind of MTHFR gene mutation.

It's something they take seriously in terms of miscarriage, and have been treating with folic acid and plain (non active) vitamin B - but that may well be my problem. Recently a naturopath told me that folic acid is an enemy if you have MTHFR, and you need to be on bioactive vitamin B. Rather than taking folic acid you should be on 5-methylfolate. 

So my miscarriages have been tough, some are fine but others have been at 17, 12, 9 and 8 weeks. I've had a few DNCs, delivered a dead baby, been operated on untold times, have a black a bruised stomach from so many injections (Clexane mainly), and have been subject to steroids which are the worst of all.

It pretty much feels like I'm in infertility jail. I've got to be careful with what I eat, the naturopath says I should be organic. After every IVF I need to treat my body as if it's pregnant (diet, hygiene, no gardening, meat, activities, careful at restaurants etc). Seeing I have back to back IVF these days it's constant. Then there's my job... well, you can't really have one. Miscarriages have ruined my career. Currently IVF is my full time job. 

I'm on a strict diet of medication. My morning starts with 10 different pills and a gulp of disgusting liquid. Then there's another pill at lunch, and 3 more at dinner where I also have a full plate of spinach or other greens. I then have an injection before inserting a pessory. Every second day I have this other liquid drink that comes out of a glass tube I have to crack open.

Yes I'm still married, but life seems to have lost it's fun. Hopefully that is temporary. 

http://holisticprimarycare.net/topics/topics-a-g/functional-medicine/1353-mthfr-mutation-a-missing-piece-in-the-chronic-disease-puzzle

http://mthfr.net/mthfr-mutations-and-the-conditions-they-cause/2011/09/07/

http://chriskresser.com/folate-vs-folic-acid/