This month’s case study is 30 year old ‘Nadine’ who came to the Clinic having had 3 miscarriages.

I had just had my third miscarriage when I heard about the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic. All three miscarriages were around 10 weeks and happened within 18 months of one another. This was very traumatic for my husband and me. I had been referred to a clinic in London who said it was all ‘unexplained’ and to go away and keep trying. This made me feel very nervous because of the anxiety of potentially losing another pregnancy. I had searched on the internet and the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic came up and I decided to contact them.

 

I phoned and spoke to a helpful receptionist who reassured me that they could probably help and offered me a first appointment with one of Dr Glenville’s nutritionists. I was sent a comprehensive questionnaire to complete and return to the clinic before my first appointment. It gave me an opportunity to detail my miscarriages and tell the nutritionist about any other symptoms I had been experiencing. It was recommended that I perform a mineral deficiency test before my first appointment. This was a simple hair sample which was sent to a lab to be analysed for minerals.

 

During my initial consultation the nutritionist went through my medical history in great detail and explained that miscarriage in fact is very common and although some of them are unexplained, very often early stage miscarriages – i.e. before 12 weeks are due to low levels of the hormone progesterone. The quality of the egg and the sperm is also a determining factor.

 

She explained that progesterone is needed to ‘hold’ onto a pregnancy and if levels are too low then a miscarriage may occur. She explained that often women are told that the blood tests are normal and they are in the sense that they fall within a range commonly seen, but it’s not actually sufficient to maintain or hold on to a pregnancy.  My doctor had never explained this to me – in fact I don’t even recall being given my progesterone results. All tests as far as I had been told were ‘normal’. She advised that I have a blood test during my next cycle to determine the level of progesterone and to get a more accurate picture have this measured in conjunction with ultrasound scans. The nutritionist recommended something called a monitored cycle where I would have three scans at different stages of my menstrual cycle together with a blood test to check everything was OK and to specifically look at my progesterone level.

 

The nutritionist explained that progesterone needed to be at least 50 nmol/l in order to maintain a pregnancy before the placenta develops. She said that in order to make progesterone we need good amounts of essential fats that are found in foods such as nuts, seeds, cold pressed salad oils and oily fish. The key ‘ingredients’ are zinc, vitamin B6 and omega 3 fats. Interestingly zinc was very low on my hair mineral analysis.

 

The other reason progesterone levels can be disrupted is due to stress. The body makes progesterone first and from this it can synthesise oestrogen and another hormone called cortisol which is released in times of stress.  I knew this definitely had an impact because I was very stressed in my job and even more so because of the miscarriages – it was becoming a vicious cycle.

 

I went away from my first consultation feeling amazing – I thought someone was finally listening to me and trying to find a solution rather than just dismissing me and treating me as another statistic. The nutritionist organised a referral for me to have my first ultrasound scan. This was the first of three scans. At the end of the monitored cycle, together with my blood test, it was quite clear I had a luteal phase defect, which basically meant that my progesterone levels were too low for my body to maintain a pregnancy. With the ultrasound scan I could physically see the problem area and the progesterone secreting ‘body’ called the corpus luteum was not sustained and therefore my hormone levels were quite erratic.

 

I was advised to go away for three months and implement the dietary changes and take the nutritional supplements. The nutritionist explained that my body had been under a lot of strain physically, emotionally and nutritionally having had three miscarriages within a short space of time. Waiting three months would help nurture my womb and progesterone levels and help to produce higher quality egg and sperm (for my husband).

 

I was feeling very well generally and enjoying the new way of eating. I had never eaten so many fresh vegetables and oily fish and I was really enjoying it! My skin, although I didn’t think was lack-lustre obviously was, because after three months on the programme I was glowing and I had so many positive comments.

 

I went back to see the nutritionist after three months and she was very pleased with the progress I had made with my diet and gave me the ‘go ahead’ to start trying again. She said that as soon as I had a positive pregnancy test to phone so she could arrange an early pregnancy scan. I explained that I had had a similar scan at 7 weeks but the nutritionist told me that 7 weeks is often too late (5 weeks is the earliest a heart beat can be detected) and also most pregnancy scans are only looking at the heart beat of the foetus and not assessing progesterone levels.

 

I couldn’t believe that I had never been told this before and all my test results had come back normal. This was incredibly frustrating, yet I felt so confident because I had finally found a clinic that would take me seriously and give me the support I needed. 

 

My period was late so I tested and it came back positive. Once again I was so excited, but at the same time naturally anxious because of what I had been through. I phoned the nutritionist and she immediately wrote a referral letter for me to go and have an early pregnancy. This really put my mind at ease.  During my scan I was talked through exactly what was seen. The heart beat was strong which was excellent, but as suspected my progesterone was low. It was advised, that alongside my progesterone supportive diet and supplements that I take a course of progesterone pessaries which support progesterone levels until the placenta is formed at 12 weeks. These were prescribed by a gynaecologist who worked alongside the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic.

 

I gave birth to my beautiful baby daughter, Charlotte, weighing 8lb 2oz. It was such a wonderful moment because there was a time I thought I would never get to that stage. I wish I had known about Dr Marilyn Glenville from the very beginning of my fertility journey but like most people – I just thought it would never happen to me. My advice to any woman who has miscarried is don’t just sit back and wait for another to happen – be as proactive as you possibly can.

 

Marilyn’s Comment

 

Unfortunately miscarriage happens in 25 per cent of all pregnancies which is extremely traumatising for both the woman and her partner. The sad fact is that they are not usually ‘taken seriously’ unless there have been three recurrent miscarriages. This is why it is so important to get your body into the best possible balance to nurture the quality of your eggs and address any hormonal imbalance.

 

Nadine’s story is so inspiring and she is just one of many women we help who have gone through the pain of miscarriage.  

 

If you would like to find out more about our clinics (in London and Kent) and the tests mentioned, then please see the resources page.

 

Study after study has shown that many forms of cancer are preventable. The choices you make today can improve your chances of living a healthy and cancer-free life in the future. The following six steps can help you prevent many forms of cancer.

Don’t let smoke get into your eyes: If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for your health right now. Around 30 percent of all cancer deaths are connected to smoking. Smoking has been linked to cancers of the lungs, mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, pancreas, cervix, kidneys and bladder. If you don’t smoke, try to avoid smoky areas as research also shows that there is a link between passive smoking and an increased risk of cancer.

 

Practice preventive care: The earlier cancer is found, the easier it can be treated. As your age increases, so does your need for cancer screenings. Seeing your doctor for regular exams can help you detect many forms of cancer early including cancers of the breasts, colon, rectum, cervix, tongue, mouth and skin.  If you are over forty you should also have a clinical breast exam every year and if you are over 50 you should also be tested every five years for colon and rectal cancers.

 

Stay in shape: Cancer researchers estimate that 15 percent of all new colon cancer cases could be prevented if everyone exercised for 30 to 60 minutes or more per day. Exercise can also reduce your risk of breast, kidney and womb cancers. Are you ready to begin reaping the benefits of regular exercise? Try to do something moderately active for 30 to 60 minutes most or all days of the week. Walking briskly for two miles can be a pleasant and rewarding pastime. Or you can swim, play tennis, garden or do housework. Have you ever thought about learning to dance? Dancing is another great way to have fun and stay in shape.

 

Eat a healthy diet: Cancers develop for many reasons so eating a healthy diet that includes super foods that are thought to help beat cancer won’t always keep you immune to the disease. Having said this there is without doubt a positive association between a healthy diet and cancer prevention. Damaged cells need to replicate in order to grow into cancer cells and some substances in our diet can either encourage this replication process and promote the growth of cancer or slow it down, so protecting you against cancer. According to the Cancer Research Foundation of America, 35 percent of all cancers may be linked to diet so are you doing all that you can to eat healthy?

Studies have shown that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, oily fish, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains and low in saturated fat, red meat and refined, processed foods may protect you from many forms of cancer. These foods contain high levels of antioxidants, fibre and other substances which help your body resist and fight cancer. Bear in mind, that despite all you may have heard about super foods for beating cancer, such as green tea, garlic, tomatoes or cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli – no one food can do it all. To get the best cancer protection, variety is the key to a healthy diet. You should also try to buy as much organic food as possible to avoid the risk of pesticides, additives, preservatives and colourings that have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

 

Say no to that drink: If you drink alcohol, you can reduce your risk of many types of cancer by stopping or by limiting the amount you drink to no more than one a day, with a break of a few days a week with no alcohol.  lcohol has been linked to cancers such as breast, liver, rectum, mouth, oesophagus and bladder cancers.

 

Get some sunshine: Although you should avoid being out in the sun when its rays are at their most intense, from noon to 3 pm. this does not mean you should avoid sunlight completely in the early mornings or evenings as natural light is our main source of cancer fighting vitamin D.  Aim for at least 30 minutes of natural day light a day.

Dieters in a study by Pennsylvania State University used two bowls of soup per day – either as a snack or base for veggie soup – for a year and lost 50 per cent more weight than those who consumed the same number of calories from low fat snacks. Don’t just eat soup at restaurants, home made soups made from vegetables, such as carrots, peas, leeks and butter nut squash make nourishing snacks and lunches.  Interestingly there are many cultures, e.g. Japan, where they have soup for breakfast.