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.

 

Research shows that everything you and your partner do in the three or four months before trying to conceive can be as important as the sex itself. What you eat, drink, breathe, do as a job, how stressed you are – everything matters not just to your fertility but also to the future health of your baby to be.

The egg and sperm released at conception are the products of your diet and lifestyle and researchers now believe that everything you and your partner eat and drink prior to conception is just as significant to the health of your future baby as what you eat during pregnancy. If you are undernourished there is even the possibility that your baby could well become ‘programmed’ at conception to have a higher risk of future health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

 

In a nutshell, taking care of yourself before you get pregnant is not only important for your fertility – it’s absolutely crucial for the future health of your baby to be. That’s why I always recommend a three month period of pre-conception care.  

 

Most preconception care is common sense advice and straightforward DIY diet and lifestyle measures to get you and your partner into a healthy state as possible before you try for a baby. Remember, this isn’t just about boosting your fertility but about boosting your health so that not only your chances of conceiving are improved but your chances of having a healthy baby improve. There’s more advice and information about boosting your fertility in my latest book, Getting Pregnant Faster but here are my preconception basics.

 

Diet – Try to eat fresh, whole foods when possible and avoid highly processed foods and caffeine which is known to inhibit fertility. Right now is a good time to practice proper nutrition. It is a good idea to have your partner on a proper nutritious diet for at least three months before conceiving as well, as a fresh batch of his sperm is produced every three months.

 

Supplements: Start taking vitamins and minerals designed for fertility (See Fertility Plus for Women and Fertility Plus for Men on the Resources Page).  Folic acid is very important to start taking three months before pregnancy occurs. This helps to prevent problems like spina bifida in your baby.  Other nutrients like zinc are crucial for fertility both for you and your partner so by taking a good fertility multi you are aiming to give yourselves ‘a bit of everything’. 

 

Weight – Being underweight can cause infertility and reduced birth weight or abnormalities in the baby. Being overweight can increase your risk of pregnancy complications and makes it harder to get pregnant in the first place. It is best to opt for a sensible eating plan and wait until your weight is within normal limits before trying to conceive. Crash dieting should be avoided as you will not be getting all the nutrients you need.

 

Exercise – Some regular exercise is a really good idea as it can help balance your hormones, boost your immunity and your fertility. If you do not usually exercise then swimming, yoga or simply walking a little more would help improve your fitness.

 

Smoking – If you haven’t already, both of you should quit now as smoking can not only inhibit fertility it can result in foetal abnormalities and premature births.

 

Alcohol – We know that alcohol can have damaging effects on unborn children, but it is unclear just how much is safe. The best plan in order to be sure that your baby is safe is to stop drinking any alcohol before and during your pregnancy. Alcohol can also sperm count, motility and the number of abnormal sperm so it is important for your partner to stop too. 

 

Drugs – Try to take only essential medication and check if it is safe to use in pregnancy. If you are on any regular prescription drugs let your GP know that you are planning for a baby in case the prescription needs to be changed.

 

Environmental hazards – Try to minimise your exposure to traffic fumes, chemicals and pollutants. This is important for perspective fathers as well. Pollutants have been linked with lots of problems including miscarriage and congenital abnormalities.

 

Infections – If you are getting an unusual vaginal discharge then it is important to get this checked out before you try to conceive as some infections can cause a miscarriage.

 

Contraception – If you have been using the Pill, I would suggest you have a break for three months before you are starting to conceive because the Pill will deplete you of certain nutrients such as folic acid and zinc.  So it is a good idea to take a good multivitamin and mineral designed for fertility and also switch to natural family planning or condoms for three months before trying to conceive.

Reflexology is based on the principle that there are certain reflex points on the feet, which are linked to different organs of the body. When certain points are stimulated, they in turn stimulate specific body parts. The main use of reflexology is usually as a stress inhibitor, as it helps the whole body to relax and increase the endorphin secretion, which elevates the feel good factor.

Reflexology feels like a vigorous foot massage, during which the reflexologist stimulates specific reflex points on your foot which are thought to link into energy channels called meridians running throughout the body, as in Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. By pressing one reflex point in the foot, the reflexologist influences the energy flow around all the other organs and body areas that run along that meridian.

 

Reflexology is particularly successful when used in conjunction with a healthy diet and lifestyle. Apart from relaxation, medical tests have shown it can boost blood circulation, reduce insomnia and depression and help balance hormonal levels and regulate the menstrual cycle. As far as fertility is concerned there hasn’t been much research done, although a small trial in Denmark studied 108 women with an average age of 30 who had been trying to conceive for an average of 6.7 years. Many dropped out of the trial, but 19 of the remaining 61 conceived within six months of completing the treatment. It does appear, therefore, that this ancient therapy may have a particular affinity with fertility and many practitioners say they find it helpful for all types of fertility inhibiting conditions including sexual problems, anxiety and sperm and ovulation problems. According to the Association of Reflexologists it’s also been found to be of assistance to those women suffering from conditions that inhibit fertility, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome.

 

If you are having problems getting pregnant a reflexology session may be helpful but as always when problems with fertility are the case, a fertility boosting diet and lifestyle changes (clearly outlined in my book Get Pregnant Faster – see the Resources Page) need to be made and you need to be checked medically to rule out underlying conditions that could be stopping you getting pregnant. The treatment itself is relaxing and non-invasive but be aware that after the treatment it is quite common to experience sweating, diarrhoea and increased urination for a few days. This is a sign that your body’s elimination systems have been stimulated and are doing their job and flushing out accumulated toxins and waste products. You may temporarily feel lethargic and tearful or even nauseous but again this is temporary and a part of the healing process.