The TTC journey is a road filled with heartache and grief. It gets worse when we lose the baby we dreamed about and fought so hard for.
Some people think miscarriage is no big deal because you don’t have anyone to miss, as if the baby growing inside you isn’t real until he or she lives outside the womb.
But that little embryo is real.
Just because you didn’t get to hold him or her in your arms, it doesn’t make it any less painful or your grief any less valid.
Conventional medicine even ignores miscarriages until you’ve lost three precious babies. Losing one baby is one too many, so where can hope be found?
First, give yourself lots of space to feel what you are feeling. It’s real, it’s valid and you need time to process. Second, it’s not your fault. You did not do anything wrong. We live in a world where greed is rampant and that greed changes our environment and sometimes our biology just can’t deal with all the things the environment throws at us.
But there is room for hope.
We can protect ourselves from the environment. Here are a few things to do before you start trying for another baby:
1. Demand a full thyroid panel with antibodies. Undiagnosed thyroid conditions are an underlying contributor to miscarriage. Most doctors only check a TSH which can be normal even if you have a thyroid problem so, alone, it’s not a very useful test and won’t tell you much.
2. Test for iodine deficiency. This should be standard protocol because we know that iodine deficiency plays a role in miscarriage and we know that iodine deficiency is very common and getting more so every year. The best way to test for this is a urine test. If you currently do not take iodine, you can do a urine iodine spot test. If you take iodine or want to test after repleting iodine stores the 24-hour iodine urine test is the best.
3. Check iron levels. Low iron can be a sign of thyroid issues and may contribute to miscarriage. Include iron rich foods like red meat and organ meats or organ supplements in your diet.
4. Check vitamin D levels. Vitamin D plays many important roles in the body and one of them is supporting a healthy pregnancy and it can improve your chances of getting pregnant and staying pregnant.
5. Consider a DNA test. With DNA testing, we can uncover potential problems with biological pathways in the body and potential nutrient deficits like choline and vitamins. We can correct these issues and turn on genes that express for health and turn off genes that express for disease.
6. Remove toxins in your environment. We find toxins everywhere now and while we can’t remove all of them, but we can remove a good amount of them. The most common ones to look out for are GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in corn, soy, cotton and canola, dryer sheets, nail polish, food packaging, store receipts and water bottles.
Taking some time after a miscarriage to heal, correct any nutritional deficiencies, and make sure your thyroid is functioning well will give you the best chance of having a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby to hold in your arms. If you would like help on this journey, you can schedule a free consultation at www.getpregnanteasier.com.