2nd Tri Loss - Reasons/Causes?

BootsOrHearts · May 2012

Our LO's heart stopped beating at 17 weeks or so. I found out at 18 weeks when no heartbeat was found on an ultrasound (I had some intuition that something was wrong, that's a whole other post). My cervix was closed up tight though, like my body didn't recognize what had happened.

We had a bunch of blood samples taken and had his little body taken away to be autopsied. I was also told they would need more blood from me once my hormone levels are back to pre-pregnancy levels.

I was warned that at least half the time, there is no cause that anyone can determine.

Just wondering if anyone who had a similar loss ever got any answers and if so, please share if it's not too difficult. Unfortunately, I heard a lot of 1st tri loss stories from my birth month board (blighted ovum, molar pregnancy, etc.) but I don't know anything about 2nd tri losses, I guess I never thought I would ever need to know. :-(

jullybean · May 2012

I am so so sorry for your loss. I lurked on the Oct 2012 BMB and saw your posts there. My first pregnancy also ended in a second trimester loss, at around 24 weeks. We did not have an autopsy done, but we had done every genetic test available to us. Our baby's heart also just stopped one day. We never got any answers. All I can tell you is that you will go through a mess of emotions and to let your DH take care of you especially these next few weeks and lean on each other. Time will heal but you will be scarred. We will never forget our first LO.

jbranden12 · May 2012

We lost our daughter at 31 weeks when her heart stopped beating. We did an autopsy, but no cause could be found. She had no signs of any congenital, chromosomal or metabolic abnormalities. It has been tough for us to have no cause, but it is comforting to know that since they can't even find a cause now, there was nothing we could have done to prevent it.

karebear57 · May 2012

My body played stupid also. I found out I lost Bri when I was 25wks and at the u/s the doc said it looked like she passed 2wks before. She looked healthy but I still wanted an autopsy to make sure since this had never happened before and I have had 3 healthy deliveries and they said she was healthy. I had an infection that we didn't know about until Bri was born and I found out at what was my last =( u/s that I lost all the fluid.

tubbsy32 · May 2012

I am so sorry for the loss of your baby boy. ((Hugs)) The "why?" part of this is so hard; we might never know why. But I have to think there must be a reason for all of this; some method to this madness.

Jaxmom11 · May 2012

So sorry for your loss. My DS was born sleeping at 26 weeks. Autopsy revealed CMV (cytomegalovirus). It's a type of mono infection that I was exposed to during pregnancy. I worked in retail at the time and its impossible to know who may have shared the virus, but I was obviously not immune and it was terminal for the baby.

After I noticed a lack of movement I called my midwife who requested we report to the hospital to be checked. Ultrasound confirmed a lack of heartbeat and I was induced 2 days later.

weddedwife · May 2012

Well, my situation was a bit different but it was a 2nd tri loss. My son was alive and healthy, up until literally a moment before delivery. I could feel him moving right before he came out, but when he did- he was gone.

I went into labor unexpectedly, and we never got an answer why. I had an uneventful pregnancy and also no issues w/ my 1st baby. Their unofficial diagnosis was pre-term labor and/or incompetent cervix. It's a "what came first" scenario- did my cervix dilate causing me to go into labor, or the other way around? They found nothing wrong w/ the baby, the placenta, or me.

Gummybear · May 2012

First off, ((hugs)) and I am sorry for your loss. I mostly lurk here but I had the exact same experience. Our son's heart stopped beating at almost 17w for no identified reason at all. I only knew b/c I had an at-home doppler and after 2 days of not finding the hb after hearing it for 6 weeks, I asked to come in. An u/s revealed a 17w fetus w/ no heart beat, perfect fluid, and no abnormalities/cord issues. I chose to have a D&E and have him tested, and he was absolutely perfect in every way, nothing wrong, no infection. Since I am homozygeous MTHFR, I was already taking Lovenox and baby aspirin so it was def. not a clot or anything like that.

They told me the same thing -- 50% of the time there is no explanation. Being the type of person that I am, always needing something to "fix", this was and still is very difficult for me to come to terms with. Not knowing why is something that will bother me for the rest of my life. I am not a person who takes comfort in the "God has a reason" answer. It made TTC again very hard because there was nothing to change or add or test or u/s or treatment that we could do to assure it wouldn't happen again. There was no statistic that whatever happened only happens say, .5% of the time. I just had to fly by the seat of my pants and hope for the best, which is not something I do well. I had a lot of anxiety issues during my pregnancy for our rainbow baby and honestly, it was all too much for me and we are now done having children.

I hope you get an answer and the Dr.s are able identify what went wrong. And I am so sorry you are going through this.

astraight15 · May 2012

I lost my daughter at 38 weeks and we still have no answers. I met with a specialist this week and they explained that the blood tests that they will be doing on me will check for a clotting disorder called Thrombophilia. I guess that it women often do not know that they have this disorder until something like this happens. She said that generally is causes complications in the first and second trimester but sometimes a baby can make it all the way to the 3rd trimester. I am sure that they will be checking for this with you too. Once they find out that someone has this disorder it is very treatable and they will put you on blood thinners during your next pregnancy. All of my other results came back perfectly normal and I am not sure if we ever will get any answers:-(

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