Dr. Gillian Lockwood answered iVillager's questions and concerns on our Coping with a Miscarriage message board. If you missed it, here's what happened.

cl-sonyasrose: A question of my own here with regards to being Rhesus Negative blood group. Firstly, can this be the cause of some miscarriages? Are women with this type of blood group more likely to suffer miscarriages? Secondly, I'm now 22-weeks pregnant and have Rh Neg blood, should I be given regular doses of Anti-D injection throughout pregnancy? When I asked my midwife about it, she was very vague and didn't give me a straight answer. However, I have heard on other boards about women who regularly visit the hospital for injections. I'm just a little worried that my blood group will affect my baby
Dr. Gillian Lockwood: I hope the pregnancy is going well. This is how rhesus works. When a Rhesus D negative mother delivers a rhesus D positive baby, a leak of foetal blood cells into mum's circulation may stimulate her to produce antibodies called anti-D. In subsequent pregnancies, the antibody can cross the placenta and cause rhesus haemolytic disease in the baby (like a very sever anaemia). Your baby could be rhesus positive if baby's father is rhesus positive, as it is a 'dominant' condition.

Prevention is better than cure, so all Rhesus negative mothers should be tested for anti-D antibodies at booking, 28 and 34 weeks gestation. All rhesus negative mums should get an injection of anti-D after delivery or miscarriage or if they have a significant bleed in pregnancy (threatened miscarriage). If the baby is affected by the antibodies then it is possible to give the baby a blood transfusion whilst it is still in the womb. Affected babies may be jaundiced at birth and require an exchange transfusion or ultraviolet light therapy. Rhesus incompatibility can be a cause of late miscarriage, which is why it is so important to check the blood group.

nickix2002: Just wondering if you could help. I had my fourth miscarriage three weeks ago, and this one was a missed miscarriage, like two of the others. I was wondering when to count my cycle days from? I had a bleed on the 12th of September, and it was slight, and on the 15th, it was confirmed that the baby had died about 7 days earlier, then I went on to miscarry naturally on the 19th. This bleed lasted for about 8 days. Then I had another scan and was told that my womb was 'nice and empty,' also, I seem to have some pregnancy symptoms, and was wondering if these could be residual or could I in fact be pregnant again.
Dr Gillian: I'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriages. Have you had any successful pregnancies? After four miscarriages you should be referred to a specialist recurrent miscarriage clinic for tests. It certainly is possible to get pregnant after a miscarriage before you have a 'normal' period (in the same way as it is possible to get pregnant whilst breast feeding). It all depends on how far on the pregnancy was as to where you are in your ovulatory cycle. When they did the scan, did they comment on the ovaries? It is possible to see if someone is going to ovulate quite soon.

nickix2002: As well as the four miscarriages, I have two healthy children aged 4 and 2. I have still got milk in my breasts after finishing b/f the younger one just over a year ago, could this have caused me to miscarry the last two babies? One in January and one in September.
Dr Gillian Lockwood: Breastfeeding does not cause miscarriage. If a woman is fully breastfeeding she may not ovulate and then she can't get pregnant. But you can be reassured that the breast milk didn't cause the miscarriage.

karen_taylor78: I had a missed miscarriage last year at 9 weeks. Also in July at an ultrasound scan I found out that my baby had died at 18 weeks. A post-mortem was done. It was a faulty placenta. The consultant didn't really say much about it. I was just wondering how common it is for this to happen? Also I don't suppose anyone knows but I forgot to ask him if a baby suffers at this stage due to this.
Dr Gillian Lockwood: I'm so sorry to hear about your the loss of your baby. A 'faulty placenta' is one of the commoner causes of a mid-trimester or late pregnancy loss. Often it is caused by pre-eclampsia or Lupus. If you were quite well, then it may have be a true fault in the placenta and is unlikely to recur in another pregnancy. You can be quite certain that your baby didn't suffer. At this gestation they are not 'conscious' so they couldn't feel pain or stress.

cl-sonyasrose: What are your opinions on flying during pregnancy? I know some people say it should be avoided, but others say it's safe. What do you think? Also, I flew only this week (22wks pg), and my mum was convinced the pressure would hurt the baby's ears. Is this so? Does the baby feel anything whilst flying at this stage?
Dr Gillian Lockwood: I don't think that women should fly before they have had a first scan (to check that it is not an ectopic or 'missed miscarriage)'. Women who are newly pregnant (especially if they have had IVF treatment) have 'extra thick blood' and therefore are at increased risk of 'economy class syndrome' or DVTs. They should avoid long haul flights and take all the usual precautions against DVTs like 'flight socks', extra water, aspirin etc. Flying is fine between 12 weeks and about 24. After that the baby is viable but I don't like to think of people being too far away from a good hospital with a SCBU if there are problems of premature delivery. The pressure changes in a commercial airliner are not enough to cause problems, but pregnant women should be aware that the oxygen levels are lower. Your baby would not have felt his ears 'pop' as he is completely protected from the pressure change as he is 'under water'!

eaton0171: I have read that having a D and C (dilation and curettage) can weaken the cervix and therefore cause further miscarriages maybe at a later stage of pregnancy (around 12 weeks) how true or common is this? Are you more likely to have a further miscarriage if you have had a DC? I had a full term baby ten years ago with no problems. I had been on the pill for ten years prior to trying for the baby we have just lost. Can being on the pill for this long have damaged anything in any way which would prevent me having a full term pg now I have now been off the pill for 7 months.
Dr Gillian Lockwood: One or two D and Cs will not weaken the cervix. Miscarriage from 'an incompetent' cervix tends to happen later in pregnancy (after 20 weeks). A cervix can be weakened by repeated late TOPs (if done surgically) and also by cone biopsies. Laser treatment and DLE (loop diathermy) for CIN II or III (pre-cancer of the cervix) does not cause this problem. Being on the pill does not affect your chance of pregnancy or increase the risk of miscarriage

l-sonyasrose: One of our posts on the board the other day has triggered this question. Karen said this "I don't know if you remember but I lost my baby boy Gabriel at 18 weeks due to a faulty placenta. Well my problem is this... Most nights I wake up suddenly feeling 'movement' in my tummy. It's not just little flutters it feels like there is a party going on in there! It feels like when I was heavily pregnant with DS and DD, lurches and rolls and proper kicks. Each time it wakes me it breaks my heart, I just don't know why this is happening. It happened a few months after I had my early m/c at 9 weeks last year but not as often. It is making me so miserable otherwise I am just about accepting my loss but this is making things worse because for a split second I forget he is no longer there." Is there something that is going on inside us after we have lost our babies that could cause these feelings (shrinking, etc), or is it just something that we are imagining?
Dr Gillian Lockwood: I saw Karen's message and wasn't quite sure how to answer. Certainly, I have had patients who have reported similar heartbreaking feelings after losing a pregnancy quite late on. The uterus shrinks back to its normal size quite quickly after delivery, but the pattern of bowel activity can be altered for some time. Some women have told me that they have these feelings of kicks and flutterings after a successful pregnancy and delivery too! I think the clue lies with Karen saying that the feelings 'wake her up'. I think she is dreaming and her sub-conscious mind is 're-running' the tape of the lost pregnancy as a way of coming to terms with it.

vanjacoffey: I just found out this morning that I'm pregnant. I had a missed m/c in March this year and we started TTC in June so it took us four months to get there. I have light cramps as the only symptom of pregnancy (4 weeks 3 days today). I feel a little bit nervous about the pregnancy. When would you advise an early scan? Last time I found out when I was 11.5 weeks that the baby had died at 8-9 weeks. Also, do you advise any supplements to reduce the m/c risk? I heard that in addition to prenatal multivitamins, it may be advisable to take extra folic acid and B6... Do you agree? Is there anything else that I should take?
Dr Gillian Lockwood: I always recommend an early scan (6-7) weeks for anyone who has had a 'missed' or has had trouble conceiving. The vast majority of miscarriages are genetic in origin and therefore unavoidable, but a pre-natal vitamin supplement is a good idea. There is an association between high caffeine intake and miscarriage, so cut out the coffee, tea and coke. The rest is easy...healthy diet, plenty of rest, light exercise, optimistic thoughts!

l-sonyasrose: You often hear people saying 'I can't carry girls/boy'. Is this true? Does the sex of the baby make such a difference and is it possible that some women will always mc one particular sex?
Dr Gillian Lockwood: This really is an old wives tale. I think it continues because there is a tendency, once you have had two or three babies of one sex, that you are more than averagely likely to have the same sex again. Women therefore assume that the miscarriages must have been the other sex. There is no real evidence for the belief that it is 'easier' to carry girls!

l-sonyasrose: Sorry, me again! How often should blood pressure be checked during pregnancy? Mine was only checked at my first at 7 wks and nothing since (now 22 wks).
Dr Gillian Lockwood: It all depends on what the first reading was, whether you have any risk factors for pre-eclampsia and whether you have any symptoms. If you had pre-existing raised blood pressure or if they found protein in your urine, it would be being done very often! It should really be checked at every antenatal visit once you are on 'the home straight'

michelleev2003: I came off the pill after 13 years and got pregnant at first attempt then had missed mc at the end of January. My problem is/was that I had no period and after 8 months it was really worrying me and getting me down. I felt that my body had packed in. My first question is how normal is it for periods to be disrupted by miscarriage and is it a problem that will stay forever? I started charting and for months there was absolutely no pattern. Then on 20th September (3 weeks ago) I started to bleed, I was ecstatic! But it only lasted for a day and a half so I wondered what this could mean.

After that my temperature became steadier and on Monday day 16th, fertility friend says I'm ovulating. I had a positive opk on Saturday and cervix position etc. matched it. I am supposedly 5 days after ovulation and temperature went from 36.19 to 36.79 with a few fluctuations. I have an appointment at Newcastle centre for life in two weeks to discuss no af/ov and I wonder what to do about it. I hope they don't think I am wasting their time but I still need reassurance. Over the past few months I have convinced myself I have every fertility problem going from cysts to hormonal abnormalities - all probably in my mind. Should I still go or will they be angry that I'm wasting time if I have started to ovulating again?

On a slightly different note, after a huge dose of antibiotics I think I might have thrush. (Or now I am checking cervical mucus, I wonder if washing hands so vigorously with soap before checking has caused it as I have now read you should only use water down there!) I am going to go to the chemist this morning but what if on the real off chance that I did get pregnant on Monday! Could the medications for thrush cause a miscarriage?

Dr. Gillian Lockwood: The commonest cause of absent or erratic periods after coming off the pill and/or early miscarriage is polycystic ovary syndrome. Have a look at my article, A common curable cause of infertility. You don't tell me how old you are and that could influence my advice. The team at Newcastle Centre for Life are very nice and they certainly won't think that you are wasting their or your time.

About the thrush...antibiotics will certainly cause thrush in many women as the antibiotics kill off the good bugs (the lactobacilli) as well as the bad bugs. Eat lots of natural 'live' yoghurt and if you are itchy 'down below' then dipping a tampon in live yoghurt and inserting it is very soothing and helps the lactobacilli to re-colonise the vagina. Otherwise canestan cream from the chemists is good

annlouise1: I'm currently on the two-week wait to have a cervical cancer smear test on Wednesday. If I have conceived this month will it do any harm?
Dr. Gillian Lockwood: I don't like speculums going anywhere near women who may be just pregnant. It couldn't do any harm, it's just that as bleeding in early pregnancy is common, as is early pregnancy loss, if you are pregnant and things go wrong you may 'blame' the smear. I would wait until you know and try to arrange your smear in the first half of the cycle (after you have finished your period)

sadsusie: I lost identical twins at 8 weeks, nearly 4 weeks ago. I had a D&C - there wasn't much bleeding and no pain, within a few days I felt ok. Now I feel pregnant again, what are the chances? I did do a test but found it confusing. On the first one there was a really faint pinkish dot when you held it up to the light, but on the next, it was hardly there. My cycles are only about 21/24 days. I would love to have a baby but am just scared that I might m/c again as it?s to soon. When should I test again?
Dr. Gillian Lockwood: I'm sorry to hear about your recent miscarriage. Identical twin pregnancies are much more likely to miscarry than non-identicals and there are often complications in the pregnancy such as twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Now we have scans and can date pregnancies accurately there is no real reason to 'wait' after a miscarriage before trying again. It can take some time for all the pregnancy hormone (hCG) to disappear from the blood stream, so that may be why your 'test' was faintly positive. Best advice is to repeat the test in a week's time. By then it will either be completely negative or positive.

snugglebabe: I had my miscarriage "started off" yesterday afternoon. I was meant to be 11 weeks pregnant, but development had stopped at apprx 6 weeks. (although everything else apparently had kept growing, bump was already showing). I have a few questions for you: I had really bad pains yesterday (Hospital had warned me how bad, but still didn't expect them to be THAT bad!) were these the contractions the hospital had warned me about? Is that them over with now bleeding has started, or can I expect more? Secondly will by breasts return to their pre-pregnancy size and if so when?
Dr. Gillian Lockwood: I'm sorry you are having such a rough time. The pain from the contractions can be quite bad, but should start to settle when the bleeding starts. Did they recommend some painkillers for you? Do you have an appointment to return for a scan to check that the womb is empty? Your breasts will go back to their previous size, but it might take a few weeks.

lambsie2k: I saw your previous reply to another lady about no caffeine in early pregnancy. What I would like to know is would you advise anyone who is trying to conceive through IVF to cut out all caffeine before as well as after embryo transfer?
Dr. Gillian Lockwood: As a coffee addict, it is very hard to recommend something that I know I could not do myself, but there was a very good Danish study that looked at factors 'associated' with increased risk of miscarriage and they found that caffeine and alcohol were! That is not to say that they CAUSE miscarriage, just that there was an association. If you can, cut right down