Deanna's Miscarriage Keepsake Cards
Products I Don't Recommend
(all this is Deanna's personal opinion based on complaints and a little medical knowledge, as well as knowing what scoundrels are out there preying on poor women's fears)
Progesterone Creams or Other Progesterone Supplements You Can Buy on the Internet or in Stores
Never supplement yourself with progesterone before or during pregnancy without a doctor's prescription. First of all, these products are completely ineffective. So little progesterone is in them, and the way the progesterone is absorbed, they are nothing but a waste of money. Sometimes, "herbal" progesterone supplements can actually be harmful. If your doctor isn't giving you progesterone suppositories, then progesterone isn't going to help you, even if yours is low based on testing. If you don't trust your doctor's opinion, find a new doctor.
Inexpensive Heartbeat Machines
Women who write me are constantly going into a panic when they can't pick up the baby's heartbeat on a device they've used at home. They go through so much unnecessary pain and trauma when buying an over-the-counter "heartbeat" machine.
If you want to find a machine that is reliable, women on the boards have had good results with these two, depending on what continent you are on:
http://www.healthchecksystems.com/babybeat.htm
and
Remember, though, that even nurses with medical-grade Dopplers still have trouble finding the heartbeat through the 13th week. I strongly urge you to wait until well into your 2nd trimester to get a listening device, and don't purchase anything for less than $100 US as it is likely going to give you static, problems, and panic attacks, not the reassurance you are looking for.
"Early" Pregnancy Tests that Claim to Work Prior to the Day You Missed Your Period or Any Time Before 14 Days Post Ovulation
A urine test simply isn't going to work until enough hormone is CONSISTENTLY in your urine, about 14 days after you ovulated. You will waste money and suffer needless disappointment and frustration with these tests. Don't do it! If you have to know before you expect your period, get a blood test at the doctor's office, although read some information on miscarriage statistics in very early pregnancy before deciding if you really want to know. The losses are as high as 75%, and this is normal.
Go to the store, and buy two-packs of EPT, Clear Blue Easy, or First Response. Many store brands are also fine, since they are usually manufactured by one of the big drug companies anyway. Be aware that inexpensive tests bought in bulk over the Internet are sometimes manufactured in countries where the quality standards are low, and may not be worth the money you've saved.
Ovulation Computers, If You Have Newly Miscarried
I have yet to see any medical literature on this, but these little computers, while great to use when you are trying, are completely wrong in the first cycle following a miscarriage. Numerous women have reported that their computers have signaled ovulation in less than two weeks after a miscarriage, sometimes as early as 6 days later, and this is absolutely not the case. You should not be trying to get pregnant in the first cycle after a miscarriage anyway, so set aside your machine for the four to seven weeks it takes to get a fresh period. Then pick it up again.