A Triploidy Pregnancy: Incompatible With Life.
August 20th, 2009
We received the genetics report back from my doctor yesterday.
I had been anticipating yesterday’s phone call since my D&C took place a month ago. I worried that the report would bring us results suggesting that I had done something wrong. (I think every parent thinks that.) I worried it might be something on Toby’s end. I thought the report might inform us that there was something horribly wrong with our genetic makeup. I mostly worried about my age and the eggs I have left. But none of that was the case with this pregnancy.
Our fetus had something called triploidy, a rare condition incompatible with life.
From Healthline:
A fetus with triploidy has 69 chromosomes, rather than 46. The majority of fetuses with triploidy are spontaneously miscarried during pregnancy. Those that survive until birth will have severe growth retardation and multiple birth defects. This condition is incompatible with life.
This baby had a whole extra set of chromosomes, 69 instead of 46. It hadn’t had a trisomy after all, which is precisely what I had been feverishly researching.
I was floored by this information. The biggest question weighing on my mind at that point was: OH MY GOD. How did I go 11 whole weeks?
“That’s what I wondered too.” She said. “I’m shocked you didn’t miscarry sooner.”
She went on to tell me that this means there’s nothing inherently wrong with my eggs or my genetics and there’s nothing wrong with Toby’s either. She said there’s nothing I could have done to stop this and there’s nothing I did or did not do that caused it. She reassured me that should we ever wish to try again, there’s nothing that suggests we’ll have problems in the future.
We talked a bit more about how I have been and I thanked her once again for being so kind to me that day. She said I can thank her when she delivers my second child. And I wept.
It should go without saying that Toby Joe and I yearned for and imagined a healthy baby. But this was not that baby. This baby wasn’t the one we named or pictured in our minds. This fetus didn’t stand a chance at life at all. This baby simply wasn’t meant to be no matter how much we wanted it.
This information helped me immensely, but I still wish my body figured it out sooner. I wish it hadn’t worked so hard at keeping this fetus alive and for so long. And I’m left wondering if this is why I was so completely wrecked with sickness. But that’s something I’ll likely never know.
After we got off the phone, I began researching the information she had given me. I plugged terms into Google and it spit back answers. As I combed through information, I realized that she had inadvertently given me the gender. And I was surprised to discover that knowing as much didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. I think that’s because I knew that this fetus never stood a chance at life, so this wasn’t the person I had imagined and named after all. (Or maybe it’s a defense mechanism, either way, I’ll take it.)
So, how does triploidy happen? Do you care as I do? The researcher and forever wonderer in me does care and so…
There are a few different ways triploidy pregnancies can occur:
From Healthline:
The most common mechanism for triploidy is the fertilization of a single egg by two sperm.
This is what is referred to as paternal inheritance (2 sperm, one egg). It accounts for 60% of cases of triploidy. The placentas are small and non-cystic.
The other mechanism is an error in cell division in which an egg cell ends up with 46 chromosomes instead of 23.
This is what is referred to as maternal inheritance (egg with 46 chromosomes fertilized by sperm with 23). This accounts for 40% of cases of triploidy and is often referred to as partial molar pregnancy, where the placenta is enlarged and cystic.
My placenta wasn’t enlarged or cystic. A partial molar pregnancy had been ruled out for me.
In our case, this egg was most likely fertilized by two sperm (but I am by no means a geneticist).
Had you told me about this disorder a year ago—even two months ago—I would have thought, “Wow, that’s some crazy rare weird genetic stuff. What are the chances?”
From Healthline:
Triploidy occurs in about 1–2% of all conceptions, but most of these pregnancies end in early spontaneous miscarriage.
Yeah, no chance that’ll be me.
Oops.
A month ago, when my life became such a blur I’m not even sure I was the one living it, my doctor called to give me my options. After we decided to schedule the D&C, we spoke more about doing a biopsy and running the genetics. I wasn’t sure if that’s something I wanted to do at the time. I went back and forth with her on this and finally just asked her, as a friend, to tell me what I should do. She replied, “Well, knowledge is power.”
I agreed to do it.
Yesterday was a bad day all around for many reasons, so when her call came in, I prepared myself for the absolute worst. If there was one day I needed some power, it was yesterday.
I realize that this post may read a little matter-of-fact, a little stony compared to other posts I’ve written on this topic. You’ll have to forgive me for that. But yesterday’s news brought me some closure, a little more strength and a bucketload of hope.
I’m still not sure if we’ll ever have a go at this again. I am, after all, 35 and not getting any younger. But I know now more than ever before that some things truly are outside of my jurisdiction, completely beyond my control. I now know that for whatever the reason may be, this happened to us because it had to happen to someone.
Instead of asking, why us? Today I’m asking, why not?
So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before: I’m going to buy a lottery ticket. Because I reckon our place in the universe (statistically speaking) has a little bit of leveling out to do.
Tags: Miscarriage
30 Comments on “A Triploidy Pregnancy: Incompatible With Life.”
Here’s where the story ends: http://tinyurl.com/mswdos (Our genetics report came back.)
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
thanks for sharing. I appreciated the information. I love the thought that knowledge is power, especially in such a tough choice as yours was. You are doing a good thing by sharing so that others can know they’re not alone. Hope you win something in that lottery.
I just think your body is SO GOOD at nurturing and growing life that it picked up some cells not quite ready to make it.
In my opinion, it’s because you’re so gifted at reproduction that this happened.
And also? Giant hug all over you.
I’m so glad you did the testing, and discovered the truth. I once had a doctor tell me, “With everything that needs to go right in a pregnancy, it’s a miracle that any of us are here.”
Still sending you mad love from here.
This post didn’t sound stoney at all. It sounds relieved and hopeful. I hope that things only start looking up for you. I know you’ve been through a lot. You’ve been in my thoughts.
P.S. that is the best ending to a post…ever.
i know this has been very hard on you both, but there is an odd sort of romance revealed that has been hidden in all of this mess. your eggs *really* want to be fertilized by toby’s sperm, and vice versa.
here’s to the future.
Sending so much love to you guys, Michele.
I’m glad you got some answers and, more importantly, some closure.
Much love to you and your beautiful family.
Sending you love and hugs. I’m happy you got some closure, but don’t afraid to still be sad, if that’s what you feel too.
Of course I’m still sad. I’m sad that things didn’t go as planned. I am sad for my husband, my son, and myself, to be honest. And I’m sad that this baby was so compromised. But I feel 10 times better than I did last month. So, there’s that.
I have good moments and bad ones. Today has been filled with good ones. Granted, blowing bubbles into the stream of our central AC unit with my son and my cats around helped.
i’d like to echo helen jane’s sentiments.
glad to hear today’s a bit of a better day.
Thanks for sharing. I’m so jealous of you for being able to talk about it and helping sb like me who went through some of what you went through. Hope all your future days are filled with good moments.
By the way I made the cake and it was awesome.
*hugs*
You sound relieved in this post. Glad to hear that you have answers and won’t beat yourself up over something so radically out of your control.
As a biologist I would just like to say how well written this post was, and as a fellow woman I would like to let you know that my thoughts are with you and your family.
Sending you hugs.
I keep thinking I have no idea what to say, never been through this so should say nothing, but how you’ve shared this has moved me. As I began reading this post and your why, I kind of imagined this little one as some sort of expression of the hope that you didn’t know was there for a second child….and at the end you said something about a bucketload of hope. It feels like there is a bit of lightness with this closure and for that I am glad. Thinking of you guys!
lovely post, truly
i am so, so sorry for the loss of your second child; i truly am, michele. i look forward to when she delivers your third baby…
Hi Michele– Great, informative post. Not at all detached. I can understand how this helped to give you some much-needed closure.
BTW, one of my friends who miscarried twice just had her second son at age 41. He is beautiful and healthy. So, if you do decide to try for another someday, know that it can be done (which I know you know, but sometimes it helps to hear other people’s stories.) Feel better soon, or at least soon-ish :-).
Knowledge is power. I’m a librarian who believes with in my being and education that those who are “information literate”, sorry a library-land term, at the end of the day gain power from the information. We have an easier ride with the good information but the bad can also provide good… over time.
Best to you and your loves.
R
One of my favorite sayings is “The more you know, the less you fear.”
I’m glad you’ve got answers now.
Lots of hugs to all of you..xox
PS – I made the angel food cake yesterday. YUM.
big bear hugs to you and your family, michele. i’m so glad this news brought relief to you. you’re so much stronger than you give yourself credit.
I was just as ambivalent about the testing as it sounds like you were. And I felt the same way when we got our results back: absolved of guilt and somehow comforted by the idea that there was no other possible outcome. Not that there isn’t still grief. It’s just…different now.
Thank you for sharing your story, and I’d say that the universe has a little work to do, leveling out. :)
Delurking to say how very sorry I am for you and your husband, but glad that you have found some comfort in knowing the science behind what happened. I do agree that “knowledge is power”.
Oh, and about being “35, after all” – I gave birth to my only child just after I turned 40. He’s now a very happy, healthy, all-boy, boy and almost 10 years old.
I wish I had been able to have another child, or at least to try. Our life is good and we are happy. But I would have loved to see my son and a sibling grow up together.
Please don’t think it’s too late to try again.
Wow, it’s kind of a relief to read all this. Closure seems to be a hard thing to find with miscarriages, or anything concerning your children, really. I’m so sad for the baby that you lost, both the actual fetus and the idea of the younger sibling for your Em. At least there’s some sense of hope and no concern a troubled pregnancy in the future.
And blowing bubbles with your son and cat sounds lovely… I’ll have to remember that when we’re having one of those days. (Often, lately, unfortunately).
It is so good to read your story, im very sorry for what happened i know what you are going through, i just had to terminate my pregnancy because of triploidy, i was 5 months, it was the worst time of my life and im so sorry for anyone that has to go through that, another bad thing about this was my 4 year old daughter asking me what happened, i had to tell her the doctor made a mistake that there was never no baby, its been a whole week and she has not mentioned it, that makes me feel better, like you said i know that this baby had no chance and as hard as it was, it was for the best and i had no choice, i keep telling myself. Everyday gets easier and i thank god for my other 2 girls that they are healthy and i know i will have another baby that is just has healthy as they are when the time is right and so will you….
I am having an amnio in two days at 17 weeks to determine if my baby is a triploidy. I went from having a dream pregnancy to having the shock of my life when the ultrasound showed evidence of triploidy syndrome. We tried to get pregnant for 3 1/2 years and did expensive fertility treatments. We found out we are having a girl. It is exactly what we wanted. I just never could have imagined something could go so wrong. Now, we are facing terminating a pregnancy that we wanted so badly. I just don’t want my baby girl to suffer. She is a fighter, hanging on so long. I think my body will never give her up.
My daughters baby was delivered yesterday it was nearly 15 weeks and was a triploidy baby The scan appeared normal the bloods were what set the alarm bells ringing, the cvs was done ,placenta grown and then we had the terrible news, the baby looked normal to me after it was born but I am no expert and we did not want to continue with the pregnancy as we were told that these babies are not compatible with life, we only wish nature
had made the choices instead of us.
Pauline-My baby thrived up until the day I had a D&E at 15 weeks on November 22nd (last week). I too, had great ultrasounds and no questionable measurements. My CVS test was driven purely by the blood results, so it all didn’t make sense to me at all. I too, wish nature had made me miscarry earlier on, but my body held onto that pregnancy through thick and thin. I had had immense cramping an bleeding up through 13 weeks and my pictures always showed the baby was fine. I recently received some closure after speaking to my doctor who confirmed that the fetus had “cardinal” signs of triploidy as well as a very thin placenta.
I am 35 years old…I had gone through a similiar scenerio. It was my second miscarriage. The first one…was a slight mystery, I started to spot at 6 weeks, had fetal heartbeat, but two days later, still with heavy bleeding…discovered no heart beat,, we didn’t do a D&C, I just took vaginal Rx and let nature take it’s course. I had pre-existing hypothyroidism and was taking 50 umg of Levoxyl. It was thought by the endocrinologist that I lost the baby because I wasn’t on enough Levoxyl. Now I am on 100 umg and have completely suppressed by thyroid stimulating hormone. Three months later, we tried again and we were pregnant. At 8 weeks, fetal heartbeat was present and everything looked ok, however, during a follow-up visit at 10 weeks, when I expected everything to be normal, the ob/gyn could not find heartbeat with abdominal US, so he tried vaginally, and still no heartbeat, he said that it probably died 3 days after my first exam…I was devastasted. Completely took me by surprise, because I felt fine, no bleeding or anything. This time I agreed to do the D&C, so that I can get a biospy of the “fetal tissue,” ….that was VERY sad to hear. My baby was now called fetal tissue, it sucked to hear it the first time, but in retrospect, it sort of helped me detach my feelings from “the baby, which was now tissue”….I know it’s a bit sick, but I will say it helped to call it that. And then results came in and the report said female triploidy. After doing some research, I believe, it had nothing to do with my age….we are now “trying” once again. I seems that are trying is successful, however, lets hope this time I can hold on to my baby….I won’t get my hopes up, until I deliver and the doctor says that he/she is healthy. All my life….I thought I was healthy….I am actually a bit of a healthnut….vegetarian, work-out, etc….over the past year, I have seen more specailists than I care to count….I have faith that next year will be a better year, and I hope and pray to become a mother. :) BRING ON 2010.
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