Miscarriage: Why it Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks--A Doctor's Guide to the Facts [Paperback]

Henry Lerner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2003

Whether it occurs in the first trimester or later in a pregnancy, a miscarriage is always an emotionally traumatic event, sometimes a physically daunting one, and all too often an isolating experience. Adding to the frustration and disappointment of the 800,000 women who miscarry every year, busy obstetricians often lack up-to-date or specific knowledge about the causes and consequences of this profound event.Into this fact-vacuum comes After Miscarriage, a book that every physician will confidently recommend and that women hungry for information will seek out. From the chromosomal, illness-related, immunological, and genetic reasons for miscarriage to the diagnostic tests and surgical procedures now available, this authoritative guide reflects the latest medical information on why miscarriages do and don't happen and the best methodologies known for recovery and preparing to conceive again. Complete with stories from women who have miscarried and reassuring input from a female doctor, After Miscarriage also provides substantive advice for coping with the anxiety and depression that often accompany the loss of pregnancy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For people who want the facts, Lerner's book may be just short of fascinating." -- New England Psychologist October, 2003

"Simply put, this is the best book on miscarriage available." -- Robert L. Barbieri, M.D., Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School

About the Author

A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Henry Lerner, M.D., has been an obstetrician-gynecologist for more than twenty years. He has appeared on "Nightline," "Larry King Live," and "Firing Line" and has been interviewed for magazines including Time and People. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1 edition (March 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738206342
• ISBN-13: 978-0738206349
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #468,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

100 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointment, August 20, 2003

By 

"ewhov" (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miscarriage: Why it Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks--A Doctor's Guide to the Facts (Paperback)

If you have had only one miscarriage and just want a good biology lesson on the different ways miscarriage can occur, this book may be for you. However, I do not recommend this book to anyone who has suffered two or more miscarriages and is seeking advice on what to do about it. After my second, my main concern was trying to at least have an educated guess as to whether they were caused by chromosomal abnormalities or some other cause which potentially needs to be treated before trying again. This book did not give me the answers I was looking for and instead left me more frustrated and confused than ever. Additionally, after reading several books and every article I could find on miscarriage in magazines and on the internet, it seems to me that many of Dr. Lerner's opinions are in the minority. He flatly recommends that women not seek testing until they have suffered three losses in a row. However, many doctors and the American College of Obstetritians and Gynecologists (ACOG) now recommend doing so after two, especially if the woman is in her 30's or 40's. I also do not think Dr. Lerner explained that there can be certain circumstances of your pregnancy and first trimester miscarriage that point to the likelihood that it was not chromosomal abnormality - I had to learn this from other sources (examples are occurring later in the trimester and normal fetus and hearbeat shown on ultrasound before miscarrying). He also flatly says that stress does not cause miscarriages because he has seen no study proving this to his satisfaction (he uses this reasoning for a lot of his opinions but does not explain how difficult it is to prove anything in this area). I have read of numerous studies (and also acknowledged by the ACOG) that indicate that stress can in fact cause or at least contribute to miscarriage. After seeing so much information that contradicts many of Dr. Lerner's opinions, I just don't have much confidence in what he has to say. Another fault I find is that while he acknowledges progesterone deficiency can cause early miscarriages, he is against the use of progesterone supplements but does not address whether he thinks there is a possible solution for this problem, again leaving me frustrated.

My recommendation is that if you read this book, at least don't stop there - read everything you can about miscarriages from reputable sources and don't take this doctor's word as the gospel. While there doesn't seem to be any complete certainty in this subject area, by becoming as informed as possible and using your own common sense you can figure out some of the answers you need in order to go on.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU NEED A BOOK ON MISCARRIAGE..THIS IS THE ONE!!, October 20, 2003

By 

cheryl kiser (Weston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miscarriage: Why it Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks--A Doctor's Guide to the Facts (Paperback)

Books on miscarriage by in large are very difficult to read because it is hard to get past the pain of why you are reading them. This book is an exception. It is the only book I have read on the topic which actually put me at ease, was reassuring,compassionate and very informative. It is clear that Dr. Lerner cares about his reader through his intelligent communication of medical information with great sensitivity to the topic and his reader.
If you need to read a book on this topic then you need to read this one. It's all you will need!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I expected more...keep looking!, March 3, 2005

By 

Reader (WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miscarriage: Why it Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks--A Doctor's Guide to the Facts (Paperback)

This is a very general book, and almost dismissive of the first time sufferer. My circumstances do not make me the proper audience for this book, and it is not for the person with difficulty in conceiving, with an underlying health condition, a woman over 35, and a host of others. The explanations are fairly elementary, and like another reviewer, find that many other publications contradict his theories. If this is the "best book on m/c available", then I need to go to the Medical School library.

In my personal experience, I find that the author has only a cursory grasp of thyroid and auto-immune issues, and in fact confuses Grave's disease for Hashimoto's. If one is to write a book which will encroach on specialties other than one's own, have the proper specialists at least review it! The best part of the book is the section on the psychological aspect of pregnancy loss. This is the only book I have seen which discussed the differences a man and woman may feel through a miscarriage.

Not the book for me. The author makes it seem as though, suffering "only" one miscarriage, regardless of my circumstances, I do not deserve to "drain the national healthcare" in my quest for answers. Keep looking.