Customer Reviews

Miscarriage: Why It Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks : A Doctor's Guide to the Facts

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

When I was asked to review this book, I didn't give it a second thought. I myself have a personal connection with this subject. When my daughter was almost 3 years old, after being pregnant for the first time since she was born, I had a miscarriage.

There are so many questions surrounding the reasons for miscarriages - what causes them; can they be prevented; is there a way to lower the risks of having another...? Answers to these and other compelling questions are best discussed in the book, "Miscarriage: Why It Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks," by Henry M. Lerner, M.D. I thought I had known all there was to know about miscarriages, but this book truly opened my eyes and gave me much more information.

Miscarriages are a common occurrence, happening in 1 out of 5 pregnancies, and for a number of reasons. Some of what this book discusses: what exactly is a miscarriage; reasons miscarriages occur; the role of infections and the environment in causing miscarriages. It discusses past and current research studies and its results, and even answered a few myths I had believed to be true (see pg 53 for timing sex for a boy or girl; and pg 120 for microwave oven exposure).

MyParenTime highly recommends this book -- besides personally answering some questions I had about my own miscarriage, this informative book touched upon so many areas and explained the topic of miscarriage in terms we can all understand. To anyone who has experienced the devastation of a miscarriage, and to those just looking for information...this book has it all.

...on this book, or any other book written by Dr. Lerner - especially those written regarding the reduction or prevention of miscarriages. In fact, you can find more accurate information on the internet.
What Dr. Lerner doesn't tell you is that he runs a LOW risk practice, where most miscarriages are, in fact, due to a chromosomal mis-match, and occur very early in the pregnancy. Any testing for later-term pregnancy losses must be done outside of his practice.
So - I suggest you find a HIGH risk Dr. to answer your questions regarding miscarriages, rather than wasting your time and money on this book.

First of all, I am a recurrent miscarrier. I have suffered 5 losses. I am a mother of two healthy boys, unfortunatly I have been unable to keep a pregnancy longer than 9 weeks. I highly recommend Dr. Lerner's book on Miscarriages, He definatly informed me of possiblities I was not sure were out there. I have read several other "pregnancy loss" books and all they focus on are the emotional status of the parents. I am not saying that is not important, but don't we want to know why this is happening? How can we figure out the reason this happened? If you want a book on trying to get your questions answered, especially when our HMO doctors are rushed for time, this is the book for you.

After suffering a recent miscarriage (first pregnancy), I had about two weeks of mourning before I really wanted and yearned for some answers. I went searching for books and found this one. After reading it, I find that I have not only a better understanding of what a miscarriage is and why it happens, but have found a "peace" with the loss of my baby.

Dr. Lerner has written a well-rounded book. He provides real-life examples from his own patients as well as a refresher biology course, and emotional comfort. I was glad to see that after a miscarriage your chances of having another one are only 4% and the chances of a 3rd only 1%. By providing statistics like this and really explaining the actual causes of miscarriage, this book really has put my mind and nerves at ease for my next pregnancy.

The best thing it that I not only have a better understanding of "why it had to happen" but also I feel educatated enough through my own experience and by reading this book to really be a help to other women who go through this.

I highly recommend any mother who has just lost a pregnancy to read this book. It has been a world of help to me and whenever I start questioning "why?" again, I have only to pick up this book to help alleviate my concerns. By learning all you can about your loss, you will not only be honoring the baby you lost, but showing love and care for any future ones.

This is one of the most unhelpful books on miscarriage out there. I bought it when I was going through losses and quite honestly it made me feel like there was no hope and no answers. I now have two healthy boys as a result of the latest tests and treatments for immune system problems, thanks to being recommended the book by Dr Alan Beer. Finally, I discovered the reason for my losses and was able to get treated. I am writing this to save others from the heartache I went through.

Miscarriage Why it happens covers the reasons why miscarriage can happen and even offers some ways of prevention or curing abnormality problems. Of course, some miscarriages cannot be prevented. They happen because there wasn't enough chromosomal information. Some miscarriages happen because of an infection or illness. Some miscarriages happen because the sperm were not strong enough. Some happen because of timing at intercourse and this lead to miscarriage. Other times there are problems like the female anatomy that need to be fixed. Ever heard of someone with two uteruses, two cervixes, two vaginas? Well, it can happen. There maybe a blockage and once it is taken care of--the person can have normal pregnancies. Sometimes there are uterus problems (such as cysts/growths) that can be removed. Other times it is the age of the woman that can lead to these problems. Sometimes we just do not know why it happens--despite the titles name of the book--but at least reading this book can give you some ideas of how/why you had a miscarriage and ways to look at prevention and self-care.

After two miscarriages I desperatley wanted answers, this book did help some but really didn't offer me any answers. If your miscarriage is due to chromosomal abnormalities this book will not really help - if it was due to a specific condition this would be helpful.