“Direct divine activity is required to ‘open the womb,’ whether a woman has had children before or not, whether she has even tried to become pregnant before or not. Every pregnancy, be it the first or the fifth, is ascribed to God’s power.” – Joel Baden (Professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale University)
I mentioned in a footnote recently that I was planning to devote an entire post to my personal “health problems” and how they may have contributed to my three pregnancy losses. Before I begin, I want to repeat a point I hope I made in a previous post, which is that miscarriages are most often related to chromosomal abnormalities within the developing baby, not to the mother or father.[1] However, when a woman experiences two or more losses in a row, she’s generally advised by medical professionals to undergo testing to determine any underlying health issues, such as uterine abnormalities, autoimmune diseases, environmental factors, endocrine problems, or an unfavorable gene variation. Or if you’re like me, you might have a few unfavorable gene variations…
When I got pregnant with our son Isaiah, I asked my doctor to test me for Factor V Leiden, which is the name of a specific gene mutation in the F5 gene that’s responsible for helping your body form blood clots after an injury.
I’d never had an abnormal blood clot, nor had I had a miscarriage before, so why, might you ask, did I want to be tested for Factor V Leiden? Well, I knew that thrombophilia is common on my mother’s side of the family, and thanks to 23andMe and a simple saliva sample, I knew that I am genetically predisposed to experience “thrombotic events,” such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. I had a hunch that I, like my mom, would test positive for Factor V Leiden and wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help prevent any pregnancy complications that might be associated with it.
The test determined that I am heterozygous for FVL (Factor V Leiden), which means I only have one copy of the gene that carries the mutation, but still have an increased risk of thromboembolism. Because of my age and good health, my OBGYN at the time didn’t believe anticoagulants were necessary. I had a wonderful, complication-free pregnancy and delivery, thank the Lord! It’s worth noting that my mom, who later in life learned she is homozygous for FVL (which means she has two copies of the gene) and therefore had a 50-100-fold increased risk of maternal complications, experienced none with either of her pregnancies.
Fast forward to October of last year, after our first miscarriage. I had just read a book – that I highly recommend, by the way – called Dirty Genes by Dr. Ben Lynch. I decided to take my raw data from 23andMe and upload it to a website he recommended that generates genetic reports. To my surprise, I learned that I have yet another gene variant that is known to contribute to venous thrombosis: MTHFR.
MTHFR stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, which is an enzyme that works as a catalyst for important biochemical reactions in your body.[2] The MTHFR gene is a “master instruction sheet” for the production of the MTHFR enzyme. The following is from amymeyersmd.com:
“Two MTHFR genes commonly studied are C677T and A1298C (these labels indicate the mutation’s appearance and location on the gene). At each of these genes, you can have none (wild type), one (heterozygous), or two (homozygous) mutations.
The more MTHFR gene mutations you have, the less the MTHFR enzyme is able to do its job effectively. When your ability to methylate is decreased there is a greater potential for the mutation to impact your health.”[3]
I am homozygous for the MTHFR snp (pronounced snip, which stands for single nucleotide polymorphism) known as C667T. This snp is associated with various diseases and conditions, including the abnormal formation of blood clots due to elevated homocysteine levels. After doing some research, I realized this wasn’t something to be taken lightly, especially during pregnancy. Learning I had this made me even more grateful for my very healthy first pregnancy, but also sowed seeds of fear in my heart and mind.
One thing people, pregnant or not, who have an MTFHR snp should do is take a supplement that’s been specifically formulated to help their body methylate properly.
When I learned I was pregnant with our third baby, I immediately started taking a prenatal vitamin that contains the active form of folate, along with this supplement from Thorne Research. I also made sure to include plenty of folate- and vitamin B2-rich foods in my diet, like leafy greens, Brussel sprouts, mushrooms, peppers, almonds, and wild salmon (it’s recommended that individuals with an MTHFR mutation should prioritize folate and B2 whether or not they are pregnant).
When I became pregnant with our fourth baby, my OB and midwife both recommended I start taking a baby aspirin each day to prevent clots from forming, which I did (I’m currently not planning to take baby aspirin again[4]). Our plan was for me to begin Lovenox[5] injections at week 12, but sadly, we lost the baby at week 7.[6]
I recently had a consultation with a doctor who specializes in high-risk pregnancies (because of my miscarriage history, I’m considered “high risk”), and she said that if Ben and I conceive again, she would recommend the same plan we had before: a baby aspirin from Day 1, plus the addition of Lovenox once the baby’s heartbeat is detected via ultrasound.
I emphasized the word “plan” above because I’ve recently come to rather resent it with regard to pregnancy. The following Bible verses help explain why:
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” – Proverbs 16:9, NIV
“But to Hannah he [her husband] gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.” – 1 Samuel 1:5, NIV
“So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.” – Ruth 4:13, NIV
I have been a follower of Christ for as long as I can remember. Scriptures – such as the one in Proverbs above – that tell us God is a trustworthy guide and good shepherd, that his plans are for our “welfare and not for calamity,” that he can “do all things and no purpose of [His] can be thwarted,” and that “all things work together for good” for those who love him, were etched on my heart long ago.[7]
Throughout my life, I have seen those truths play out time and time again, both in my life and in the lives of other believers. We may not always understand why God allows us to traverse deep valleys and endure painful afflictions, or why it sometimes seems as though he doesn’t hear our prayers, but we can be confident that his ways and his will are far greater than our own; in fact, they are flawless.
“As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.” –Psalm 18:30, NIV
Despite my faith in God and my knowledge of his immutable promises and everlasting love for me, I’ve been convicted of my vain attempts to control his plans for my family and me. I seem to have forgotten that my heavenly father is good in the absolute purest sense of the word, and infinitely more mighty and powerful than human minds could ever imagine. He, the God who opened my womb and graciously blessed Ben and me with a beautiful, strong, healthy firstborn in 2019 (far before I know of my MTHFR defect) is the same God who will give us a second baby – if that is his plan for us.
I don’t have to have a medical game plan.
I don’t have to worry and research and wonder about what’s going on inside my body.
I don’t have to know what the future holds.
And I don’t have to foolishly try to create the future myself with the aid of a perfect diet (as if there is such a thing) the latest and greatest drugs (which almost always contain questionable, if not outright toxic, ingredients), or the very best obstetric care in South Texas.
My job is to “be strong and courageous,” not anxious and afraid (Joshua 1:9).
My job is to remember that “God will meet all [my] needs,” not withhold his goodness (Philippians 4:19).
My job is to put my “trust in the name of the Lord,” not in modern medicine (Psalm 20:7).
I am grateful I found out about my “dirty genes,” as Dr. Ben Lynch calls them, as that information motivates me to continue to eat healthily and exercise regularly. But truth be told, the lists of foods I’m encouraged to consume and avoid with MTHFR are no different than those commonly given to people without the mutation who want to avoid chronic illness, strokes, heart attacks, etc.
The good news about “dirty genes” is that they can be “cleaned up,” as it were, through good habits that, again, all of us should embrace no matter our genetics, habits like getting enough sleep and exercise, eating lots of vegetables, limiting processed foods and artificial dyes and sweeteners, mitigating our stress levels, and reducing the amount of toxins in the products we use and in our living environments.
While Ben and I have grieved, and still grieve, the fact that we didn’t get to hold three of our babies on earth, we are inexpressibly grateful that we will get to hold and hug and love them forever in heaven. I may never know the reason God opened my womb only to allow them to die within it, but I praise him for the gift of their eternal souls who are just as alive as the precious child we have here with us.
I praise him for the gift of his perfect plans for our lives and his miracle-working power, and I pray that you would come to know him as your personal prince and provider, savior and shepherd, helper and healer, prince and provider, creator and king.
“If God be our God, He will give us peace in trouble. When there is a storm without, He will make peace within. The world can create trouble in peace, but God can create peace in trouble.” – Thomas Watson (Puritan preacher and author)
[1] https://www.verywellfamily.com/miscarriage-and-chromosomal-abnormalities-2371491
[2] https://www.amymyersmd.com/article/mthfr-mutation/
[3] IBID.
[4] https://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/side-effects-of-baby-aspirin/
[5] I’ve since changed my mind on taking Lovenox during pregnancy, but the reasons aren’t pertinent J
[6] https://askinglot.com/what-is-lovenox-used-for-in-pregnancy
[7] Psalm 23:1; Jeremiah 29:11; Job 42:2; Romans 8:28