I am in my mid-20s and my husband in his late 20s. In the past five months I have miscarried twice, both times before nine weeks pregnant. In both cases, my hormone level was extremely low (confirmed by several blood tests). What can I do to stay pregnant if my body doesn't produce the "pregnancy hormone" that it needs? --Jennifer

Unfortunately, many women are led down this wrong path, receive the wrong treatment and ultimately suffer another miscarriage. Their physicians incorrectly decide that low progesterone -- the "pregnancy hormone" of which you speak -- was the culprit and promise that things will go better the next time if only you take enough progesterone. Research shows us that falling or low progesterone levels are a sign of a bad pregnancy and not the cause of pregnancy failure.

So first, you did not miscarry because the progesterone level was low. Let's blow this myth away and try to figure out why you have miscarried.

Although only 4 percent of all women will lose two pregnancies in a row, textbooks define recurrent pregnancy loss as three or more losses. Waiting for you to miscarry again before looking for the reason does not seem fair.

My evaluation would look for hormonal problems such as diabetes, thyroid, pituitary or ovarian abnormalities. I evaluate the effect that age plays on egg quality. Next, I consider infection, chromosomal abnormalities and structural defects in the uterus. And, finally, I look for immune disturbances that may interfere with normal growth and function of the placenta. This area is rapidly becoming the focus of much research, and physicians disagree on which tests are appropriate and what treatments are best able to treat this condition. You can learn more about the evaluation and treatment of recurrent miscarriage at my website.