After two miscarriages, Leanne Walsh, 41, found an unlikely savior in an everyday painkiller found in most households.
Now a proud mom to two-year-old Daisy, Walsh uses her TikTok platform (@yardgirlmargate) to talk to others about the benefits of aspirin in preventing miscarriages and assisting women in achieving their dream of parenthood.
Walsh, from Kent, England, shared her journey with Newsweek: “I am among many women who have endured the pain of miscarriage. This experience, recurring multiple times, led me to discover the significance of progesterone and aspirin in maintaining a healthy pregnancy.”
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Walsh, 41, shared her personal experience with Newsweek and explained why she advocates for women’s fertility online.
Leanne Walsh
Approximately 10 to 15 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, according to the Mayo Clinic. Speaking about her pain, Walsh said: “The longer it took me to get pregnant the more I questioned if I was ‘supposed to be a mom.’
“I’d never been around babies or felt [particularly] maternal but that all changed after having a miscarriage. I had never wanted anything so badly in my life after and I was grieving a life that I’d played out in my mind which was taken away.”
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There is a happy ending for some women like Walsh as their dream of becoming a mom has come true, thanks to the everyday pain killer. Newsweek discussed the treatment with infertility specialist Dr. Jenna McCarthy, who confirmed it is a safe and beneficial method.
A headshot of Dr. McCarthy, who spoke to Newsweek about the link between aspirin and fertility.
Provided by Dr. McCarthy
“Women with recurrent pregnancy loss caused by anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome are often prescribed low-dose aspirin in conjunction with a blood thinner to decrease the risk of another miscarriage,” said McCarthy, who is also a reproductive endocrinologist at IVFMD in Florida. “People at high risk of developing preeclampsia, a condition that raises blood pressure during pregnancy and can be dangerous if untreated, are also treated with low-dose aspirin.”
McCarthy emphasized the safety and benefits of low-dose aspirin is not associated with birth defects or increased bleeding in early pregnancy or up to delivery and has benefits when taken on the recommendation of a woman’s physician or certified nurse midwife.
However, high-dose aspirin is typically avoided in the latter part of a pregnancy. McCarthy told Newsweek: “It can cause the ductus arteriosus—a small shunt in the baby’s heart—to close early, which can strain the baby’s heart. This does not happen with low-dose aspirin.”
Aspirin’s Role in Preventing Miscarriages
It appears that an aspirin a day may be beneficial for women with a history of two or more miscarriages, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Department of Reproductive Science and Medicine,