Miscarriages

Spontaneous Abortion

A miscarriage, also called a spontaneous abortion, is when the baby is unexpectedly discharged from the uterus before the babe has the ability to survive outside of the uterus. Miscarriages are usually connected to a chromosomal or genetic abnormality in the baby.

It's believed that just about every woman will experience at least one miscarriage sometime during her years of reproduction. Fifty percent of pregnancies end in miscarriages. Most of those miscarriages happen previous to the woman even knowing that she was pregnant. Of the women who have already gotten a positive pregnancy test, 15% will miscarry. Of the women who do miscarry, the majority of them go on to have normal pregnancies later on. Only one to two percent of women will have more than one miscarriage consecutively.

What increases the risk of experiencing a miscarriage? Smoking, sexually transmitted diseases, poor nutrition, over age 35, diabetes, an infection, hormonal imbalance or shortage, alcohol use during pregnancy

What does not cause a miscarriage? Sexual intercourse, exercise, fall or minor injuries, brief emotional upset, picking up somewhat heavy objects

If you do suffer the terrible experience of a miscarriage, try to save any fetal tissue. Your caregiver may want to evaluate the tissue to find out the potential cause of the miscarriage. You can save it in a uncontaminated container or a plastic bag.

There are some known causes for repeat miscarriages. These causes are usually due to chromosomal flaws, hormonal causes, bad immune system, bad infections, and uterine defects.

If you have a miscarriage, your caregiver might recommend a waiting period before you try to get pregnant again. This waiting period is usually about three months. A few caregivers might not advocate a waiting period because they figure that the woman's own body will discern when the best time to get pregnant will be. You will typically start your period 4-6 weeks after having a miscarriage. If you're planning to get pregnant again, take care that you eat healthy foods, take a prenatal vitamin, avoid infections, be very careful when taking medications, and maintain a healthy weight.

Never forget that a miscarriage isn't your fault! A miscarriage can't be prevented since most are due to chromosomal or genetic abnormalities. Do not let guilt increase the grief you're already feeling. Remember to allow yourself time to grieve. While the child's dad was not carrying the baby, he's going to require time to grieve as well. Do something special together to remember your child. You may want to have a memorial service or go on a picnic and just talk about your baby. You might desire to do something each year on the anniversary of your due date to remind you of your baby.

Additional ways you can relieve the pain is by sharing your thoughts and feelings with your close friends or family or join a support group. In a support group, you'll be surrounded by other women who understand the pain you're going through and together, you can support each other through this hard time.

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