Miscarriage, Things You Should Know

Trauma of a mother going through miscarriage is great, it’s imperative you be prepared.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

A miscarriage is the loss of pregnancy during the first 23 weeks. After this period it’s called still birth.

The stats from the UK Govt data show:

• An estimated 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage
• Around 11 in 1,000 pregnancies are ectopic
• About 1 in 100 women in the UK experience recurrent miscarriages (3 or more in a row)
• More than 6 in 10 of women who have a recurrent miscarriage go on to have a successful pregnancy
• The risk of miscarriage greatly reduces in the second trimester. This is called late miscarriage.
• Around 1–2 in 100 women have a miscarriage in the second trimester

There are many reasons why a miscarriage may happen, although the cause isn’t usually identified. The majority aren’t caused by anything the mother has done.

A miscarriage can have a profound emotional impact, not only on the woman herself but also on her partner, friends and family. It is imperative to know that you can still get pregnant after a miscarriage with a good chance of your baby surviving for the full term of 37 weeks.

The early signs of miscarriage are:

• Fluid, blood or tissue passing from the vagina.
• Cramping and pain in the lower stomach or back.

Some conditions have been identified if a miscarriage happens during the first trimester of pregnancy (the first 3 months), it’s usually caused by problems with the unborn baby (foetus). About 3 in every 4 miscarriage happen during this period.

Chromosomal abnormalities have also been implicated in many cases. These abnormalities occur when a foetus either has an incorrect number of chromosomes, an incorrect amount of DNA within a chromosome, or chromosomes that are structurally flawed. Down syndrome is an example of this abnormality.

If a miscarriage happens after the first trimester of pregnancy, it may result from an underlying health condition of the mother. These late miscarriages may also be caused by an infection around the baby, which leads to the bag of water breaking early, without any sign of pain or bleeding. It can also be caused sometimes, due to the neck of the womb opening too soon.

An early miscarriage may happen by chance. But there are several factors known to increase your risk of this happening, to list a few:

• The age of the mother has an influence, above 35 years increases the risk.
• Obesity is another factor.
• Use of narcotics like smoke, drugs, alcohol during pregnancy also significantly increases the risk of a miscarriage.
• Medical conditions like Diabetes, High blood pressure, Lupus, Kidney Disease, an overactive thyroid gland or an underactive one, antiphospholipid syndrome(APS), Polycystic ovarian syndrome, fibroids, weakened cervix, rhesus incompatibility infections are few of the diseases which may increase your risk.
• Other serious diseases which are also known to cause miscarriage are: HIV, Gonorrhoea, Rubella (german measles), bacterial vaginosis, Chlamydia.
• Physical trauma, like a fall or an injury.

These are some of the most common causes, there are many other unknown ones too.

According to medical journals, following a miscarriage, women are advised to avoid having sex or putting anything into the vagina for up to two weeks.

Women have traditionally been told to wait two to three months before trying to become pregnant again, although several studies have shown no increased risks with a shorter interval. Any type of birth control, including an intrauterine device, may be started immediately.

Miscarriage can be traumatic on the parents, especially on the mother.

Coping with miscarriage can be difficult. Women may experience a range of emotions following miscarriage; there is no right or wrong way to feel about it. The loss of a pregnancy can cause significant grief. Sometimes these reactions are strong and long-lasting.

As a husband, you should know your partner will often feel the loss of a child more keenly than you will. So take the time to sit with her, hold her, listen to her express herself. Just being there and supporting her through her grief will really help her process the experience.

Here are a few things you should do together post miscarriage to alleviate the pain:

• Eat healthy, you may find it difficult to eat, but it’s important to try and eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
• Avoid excessive narcotics to numb the pain. Don’t drown yourself in alcohol or painkillers to stop feeling the sadness.
• Get good sleep, it helps in the healing process.
• Express yourself to your friends and family, don’t keep the grief to yourself. It’s ok to feel sad, people will understand your pain and be there for you.
• Get busy with life, take up projects which you love, cultivate hobbies and start to love life again.
• The most important thing is to be kind to each other, listen and respect each other’s way of coping.

This quote aptly describes the feeling:

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you”~ Maya Angelou

Miscarriage is not the end of the world, it’s just a new beginning. Chances of a second miscarriage are very slim, so keep at it.

Never lose hope. When the world say’s “Give Up”, hope whispers “Try one more time”.