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Just because you are reading about miscarriage, it doesn't
imply that it's going to happen to you. Pregnancy loss
is something we all pray does not happen to anyone,
more so when it is a much awaited event. Nevertheless
the fact remains that it is the most common form of
pregnancy complication. |
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The
facts in general..
• When you lose your baby before the 24th week
of pregnancy, it means you have miscarried spontaneously.
• After that, the loss is termed stillbirth.
• Miscarriages mostly occur before week 12, just
around the time when you expect to have your periods.
• Bleeding is the most common symptom, sometimes
it is accompanied by pain
• If miscarriage is inevitable there is nothing
much you can do to salvage it. Total bed rest is not
going to prevent the tragedy
• If the pregnancy is threatened, bed rest does
help some women; the bleeding discontinues and pregnancy
resumes as normal
• In other cases miscarriage is certain and what
follows is heavy bleeding and cramp like pains
• You may also experience lower back ache and
pressure in the pelvic area
• Do not use a tampon or engage in intercourse
until everything is sorted out
• Your doctor will conduct an internal examination
and check your uterus size and cervix. If your cervix
is open, the end is imminent
• At the hospital you will have an ultrasound
and then a D&C to empty the uterus contents. This
will prevent possible infections from setting in. if
the miscarriage happens before the 6th week, D&C
may not be necessary
• Keep the clots and tissue in a clean container
for examination. Your doctor needs to make a diagnosis
on cause(s) and if the miscarriage is complete |
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Categories
of Spontaneous Miscarriages..
• Threatened
miscarriage:
Miscarrying is a possibility but not a certainty. Some
vaginal bleeding with cramps around the time when you
may be expecting your periods
• Inevitable miscarriage:
Vaginal bleeding with cramps due to contractions. If
the cervix is open miscarriage is a surety
• Recurrent miscarriage:
Incidence of miscarriage is 3 times or more. It is a
sign of auto-immune condition. Antibodies produced causes
blood clots in the placenta. Low doses of aspirin is
required throughout the pregnancy
• Incomplete miscarriage:
Some of the remnants of pregnancy remain intact such
as the placenta or water bag although the miscarriage
has already taken place
• Missed miscarriage:
Fetus and placenta die but continue to remain in the
womb for months. There are no other tell-tale signs.
Symptoms of pregnancy disappear although you don't come
to know the fetus has died until later
• Complete miscarriage:
Expulsion of the fetus and placenta from the uterus
without any signs. Ultrasound will be required to confirm
it.
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Causes of miscarriage..
• If it is a first time miscarriage, it is considered
a random event. If there are 2 or more miscarriages
in a row, the mother's immunity level will be assessed;
special blood and genetic tests will also be arranged
to get to the root of things
• An early miscarriage occurs before the first
trimester is up. The most common reason for miscarrying
at this point is the fetus. One reason being fetal abnormality
which prevents the fetus from settling into the uterus.
The other reason is chromosomal abnormalities which
accounts for 70% of failed pregnancies. It prevents
the egg from maturing properly. It is Mother Nature's
way of disallowing an abnormal fetus from developing
further
• The cause can be the mother too. Abnormalities
in the uterus such as fibroids and hormonal imbalances
prevent the pregnancy from progressing. Cervical incompetence
is another heavyweight; the cervix opens up too soon.
A good percentage of miscarriages in the second trimester
are due to this.
• Infections, both bacterial and viral can also
disrupt the pregnancy
• The father can be the cause too. Causes include
abnormal sperm and incompatible blood type.
• Previous abortions, miscarriages, laser treatments,
and gynecological surgeries can contribute to miscarriage
• Age plays a part; older women are more prone
to miscarrying
• Certain medications can cause a miscarriage.
Check with your doctor on what is safe; refrain from
buying medications off the shelf just because you find
it convenient
• Avoid drinking, smoking and drugs
• Certain disorders such as badly managed diabetes,
abnormal clotting, hormonal imbalances make it harder
to carry the baby to full term
• Spacing your pregnancies too soon. Insufficient
time gap is given between pregnancies so your body is
not equipped to handle another pregnancy so soon
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Possible Treatments..
• In case of a missed miscarriage, the least invasive
method where you basically have to wait and see if you
require treatment to remove the remnant tissues. The
downside of waiting for a spontaneous miscarriage to
occur is that it may take up to several weeks before
the miscarriage is completely resolved
• Alternatively you may be given medication to
cause the retained tissues to be expelled
• If the miscarriage was incomplete, a D&C
to clean up the uterus under anesthesia to avoid infections
or hemorrhage is a high possibility. D&C becomes
impending if blood loss is high, if there are infected
tissues in the uterus and if mother's vital signs are
not stable
• If incompetent cervix was the cause treatment
may involve stitching the cervix shut at the start of
the next pregnancy
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Post Miscarriage
Give yourself time to heal emotionally and physically.
If you miscarried early on don't rush into trying to
conceive. Wait till you have 2-3 normal periods. If
you had a late miscarriage, you need time to come to
terms with the loss. It is normal if you don't feel
like having sex for a while. Usually if no reason was
given for your miscarriage, the likely factors are your
age and the number of miscarriages you have had.
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Ectopic
Pregnancy |
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Ectopic pregnancy
can become every woman's nightmare if it is not
caught in time. Since abdominal pain can be due
to other reasons, it becomes difficult to diagnose
ectopic pregnancy..
Read More |
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Ultrasound |
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Ultrasound also called
sonogram, you are usually offered 2 routine scans
during pregnancy. Sometimes it can be more than
2 depending on your situation
Read More |
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Bleeding
in early Pregnancy |
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Some bleeding in the early part of pregnancy is
common, though worrying. However, it doesn't mean
you will lose your baby..
Read More |
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What
is safe, What is not? |
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When you are pregnant
and you don't feel right, you have to think twice
about what you can do to remedy the situation. The
safe, non-medicinal way should usually be your first
choice. Many medications become unsafe; ..
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Pregnancy
after 35 - An Overview |
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To wonder if your time
is really up after you cross 35 is a thing of the
past for those women who have baby making plans
on their agenda. You don't really have to watch
the clock but you need to be aware of the facts,
the pros and the cons. More and more women are..
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