Do you know about the various signs and symptoms that indicate a miscarriage? Miscarriage refers to pregnancy, which ends on its own, within 20 weeks of gestation. Miscarriage is a matter of great loss and grief for pregnant women. It accounts for being the most common form of pregnancy loss. According to studies, almost 10% to 25% of pregnancies result in a miscarriage. Chemical pregnancies are likely to be responsible for almost 50% to 70% of miscarriages.

Causes of miscarriage

The causes of miscarriage vary from one woman to another and in many cases the exact cause is not identified.
During the first trimester of pregnancy, chromosomal abnormality is the most common cause of miscarriage. It signifies some problem with your baby s chromosomes. Most cases of chromosomal abnormalities occur because of damaged eggs and sperm cells.
A certain problem which appears after the zygote goes through divisional procedures may also be responsible for a miscarriage.
Other causes for miscarriage include the following:

Hormonal imbalance, maternal health complications, and infections
Several habits such as smoking, malnutrition, excessive caffeine consumption, drug abuse, and exposure to toxic substances
Maternal age
Maternal trauma
When implantation of the egg in the uterine lining occurs improperly
Warning signs of miscarriage
There are several warning signs of miscarriage. The most important of them are as follows:

Back pain, which can vary from being mild to fatal. This pain can be even worse than menstrual cramps.
Loss of weight
Discharge of mucus that is whitish pink in color
True contractions are likely, in which pain occurs after every 5 to 20 minutes.
Bright red or brown bleeding with or without the presence of cramps may indicate a miscarriage.
Passage of tissue with a cloth material from your vagina.
Sudden reduction in the signs and symptoms of pregnancy
Chances of miscarriage
There are certain factors, which indicate whether you are likely to have a miscarriage. They are as follows:

Increase in your maternal age increases the chances of a miscarriage.
Women who are in between the age of 35 to 45 are at a higher chance of miscarriages than women who are relatively young. In women above the age of 45, the chances of miscarriage are maximized.
A woman having a miscarriage in the past has more chances of having another miscarriage.
In case you experience some or any one of these symptoms, it is important for you to seek professional health care as you need to evaluate whether you are having a miscarriage or not.


How To Know If You Are At Risk Of Having A Miscarriage?

For some women, having their own children is not as easy as it seems. Suffering from more than two or more miscarriages is known as recurrent miscarriage. This experience affects every aspect of a woman s life from her mental and emotional health to her physical health and social well-being. 

It is important for a woman undergoing this experience to keep in mind that she can still give birth to a healthy baby even after recurrent miscarriages.

Look after your health: Miscarriages are not very uncommon and in many instances are a result of the woman s body not being able to take the strain if a growing fetus. Hence, pay attention to your health to prepare your body for future pregnancies. Avoid smoking, alcohol, caffeine and exposure to toxins that can cause fertility problems. Eat healthy food and start taking a multivitamin with folic acid on a daily basis. Exercise regularly, but avoid strenuous activities that involve heavy lifting or dangerous contact sports. Yoga is great for pregnant women or women planning a family as it tones your body keeps your stress levels low.
Talk to people: A miscarriage can affect your emotional health and self-image, but you must remember that you are in a way responsible for the miscarriage. Talk to other women who have had a similar experience and share your feelings with them. Men and women cope with a miscarriage in different ways and hence work on communicating your feelings with your partner. Do not suppress your feelings, but acknowledge them and work through them. You may also find it beneficial to talk to a counsellor or get involved with a support group.
Give yourself a break: It s ok to not attend your friend s baby shower when you ve recently suffered a miscarriage. Instead of surrounding yourself with your friend s babies and children, take a break and pay attention to yourself. Develop a hobby or find something to keep yourself busy. Take a holiday with your partner and find ways to reconnect with them. Find your own way of acknowledging the pregnancy. This could be in the form of writing about it, naming the baby or planting a tree in memory of the baby.
Get proactive: Don t sink into despair because of your miscarriages. Educate yourself about the various reasons you may have miscarried the baby by reading books or talking to medical professionals. This can help prevent future miscarriages.

Recurrent Miscarriage - How to Deal With It?

For a mother, a miscarriage is the last thing she would want to hear. It can pin her down psychologically, leading to trauma and stress in unfathomable measures. To understand miscarriage better: it is a condition wherein there is a loss of pregnancy within the first 22 weeks of getting pregnant. The primary symptom of a miscarriage is bleeding from the vagina. So if you experience vaginal bleeding during this phase, then consult a doctor for further guidance.

Why do they occur?
There are many reasons as to why a miscarriage may occur and no study has been able to put a finger on any one specific cause. Having said that, miscarriages are mainly caused due to the presence of unusual chromosomes in the baby. Chromosomes are genetic material that directs the growth and development of a baby. Chromosomes present in either excess numbers or less can hinder the development of the baby. If the miscarriage occurs during the second trimester (14th to 26th week), then it can be accrued to a health anomaly in the mother. A miscarriage may also occur because of a weak cervix as a weak cervix will not be able to hold a pregnancy. This condition is called cervical insufficiency and occurs when the woman is in her second trimester.

Is it possible to prevent them?
In most cases, miscarriages cannot be prevented. For women who have suffered multiple miscarriages, multiple medications might be required to help with their subsequent pregnancies. Following a healthy lifestyle is recommended as it can minimize the risk of a miscarriage. One must abstain from smoking and substance abuse and limit consumption of alcohol in order to keep the body in optimal condition. It is advised to maintain optimal weight levels and eat a well-balanced diet.

Post miscarriage
A miscarriage is a very traumatic experience for a mother to be; it can be emotionally debilitating. That is the reason counseling can help in times such as these. Start planning for a baby only once the symptoms have subsided and you have also had a period post the miscarriage. It is important to make sure that you are physically and emotionally ready to have a baby. Remember, a miscarriage doesn t mean the end of the world. One can enjoy a fully healthy and a successful pregnancy even after a miscarriage.

Miscarriage - Why it Happens?

What is Miscarriage?

Miscarriage is defined as the spontaneous loss of the foetus before it is able to survive on its own outside the womb. Miscarriage usually occurs within the first trimester of the pregnancy. It is a very common complication in early pregnancies.

Miscarriage can be a common complication, but it can have devastating effects on the minds of the parents.

Signs and Symptoms of Miscarriage:

The most common visible signs are slight to heavy bleeding from the vagina. But the other common symptoms are:

Dizziness, light-headedness

Discharge from the vagina

Tissue discharge from the vagina

Cramping and pain in the abdomen

It is advised to go visit your doctor if you experience any of the above signs and symptoms.

What causes a miscarriage?

Chromosomal Abnormalities: A lot of miscarriages are caused due to mismatched chromosomes. Some women who have experienced miscarriage over two times may learn through tests that there are chromosomal abnormalities that may not affect them but prevent them from getting pregnant.

Abnormalities in the Uterus: Sometimes, the uterus may be too hostile to house a foetus. It can be a genetic disorder or a non-genetic disorder like fibroids or cysts that can lead to a spontaneous abortion.

Hormones: Low levels of progesterone in the body can lead to problems with implantation of the foetus.

Obesity: Studies have shown that every 1 in 4 women who are obese before the conception lose the foetus to spontaneous abortion.

Drugs and Toxins: Consuming alcohol or smoking during the pregnancy is seen to increase the risk of miscarriages manifold. Also, women who are exposed to toxins present in plastic such as Bisphenol A are seen to undergo miscarriage more often than women who are not exposed to such toxic substances. Coffee can be consumed in moderate levels during pregnancy.

Infections: Infections including Mycoplasma can infect the uterine lining and unknowingly cause complications such as miscarriage. Women who have undergone multiple gynaecologic procedures are seen to be at increased risks.

Diabetes: When the diabetes becomes uncontrolled, it can increase the risks of miscarriage.

7 Most Common Causes Of Miscarriage

A miscarriage is generally characterized by the loss of a fetus before the passage of around one forty days of pregnancy. In medical terminology, a miscarriage is usually referred to as a spontaneous abortion, precisely because it happens spontaneously. According to studies, about 50% of all pregnancies end up in miscarriages and around 80% of miscarriages occur within the first three months of pregnancy. If they happen to occur after the passage of twenty weeks of gestation, they are normally termed as late miscarriages.


Causes
The most common cause of miscarriages is primarily due to the presence of some fatal or critical genetic problem in the unborn baby, which may or may not be in any way related to the mother. Apart from this, there is a host of other causes which are held responsible for miscarriages. These may include:
1. Cervical insufficiency (weakness of the cervix)
2. Infection
3. Hormonal imbalances
4.  Physical problems in the mother
5. Medical problems in the mother
6. Immune system responses
7. Uterine abnormalities


Symptoms
Here are a few indicators of a miscarriage:
1. Bleeding (which can vary from light to heavy bleeding)
2. Abdominal pain
3. Weakness
4. Severe cramps
5. Fever
6. Back pain


Treatment
1. Treatment of miscarriages normally involves three steps - a pelvic exam, an ultrasound test and blood tests to confirm whether or not it is a miscarriage.
2. If the miscarriage is complete and yet the uterus is still not emptied of its contents, then it may be necessary for you to undergo a dilation and curettage operation.
3. If you have gone through multiple miscarriages in the past, then the treatment will probably involve a pelvic ultrasound, a hysterosalpingogram or a hysteroscopy.


Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Miscarriage

Natural therapies are a great option to support your body and prepare it for pregnancy. As with any approach trying to decrease the chance of miscarriage, these steps will help to nourish and support the body, inviting a healthy pregnancy to occur.

Preparing ahead of time for your pregnancy is also important for decreasing the chance of a miscarriage, these steps must be practiced for at least 3 months before you become pregnant again. If you are currently experiencing a miscarriage contact your doctor or midwife right away.

Prepare for conception: The first step is to prepare your body with fertility cleansing. Fertility cleansing helps you to support the liver in cleansing the body of old toxins and excess hormones while encouraging the uterus to cleanse itself of  old  contents, increasing uterine circulation and tone.

Eat a nutrient dense fertility diet: The next step is to nourish and build up your body to be a healthy, baby friendly body. This can be done through eating a well balanced and nutritious diet. What you eat has a strong impact on:

The health of your eggs
Your hormonal balance
Creating a healthy placenta
Decreases chance of a miscarriage
Building nutrient storage for baby
Creating a healthy reproductive system
Build a healthy foundation: One of the major foundational steps to increase your chance of having a healthy pregnancy is to take some basic vitamins, minerals, and EFA s. There are specific vitamins and minerals that are necessary for a healthy reproductive system, hormonal balance, and ovulation. Essential fatty acids are also extremely important for miscarriage prevention.

Recurrent Miscarriage - How Can It Be Avoided?

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