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.

Apply fertility or abdominal massage: Another important element of promoting a healthy conception is to increase circulation to the uterus. Through applying a simple massage method called self fertility massage you are able to increase the circulation to the uterus, clear adhesions and congestion.

4 Steps to Decrease the Chance of Recurrent Miscarriage

The most devastating period for any pregnant women is a miscarriage. This normally happens because of genetic abnormality noticed in the fetus caused due to tripling of a chromosome. This is also called  spontaneous abortion  because the body rejects the random genetic abnormality. Apart from this, there are many other reasons for miscarriage namely blood clotting, deshaped uterus, uterine fibroids, unhealthy cervix and so on. Now, this could lead you to the next question - What can we do to prevent miscarriage?

Time to meet the gynecologist:
When there is tripling of chromosomes or genetic mismatch, the body actually rejects the fetus, thereby preventing birth of an unhealthy baby. But, if the miscarriage repeats several times, then you have to meet your gynecologist for further tests and appropriate medical intervention.

Symptoms of miscarriage:
In the normal course, when miscarriage occurs, the women would experience back pain or vaginal bleeding or blood in the vaginal mucus or cramping or abdominal pain. Ironically, sometimes the miscarriage may happen without any of these symptoms. It would get noticed only during routine scanning. However, in the normal course, the chance of a miscarriage is highest before the 12th week. But if miscarriage happens after the 12th week and before the 24th week, then it is called spontaneous abortion. Thereafter, it is known as a  still born  baby.

However, there are some steps that can help women prevent a miscarriage. These steps are briefly explained here.

Nicotine retards growth of fetus and it is for this reason the couple should shun smoking, months before they plan pregnancy. This change in lifestyle has remarkable effects in preventing miscarriage. Similarly, caffeine can also be the cause of miscarriage. Therefore, women should regulate their intake of coffee as per the advice given by the gynaecologist.
Women suffering from chronic ailments like lupus, problems with thyroid, epilepsy and such other ailments are prone to a miscarriage. Similarly, it is also advisable that women should get tested for STD/HIV because these ailments can cause a miscarriage. Women suffering from such ailments should be under constant medical care.
In addition to these, the women should take food rich in vitamins, proteins, Omega-3 and fibres. Further, they should also do physical exercises as per the instructions given by the gynaecologist. One should drink enough water so as to keep oneself sufficiently hydrated. Women must practice meditation, which helps in reducing stress.
The causes of a miscarriage are many; women should discuss about the issues relating to a miscarriage with their gynaecologist. This helps them take appropriate preventive steps against this unwanted situation.

Miscarriage - Can You Prevent it?

Miscarriage refers to the spontaneous loss of the fetus before one completes the 20th week of pregnancy, taking into account the period from the conception to gestation.  It usually happens in the first trimester of the pregnancy; that is within the seventh and the twelfth week of conception. Recurrent miscarriage is when one suffers from multiple miscarriages in a row.

Possible Causes:

Abnormally-shaped Uterus: Some miscarriages, particularly late ones, are thought to happen because the uterus (womb) has an abnormal shape.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Women with this condition have many small cysts in their ovaries.They also tend to have hormonal problems, including high levels of insulin and male hormone in the blood, which can lead to recurrent miscarriage.
Infection: Some serious infections can cause or increase the risk of single miscarriages. These include toxoplasmosis, rubella, listeria and genital infection. But it is not clear whether infection plays a role in recurrent miscarriage.
Diabetes and Thyroid Problems: Uncontrolled diabetes and untreated thyroid problems can cause miscarriage. But well-controlled diabetes and treated thyroid problems do not cause recurrent miscarriage.
Risk Factors:
Your risk of recurrent miscarriage is higher if:

you and your partner are older; the risk is highest if you are over 35 and your partner over 40; 
you are very overweight. Being very underweight may also increase your risk.
Each new pregnancy loss increases the risk of a further miscarriage. But even after three miscarriages, most couples will have a live baby next time.

Testing After Recurrent Miscarriage:

If you have had three miscarriages in a row, you should be offered tests to try to find the cause. This should happen whether or not you already have one or more children. Testing is not usually offered after one or two early miscarriages (up to 14 weeks) because these are often due to chance. But you might be offered tests after two early miscarriages if you are in your late 30s or 40s or if it has taken you a long time to conceive.
If you had a late (second trimester) miscarriage, where your baby died after 14 weeks of pregnancy, you should be offered tests after this loss.

You can opt for blood tests to check for sticky blood syndrome or APS. Tests would look for antibodies that would help treat the condition. Antibodies are chemicals produced by the body to combat infections.
Get an examination done should the doctor suspect chromosomal abnormalities and in case it is diagnosed, both of you can consult a clinical genetics specialist for genetics counseling.
Your doctor will recommend an ultrasound scan to trace any type of abnormality that may make a pregnancy futile, for instance, a short or a fragile cervix.
Your hopes:

It is natural to pin your hopes on testing as the answer to your problems. But there are three reasons why it may not be the answer you re looking for:

A cause may not be found; when this happens your miscarriages are called  unexplained 
Even if a cause is found, it may not be treatable;
Treatment may not lead to a successful pregnancy. This can happen if a pregnancy miscarries for a different reason than the one being treated.

Understanding Miscarriages

If you lose a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy, it is called a miscarriage. If this happens in the first 3 months of pregnancy, it is known as an early miscarriage. Unfortunately, early miscarriages are common, with 10 20 in 100 (10 20%) pregnancies ending this way. Late miscarriages, after 3 months of pregnancy but before 24 weeks, are less common: 1 2 in 100 (1 2%) pregnancies end in a late miscarriage. When a miscarriage happens three or more times in a row, it is called recurrent miscarriage. Recurrent miscarriage affects 1 in 100 (1%) couples trying to have a baby.

Why does recurrent miscarriage and late miscarriage happen?

Sometimes there is a reason found for recurrent and late miscarriage. In other cases, no underlying problem can be found. Most couples are likely to have a successful pregnancy in the future, particularly if test results are normal.

There are a number of factors that may play a part in causing recurrent and late miscarriage:

Age, the older you are, the greater your risk of having a miscarriage. If the woman is aged over 40, more than 1 in 2 pregnancies end in a miscarriage. Miscarriages may also be more common if the father is older.
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS- a syndrome that makes your blood more likely to clot) is uncommon but is a cause of recurrent miscarriage and late miscarriage.
Thrombophilia (an inherited condition that means that your blood may be more likely to clot) may cause recurrent miscarriage and in particular late miscarriages.
Genetic factors, about 2 5 in 100 couples (2 5%) with recurrent miscarriage, one partner will have an abnormality on one of their chromosomes (the genetic structures within our cells that contain our DNA and the features we inherit from our parents). Although this may not affect the parent, it can sometimes cause a miscarriage
Weak cervix is known to be a cause of miscarriage from 14 to 23 weeks of pregnancy. This can be difficult to diagnose when you are not pregnant. It may be suspected if in a previous pregnancy your waters broke early, or if the neck of the womb opened without any pain.
Developmental problems of the baby may lead to a miscarriage but are unlikely to be the cause of recurrent miscarriage.
Infection that makes you very unwell can cause a miscarriage. Milder infections that affect the baby can also cause a miscarriage. The role of infections in recurrent miscarriage is unclear.
An abnormally shaped uterus may contributes to recurrent miscarriage or late miscarriages. However, minor variations do not appear to cause miscarriage.
Diabetes and thyroid problems can be factors in miscarriages. They do not cause recurrent miscarriage, as long as they are treated and kept under control.
It has been suggested that some women miscarry because their immune system does not respond to the baby in the usual way. This is known as an alloimmune reaction. There is no clear evidence to support this theory at present. Further research is needed.
Are there any other risk factors?

Being overweight increases the risk of miscarriage. Smoking and too much caffeine may also increase the risk. Excessive alcohol is known to be harmful to a developing baby and drinking five or more units a week may increase the risk of miscarriage.

The chance of a further miscarriage increases slightly with each miscarriage. Women with three miscarriages in a row have a 4 in 10 chance of having another one. This means that 6 out of 10 women (60%) in this situation will go on to have a baby next time. 

Why are investigations helpful?

Finding out whether there is a cause for your recurrent miscarriage or late miscarriage is important as your doctor will be able to give you an idea about your likelihood of having a successful pregnancy. In a small number of cases there may be treatment available to help you.

What investigations might be offered?

Blood tests:

For APS- APS is diagnosed if you test positive on two occasions 12 weeks apart, before you become pregnant again.
For thrombophilia- If you have had a late miscarriage you should be offered blood tests for certain inherited thrombophilias.
To check you and your partner s chromosomes for abnormalities. You may be offered this test if your baby has been shown to have abnormal chromosome
Tests for abnormalities in the baby You should be offered tests to check for abnormalities in your baby s chromosomes. This is not always possible but may help to determine your chance of miscarrying again. If you have had a late miscarriage you may also be offered a postmortem examination of your baby. This will not happen without your consent and you will have the opportunity to discuss this with your health team beforehand.

Tests for abnormalities in the shape of your uterus. You should be offered a pelvic ultrasound scan to check for any abnormalities in the shape of your uterus. If an abnormality is suspected, further investigations may include a hysteroscopy (a procedure to examine the uterus through a small telescope which is passed through the vagina and cervix) or a laparoscopy (a procedure in which a surgeon uses a fine telescope to look inside the abdomen and pelvis).

Tests for infection. If you have had a late miscarriage, tests such as blood samples and vaginal swabs may be taken at the time to look for any source of infection.




What are my treatment options?

Treatment for APS

If you have APS and have had recurrent miscarriage or a late miscarriage, treatment with low-dose aspirin tablets and heparin injections in pregnancy increases your chance of having a baby. Aspirin and heparin make your blood less likely to clot and are safe to take in pregnancy.

Having APS means you are at increased risk of complications during pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia, problems with your baby s growth and premature birth. You should be carefully monitored so that you can be offered treatment for any problems that arise.

Treatment for thrombophilia

If you have an inherited tendency to blood clotting (thrombophilia) and have had a miscarriage between 12 and 24 weeks of pregnancy, you should be offered treatment with heparin. At present there is not enough evidence to say whether heparin will reduce your chance of miscarriage if you have had early miscarriages (up to 12 weeks of pregnancy). However, you may be still offered the treatment to reduce the risk of a blood clot during pregnancy.

Your doctor will discuss what would be recommended in your particular case.

Referral for genetic counselling

If either you or your partner has a chromosome abnormality, you should be offered the chance to see a specialist called a clinical geneticist. They will discuss with you what your chances are for future pregnancies and will explain what your choices are. This is known as genetic counselling.

Monitoring and treatment for a weak cervix

If you have had a miscarriage between 14 and 24 weeks and have a diagnosis of a weak cervix, you may be offered an operation to put a stitch in your cervix. This is usually done through the vagina at 13 or 14 weeks of pregnancy under a general or spinal anaesthetic. Your doctor should discuss the surgery with you.

If it is unclear whether your late miscarriage was caused by a weak cervix, you may be offered vaginal ultrasound scans during your pregnancy to measure the length of your cervix. This may give information on how likely you are to miscarry. If your cervix is shorter than it should be before 24 weeks of pregnancy, you may be offered an operation to put a stitch in your cervix.

Surgery to the uterus

If an abnormality is found in your uterus, you may be offered an operation to correct this.

Hormone treatment

Taking progesterone or human chorionic gonadotrophin hormones early in pregnancy has been tried to prevent recurrent miscarriage. More evidence is needed to show whether this works.

Immunotherapy

Treatment to prevent or change the response of the immune system (known as immunotherapy) is not recommended for women with recurrent miscarriage. It has not been proven to work, does not improve the chances of a live birth and may carry serious risks (including transfusion reaction, allergic shock and hepatitis).

What if no cause is found?

Where there does not appear to be a cause for recurrent miscarriage or late miscarriage, there is currently no evidence that heparin and aspirin treatment reduces the chance of a further miscarriage. For that reason this treatment is not recommended in these circumstances.

What does this mean for us in the future?

You and your partner should be seen together by a specialist health professional. Your doctor will talk to you both about your particular situation and your likelihood of having a further miscarriage and a successful pregnancy. If a cause has been found, possible treatment options will be offered to you to improve your chance of a successful pregnancy.

For couples where no cause for recurrent miscarriage has been found, 75 in 100 (75%) will have a successful pregnancy with this care. It is worth remembering that the majority of couples will have a successful pregnancy the next time even after three miscarriages in a row.

Recurrent And Late Miscarriage - Tests & Treatment For Couples!

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?

Miscarriage is the early loss of foetus within 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is also known as  spontaneous abortion . According to research, about 8-20% of the pregnancies end in miscarriage. Out of the total number of miscarriages, 80% of them end within 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Types of Miscarriages and their Symptoms 

Threatened Miscarriage   As the term suggests, in this condition the process of miscarriage might have begun. This is the initial stage of the process. In threatened miscarriage, there is slight bleeding accompanied by cramps and pain in the lower back, which is usually mild. The cervix (the lower part of the uterus) remains closed. 
Inevitable and Incomplete Miscarriage   In these conditions, there is bleeding along with an open cervix. When there is dilatation and thinning of the cervix, miscarriage is inevitable. In incomplete miscarriage, part of the tissue comes out and a part remains inside the uterus. In inevitable and incomplete abortions, the bleeding and cramps are more severe. 
Complete Miscarriage   Complete miscarriage is when the embryo has completely emptied from the uterus. The pain and bleeding reduce once the foetus is expelled. This can be confirmed through ultrasound. 
Missed Miscarriage   In Missed miscarriage, there is no sign of the life of the embryo and there is no expulsion of the embryo. It can be detected from the absence of heartbeat of the embryo found on ultrasound. 
Recurrent Miscarriage   It happens when there are two or three miscarriages one after the other. It affects about 1% of the pregnancies. 
Risk Factors 

Increased maternal age i.e., women above 35 years. 
Excess or insufficient chromosome in embryo. 
Placenta is the organ which links mother and the baby for blood supply. Problem in the development of placenta can cause miscarriage. 
Excessive smoking and drinking during pregnancy. 
Obese women have higher risk of miscarriage. 
Long-term health conditions like high blood sugar, high blood pressure, liver disease etc.
Infections like rubella, malaria etc. 
Weakened cervix, which is the result of previous injury or surgery, can also result in miscarriage. 
What are the symptoms of a miscarriage? 

Bleeding or spotting can be one of the symptoms of miscarriage. It should be kept in mind that not all pregnant women who suffer from spotting or bleeding, end in miscarriage. 
Lower backache starts before or right after bleeding, which can be persistent or you could have cramps which may be mild or sharp and can feel like more of pelvic pressure. 
Missed miscarriages are detected through ultrasound when the doctor finds that there is no heartbeat of the embryo or when the uterus is not growing. 
What are the treatment options in miscarriage? 

Medical   In most of the cases, there are no specific drugs to stop a miscarriage from occurring. In some cases, certain hormonal preparations help. There is no point in prescribing medicines for prevention of miscarriage if there is heavy bleeding. 
Surgery   Dilatation and evacuation (D&E) is a simple operation which is done under general/local anaesthesia. In this operation, the cervical canal is dilated and contents present in the uterus are evacuated. There is no cutting involved as it happens through the vagina. The process needs only five to ten minutes, but the patient has to stay in the hospital for about 3-4 hours. 
This process is opted when: 

There is heavy bleeding. 
The patient suffers from missed miscarriage. 
What can you do to prevent miscarriage? 

Nothing much can be done to prevent miscarriage in most of the cases. However, following supportive measures may help: 

There should not be overexertion during pregnancy. Moderate amount of physical activity is permissible. 
One should have a well-balanced diet. Studies have shown that a diet loaded with fruits and veggies helps in overall well-being during pregnancy. One should limit the consumption of caffeine. 
Avoid smoking, alcohol and certain drugs to prevent miscarriage. 
Avoid stress and anxiety. 
Report to Doctor (preferably Obstetrician) as soon as any symptom related to miscarriage appears.

Miscarriage - Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

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