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?

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

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?

Once the reality of the positive pregnancy test sets in, dreaming about the yet-to-arrive begins. Curiosity about gender, options for names, ways to manage, shopping ideas, etc., begin to get discussed. And then totally out of the blue the news comes that there is a miscarriage. This is one of the most depressing phases. It is very important for the family to be around and support each other. While the entire family is upset and hurt over the news, the mother needs most care as there is just not emotional but a huge physical component also to the episode. On the other hand, remember that miscarriages are extremely common, and is no indication of a fertility issue.

The first step would be to diagnose and confirm the miscarriage. After that, depending on whether it was complete or incomplete, some medical intervention might be required. In most cases, medications like misoprostol are given to expel the uterine contents. These help by clearing out the contents in about a couple of days' time. In some cases, a D and C might be required if your doctor suspects that medication will not suffice. This also helps identify if there is any issue in the uterus that could have caused the miscarriage.

While the above take care of the physical part, the emotional component also requires cautious management. Needless to say, this is trickier than the earlier one.

Mourn to your heart's content - When you have nursed a life within you and have lost it, it is very normal to cry for its loss. There would be a mix of emotions - shock, denial, confusion, anger, grief, depression, etc. Take some solace from that fact that this is nature's way of removing unhealthy fetuses.

Get someone to talk to - Need not be your husband, but anybody whom you can talk to without having to watch words. A sibling, a good friend, a close relative - your choice. Make sure you don't pick ones who will judge and sympathize with you. More than sympathy, you need someone understanding and knowledgeable.

Socialize more - As you would have kept to yourself post your positive test, use this time to socialize more and meet friends whom you have not regularly been in touch with. Close family members, your children (if you already have), society groups, movie groups, etc., help to a great extent.

Formal medical counseling: If you are not able to cope with your regular circle of family and friends, try seeking professional advice from counseling.

Spirituality - Whether you believe in temple or churches, spend some time there. Involve in some religious activity if you would like, this helps very often.

As much as it is painful and traumatic, it is not very uncommon or unnatural. Get back on your feet, the sooner you do, the better.

Miscarriage - Ways To Recover

What is recurrent miscarriage?

If you have three or more miscarriages in a row, doctors call it recurrent miscarriage. If you have experienced recurrent miscarriage, your GP or midwife will refer you to a gynaecologist. Your gynaecologist will try to identify the reason for your losses.

Having miscarriage after miscarriage may leave you feeling utterly drained of hope. At times, it may be hard to keep trusting in the future. This experience affects every aspect of a woman s life from her mental and emotional health to her physical health and social well-being. 

If you can, try to draw comfort from the fact that most women who experience recurrent losses do go on to have a baby. This is especially the case if tests can find no reason for the losses. Six out of 10 women who have had three miscarriages will go on to have a baby in their next pregnancy.

Treatment of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Treatment for anatomic abnormalities of the uterus involves surgical restoration through removal of local lesions such as fibroids, scar tissue and endometrial polyps or timely insertion of a cervical cerclage (a stitch placed around the neck of the weakened cervix) or the excision of a uterine septum when indicated.

A thin endometrial lining has been shown to correlate with compromised pregnancy outcome. Often times this will be associated with reduced resistance to blood flow to the endometrium. Such decreased blood flow to the uterus can be improved through treatment with sildenafil (Viagra), Terbutaline and possibly aspirin.

Sildenafil (Viagra) Therapy Viagra has been used successfully to increase uterine blood flow. However, to be effective it must be administered starting as soon as the period stops up until the day of ovulation and it must be administered vaginally (not orally). Viagra in the form of vaginal suppositories given in the dosage of 25 mg four times a day has been shown to increase uterine blood flow as well as thickness of the uterine lining. To date, we have seen significant improvement of the thickness of the uterine lining in about 70% of women treated. Successful pregnancy resulted in 42% of women who responded to the Viagra. It should be remembered that most of these women had previously experienced repeated IVF failures.

Terbutaline this is a medication that relaxes the muscle in the uterine wall and so permits improved hormone delivery to the endometrium. The use of Terbutaline will often cause an increase in heart rate. It should not be prescribed to women who have irregular heart beats (arrhythmias), and women who have decreased cardiac reserve.

Aspirin this is an antiprostaglandin that improves blood flow to the endometrium. It is administered at a dosage of 81mg orally, daily from the beginning of the cycle until ovulation.

Selective Immunotherapy Using Intralipid, heparin, aspirin and corticosteroid

Many causes of pregnancy loss or failure can be treated with immunotherapy comprising combinations of aspirin and heparin and corticosteroids (dexamethasone or prednisone) and Intralipid (IL) to regulate increased NKa. Achievement of optimal success with Intralipid/corticosteroid therapy requires that the treatment be initiated well before ovulation takes place (about 7-14 days prior to anticipated implantation). Given the fact that only 10-15% of natural cycles (with or without the use of insemination and/or fertility drugs) will result in a pregnancy, it follows that repeated administration of Intralipid will be required in most cases before a pregnancy will occur. IVF achieves pregnancy rates that are often 2-3 times higher. This often makes IVF a treatment of choice in cases of immunologic recurrent pregnancy loss.

Role of IVF

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) a procedure whereby the embryo can be tested for genetic or structural chromosomal abnormalities requires the use of IVF to select the best embryo(s) for transfer to the uterus. In cases of structural chromosomal (translocations) egg or sperm donation is often another option worth considering.

In those cases where due to intractable anatomical or alloimmune dysfunction IVF repeatedly is unsuccessful or is not an option, Gestational Surrogacy might represent the only recourse other than adoption.
If a couple with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss is open to all of the diagnostic and treatment options referred to above, a live birth rate of 70%   80% is ultimately achievable.

Recurrent Miscarriage - How to Deal With It?

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

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