MISCARRIAGE - heartbreaking time in our lives

 

  

EARLY MISCARRIAGE
  

An early miscarriage is when your body has a spontaneous abortion, this normally happens in the first trimester, and sometimes this will even happen before we know we are even pregnant for example in the first few weeks, if this

happens it is a heavier period than normal. Doctors say that we will all have at least one miscarriage in our lives, but at the same time it doesn’t happen to everyone. 
  
 

When we have an early miscarriage there could be a few reasons behind it like;
    

• chromosomal or genetic abnormality in the growing baby,
• the growing baby is no longer living and our body knows it,
• it can sometimes be because our bodies aren’t producing enough pregnancy hormones to sustain a pregnancy,
• our body could also be making to much of the hormone Prolactin, instead of the pregnancy hormones,
• the Thyroid hormone may be to low also the Iodine levels could be to low also,
• our immune system may react to having the embryo and feel the need to get rid of it,
   

 

We also need to take in to account our environmental surroundings;

• poor nutrition,
• infections,
• smoking and alcohol,
• working with certain chemicals
   

  

Some of the things that wont cause a miscarriage are, but it is always safe to check with your doctor to make sure;

• exercising,
• having sexual intercourse,
• working hard or lifting heavy objects,
• nausea and vomiting even if it is severe,
• falling or a blow to the abdomen,
• sudden fright
   

   

Doctors say that an early miscarriage is common in the early stages of pregnancy, occurring up to 40 - 70 % of conceptions. They also say that most of the women that have a miscarriage will go on to have a normal pregnancy in the future.

A miscarriage can also take up to anywhere between 3 to 4 weeks.
  
 
 

Some of the Signs and Symptoms of a MISCARRIAGE

With everyone women it can be very different, but the most common signs and symptoms of a threatening miscarriage are;
  
  

• bleeding with cramps and or pain in the centre or lower abdomen or back,
• severe or persistent pain without bleeding that lasts longer than 24 hours,
• heavy bleeding like a period without pain,
• persistent spotting or light staining that continues for longer than 3 days,
• clots or greyish matter this may pass when the miscarriage actually starts
   

 

If you believe you are having a miscarriage please call your doctor or go straight to their office and if you can’t speak to them then go straight to the hospital emergency department or to your maternity ward.
  
 

Ways you might be treated for a MISCARRIAGE
  
 

If your doctor feels that you are have a threatened miscarriage they will try and do everything that they can to prevent it;
 

• they might put you on to medications to try and stop the miscarriage and to ease the pain,
• order you to total bed rest,
• restrictions on activities including sexual intercourse,
   

  

And if this doesn’t help then they will check with an ultra sound and or a Doppler to make sure that you have or are having a miscarriage and to make sure that all fetal matter is or  has come away with the bleeding, and in most cases your body will make sure that it does get rid of everything that there was.

If it hasn’t then your doctor will talk to you about going under a general anaesthesia to have a D&C or dilation and curettage by doing this they are, dilating your cervix and if there is any remaining fetal or placental tissue they then remove it, by doing this they are perverting you from getting an infection or anything else.
  
 

How you might be feeling
 
  

When this is happening or has happened we feel a great sadness come over us which is totally normal and you might both feel this but in most cases we take it harder than our partners, as we have just lost our baby or babies, we need the time to grieve for them, we need the time to feel sad and to go through all the emotions of a loss.

With this time if you are up to it is best if you can talk to your doctor about how you are feeling and what you are feeling, so that they can keep an eye on you and help where and if they can.

As this grieving time can be both emotionally and physically debilitating for us. But not only us, as our hubbies are going through the simular feelings, but as they don’t all show us their feelings it is best to talk to them also and get them to come to any doctors or let them to make their own as they can also slip into depression just as fast as we can.

    

Ways your doctor might try and pervent another MISCARRIAGE

  

It is a hard time coming to terms when you have a miscarriage, but there are a few things that you and your doctor may do in order for your next pregnancy.
 

The following are some preventions that your doctor may do to try and prevent a early miscarriage;
 

• thyroid levels - by checking these in pre-pregnancy or early pregnancy so that the doctor can be aware of them and try to bring them up to where they should be, your doctor may also suggest to you that you use iodised salt in or on your food to assist with bringing up your thyroid levels,
   
• chronic disease - like diabetes and or hypertension, your doctor will work with you to get these under control before you try to fall pregnant again,
   
• excessive physical stress - you should try to avoid these around the time that your fertilised egg implants itself (between days 5 to 10), things that you should avoid are lifting extremely heavy objects, heavy exercising,
   
• lifestyle changes - these are things that your doctor will talk to about in-depth, as they might and will help to prevent another miscarriage;
   
• quitting or cutting back on alcohol and smoking,
   
• stop all illicit drugs,
   
• make sure that you are eating food that will provide your body with all the right nutrition,
   
• nutritional supplementation - in your pre-pregnancy and pregnancy one should be taken, it should include folic acid and other B vitamins, as research has shown that some of us have trouble conceiving and or sustaining a pregnancy because you may have a vitamin B12 deficiency, but once you start taking a supplement with the added folic acid and vitamin B12 you are able to conceive and carry a baby to term, but please talk to your doctor about this as it may or may not be the case in your situation,
   
• weight control - try to bring your weight under control and to what it should be for your height, you should not be either extremely overweight or underweight as this is only hinder your chances of falling pregnant,
   
• use of medications - before taking any medications please check with your doctor as some may cause a miscarriage,
   
• avoid infections - in pre-pregnancy and pregnancy you be careful not to contract any sexually transmitted diseases as they could also affect your baby, and also try to avoid any gum infections as this can cause the production of such substances as prostaglandins which can stimulate labour
   

  

If you have had more than 2 miscarriages your doctor should run some tests to try and work out as to why so that you are ready for your next pregnancy. If your doctor hasn’t done these or suggested them then your should talk to them about doing them.