About 80% of Miscarriages happen during the first trimester. Unfortunately miscarriages happen more often than we think. Learn about the the signs and symptoms of a miscarriage. What are the causes of why some women miscarry and how you can reduce the risk of experiencing one.
I never experienced a miscarriage personally, but I do have family members and friends who have. It’s so hard watching them go through it. Not knowing what to say or what not to say other than “I am so sorry”.
Even though experiencing a miscarriage is very common and part of the conceiving a baby process, it’s still hard and heartbreaking for parents to be.
I hope this article gives you much needed insight about miscarriages, so you can be more informed.
Read this next:
8 UPLIFTING WAYS TO COPE WITH GENDER DISAPPOINTMENT IN PREGNANCY
8 WAYS TO COPE AND BE HAPPY WITH AN UNPLANNED PREGNANCY
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What is a miscarriage?
A miscarriage is a loss of pregnancy that happens spontaneously during your first trimester.
What are the signs and symptoms of a miscarriage?
If you suspect that you’re having a miscarriage these are the signs and symptoms to look out for:
- Vaginal spotting or bleeding (please note that vaginal spotting is common during your first trimester)
- Pain or cramping in your abdomen
- Pain in your lower back
- Fluid or tissue passing from your vagina
Sometimes a miscarriage happens so early in the pregnancy that you may not even experience any of the symptoms mentioned above.
Common questions about having a miscarriage:
1. Can a miscarriage be mistaken for a period?
Some miscarriages happen so early on in the pregnancy that you may mistake it for a period. Because there are no signs or symptoms that you are miscarrying.
2.What does an early miscarriage look like?
“Many early miscarriages simply look like heavy menstrual periods, with maybe a few tiny blood clots in the discharge. … In a miscarriage that happens beyond six weeks, the flow may contain an identifiable embryo or fetus in the early stages of development” *(source)*
3. What color is your blood when you miscarry?
The color of the blood ranges from pink, bright red to brown.
Read this next:
11 PREGNANCY MUST HAVES YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED
6 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU ARE PREGNANT BEFORE TAKING A PREGNANCY TEST
17 REALLY HELPFUL TIPS FOR FIRST TIME MOMS WITH A NEWBORN (SURVIVAL GUIDE)
I am going to share with you all of the details of what causes a miscarriage and how you can reduce the risk of having one. The more information you have about this topic the better.
Being informed and knowing the risk factors will help you tremendously in reducing the risk of having a miscarriage.
What are the causes of a miscarriage?
First, I want you to know that a miscarriage is not something that you did or didn’t do that caused it. In most cases a miscarriage occurs because the fetus is not normally developing.
Pregnancy loss may also be caused by chromosome abnormalities, for example:
1.Blighted ovum:
My friend experienced this. Which is when a fertilized egg develops a placenta and membrane but there is no sign of an embryo.
2. Molar pregnancy:
A molar pregnancy the egg implants in the uterus and the embryo will not reach maturity. It will not develop or form.
3. Intrauterine fetal demise:
An embryo forms but then it dies without no signs of pregnancy loss.
P.S: Grab this pregnancy planner for checklists, to do lists and helpful resources!
12 Miscarriage risk factors you should know about:
Even though most miscarriages happen naturally with an unpreventable cause. There are a few risk factors that can put you at a greater risk to miscarry your baby. Some of these include:
1.Infections in the mother
(chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis)
2.Using drugs
3.Smoking
4.The age of the mother
(women of age 35 and up may be at a higher risk for a miscarriage)
5.If you’re underweight or overweight
This can even be the cause of you having a harder time conceiving.
6.Drinking alcohol during your pregnancy
7.Physical trauma
8.If you have a chronic disease
For example diabetes, thyroid, hypertension and it is not treated properly.
9.Experiencing more than one miscarriage
You run a higher risk of miscarrying again if you suffered from one before.
10.If you have issues with your cervix
For example incompetent cervix, which causes the cervix to open too early before baby is ready to be born.
11. If you suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
It may be the cause of recurring miscarriages. Please speak with your doctor so that you both can have a game plan on how to treat it, get pregnant and reduce miscarriage risk.
12. Develop or suffer from blood clots during pregnancy
My cousin who miscarried 5 times suffered from this as well as thyroid which was untreated. Causing her to miscarry 5 times.You need to make sure to take blood thinners so blood can circulate between the mom and baby.
How can I prevent a miscarriage?
You can’t prevent a miscarriage unfortunately but there are many things you can do to help lower the risk of having one.
Read this next:
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OVULATION SO YOU CAN GET PREGNANT FAST
8 BEST THINGS TO BUY WHEN YOU FIND OUT YOU’RE PREGNANT
10 THINGS TO DO ONCE YOU FIND OUT YOU’RE PREGNANT
7 ways to reduce the risk of having a miscarriage
1.Exercise
2.Having a healthy diet
For example including more more vegetables and fruits into your diet.
3.Avoiding food that are not good to consume during your pregnancy
Like sushi, unpasteurized cheese and milk, deli meats and more. Check out this full list of foods to avoid during your pregnancy!
pregnancy cookbook for healthy quick and easy recipes you can enjoy in each trimester!
4.Stop smoking
5.Do not drink alcohol excessively
6.Stop the use of illicit drugs
7.Do not stress
If you are experiencing a miscarriage you may want to go to the emergency room or call your doctor. Specially if you’re experiencing strong cramps or abdominal pain, heavy bleeding or have a fever. It is important for you to get treated and get the help that you need immediately.
Miscarriages usually occur during the first trimester while only 2 to 3 percent occuring in the second trimester. If you miscarry in your third trimester is called a “stillbirth”.
So many women experience a miscarriage. That is so heartbreaking!
Know that you are not alone, reach out to your family and friends for support. Talk to your doctor about your feelings if you’re experiencing any unusual symptoms and decide when is the best time to start trying again.
I hope you found this article helpful!
resources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/miscarriage#risk
I had a miscarriage before the 8 week mark and my husband and I had gone through IVF, which made the experience all the more devastating. The worst part was it was a missed miscarriage, so there was no indication that the embryo had stopped developing and I went another two weeks before I even found out that I had miscarried. It didn’t help either that they did genetic testing on the embryo after the D&C and found no genetic abnormalities and everything with me looked fine, so there is absolutely no explanation as to why it happened.
Hey Diana, I’m so sorry you both have to go through this. It truly is devastating. Like you mentioned sometimes there’s no explanation to it, but I hope you stay positive. And know that you will get pregnant and have a healthy baby in your arms soon. Don’t lose hope 🙂