What is a miscarriage? A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week. The medical term for a miscarriage is spontaneous abortion, but because of the stigma and discomfort associated with the colloquial definition of the term “abortion”, most practitioners refer to pregnancy loss as a miscarriage.
What causes miscarriage? There can be many causes of a miscarriage, and most of the time the cause cannot be identified. The most common cause of miscarriage in the first trimester is chromosomal abnormalities in the baby. Most chromosomal abnormalities happen by chance and are not related to the mother or father’s health.
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ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES
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PREVENTABLE CAUSES
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OTHER CAUSES
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Radiation or toxic agent exposure
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Smoking during pregnancy
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Infection
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Excessive alcohol during pregnancy
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Hormonal problems
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Use of illicit drugs
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Uterine abnormalities
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Certain prescription medications (e.g., Accutane)
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Incompetent cervix
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Severe malnutrition
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Immune system disorders (e.g. lupus)
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Severe kidney disease
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Congenital heart disease
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Poorly-controlled diabetes
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Thyroid disease
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What can I expect when I see a doctor? Your health care provider will perform a pelvic exam and an ultrasound test to confirm a miscarriage. If the miscarriage is complete and the uterus is empty, then no further treatment is usually required. Blood work may also be performed.
How is a miscarriage treated? Occasionally, the uterus is not completely emptied, so a dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure is often performed. During this procedure, the cervix is dilated and any remaining fetal or placental tissue is gently removed from the uterus. As an alternative to a D&C, certain medications can be given to cause your body to expel the contents in the uterus. This option may be more ideal in someone who wants to avoid surgery and whose condition is otherwise stable.
What if I have multiple miscarriages? Multiple miscarriage is defined as 3 or more consecutive first trimester miscarriages. This can affect 1% of couples trying to conceive. Miscarriages can be very traumatic and leave you with a deep feeling of sorrow. Allow yourself to grieve the loss of your baby and your pregnancy instead of suppressing these feelings. Talk to your spouse and confront your feelings together.
There are some tests you can ask for to understand the cause of multiple miscarriages.
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Miscarriage Common Causes
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Related Tests
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Hormonal factors
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Test for prolactin, thyroid and progesterone levels
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Structural factors
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A hysterosalpingogram evaluate the shape and size of your uterus
and looks for factors like scarring, polyps, fibroids and septal wall, all of
which could affect implantation
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Immunologic causes
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Blood tests to check for immunologic causes of pregnancy loss
include antithyroid antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, and anticardiolipin
antibodies.
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CONNECT WITH YOUR REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
What is the reproductive system? The female reproductive system consists of an internal part and an external part. The internal system consists of two parts: the uterus, which hosts the fetus, produces secretions and passes the male’s sperm through to the fallopian tube; and the ovaries, which produce the female’s egg cells. The internal system meets the external parts at the vulva, which includes the labia, clitoris and urethra. The ovaries release an ovum, or egg, at regular intervals. If the egg meets a sperm cell in the right conditions, the sperm cell penetrates and merges with the egg cell, fertilizing it.How can I prevent miscarriages? Since the cause of most miscarriages is due to chromosomal abnormalities, there is not much that can be done to prevent them. One vital step is to get as healthy as you can before conceiving to provide a healthy atmosphere for conception to occur.
HARMONIZE WITH YOUR BODY
What are some lifestyle advice? You and your spouse can do the following in order to provide a healthy environment for conception:- Exercise regularly
- Eat healthy
- Manage stress
- Keep weight within healthy limits
- Do not smoke
Additionally, you should take prenatal vitamins daily even when you are trying to conceive.
Once you find out that you are pregnant, again the goal is to be as healthy as possible, to provide a healthy environment for your baby to grow in:
- Keep your abdomen safe
- Do not smoke or be around smoke
- Do not drink alcohol
- Check with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications
- Limit or eliminate caffeine
- Avoid environmental hazards such as radiation, infectious disease and x-rays
- Avoid contact sports or activities that have risk of injury
What are some nutritional advice? Eat a variety of foods to make sure you get the nutrition you need while you’re conceiving and after you get pregnant. You should consume 300 more calories per day when you get pregnant. Choose high-fiber foods, such as whole grain breads, cereals, pasta and brown rice. Eat or drink at least 4 servings of dairy products to ensure you’re getting 1000-1300 mg of calcium. Eat at least 3 servings of iron-rich foods such as leafy vegetables, lean meat and beans. Eat Vitamin C rich fresh fruit like citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, honeydew and papaya. Eat Vitamin A rich vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, green vegetables and cantaloupe.
Take 400 mcg of folic acid and a prenatal vitamin daily. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco.
What are some exercise advice? There is no evidence that moderate exercise increases the risk of miscarriage. You can safely continue a moderate exercise regimen as long as you avoid contact sports and activities that can cause trauma to the abdomen.
INTEGRATE COMPLIMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
What can be expected during an osteopathic manipulative treatment? Osteopathic manipulative treatment is a gentle hands-on therapy directed at releasing restrictions in the body. Following a miscarriage, the pelvic region and lower abdomen may have pain or discomfort that can be alleviated with release of fascial strains.What can be expected from homeopathic medicine? Depending on the stage of the miscarriage and the symptoms, homeopathic medicine can be directed at alleviating the symptoms and encourage the body's return to health.