Miscarriage is a frequent, yet often misunderstood experience for many women. Emotions following a miscarriage often include: grief, sorrow, anger, despair, guilt, depression and feelings of emptiness. Whether your pregnancy was planned or a surprise, the loss of your precious baby can send your emotions on a roller coaster ride. Experiencing a miscarriage can be very traumatic.

A miscarriage can occur for different reasons. A blighted ovum is one type of miscarriage that often occurs before a woman even knows that she is pregnant. Molar pregnancies and chemical pregnancies are some other reasons for miscarriage to occur, while a threatened miscarriage refers to the increased possibility that a woman may have a miscarriage.

Women who experience a pregnancy loss after the 20th week of their pregnancy are said to have had a stillbirth. Because this form of miscarriage occurs quite late in a pregnancy, it can be acutely upsetting to a mother. For women dealing with recurrent miscarriage, it is important to make an appointment with a fertility specialist, as multiple miscarriages are often a sign of a more serious problem.

Cause of miscarriage

There is seldom an adequate explanation for why a woman experiences a miscarriage. Studies inform us that approximately 50 per cent of lost pregnancies have failed to develop normally, either due to chromosome or genetic problems or because of structural (bodily) problems. There is no apparent explanation for the remaining 50 per cent of cases. Certain maternal illnesses are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, although these are very uncommon. Some of the reasons for miscarriage could be:

• Smoking which increases the risk of miscarriage.

• There is a gradual increase in the risk of miscarriage, as the woman gets older.

It is important to remember that an ordinary lifestyle that includes exercise, going to work, minor falls or taking the pill before pregnancy does not increase the risk of miscarriage.

Symptoms

The most common symptom is bleeding from the vagina. Lower abdominal pain is also very common.

Some women have no symptoms at all and the miscarriage is only diagnosed when they are given an ultrasound scan at their antenatal clinic. This is referred to as a ‘silent miscarriage’, and can be very distressing for the woman and her partner.

A miscarriage is suspected:

• If a woman is bleeding from the vagina and feels pain then she must consult her doctor.

• If the woman is bleeding at such a rate that she needs more than one sanitary towel per hour. In this case, too much blood is being lost and the flow must be stopped.

• If the woman feels weak or faint. These are both signs that she is losing too much blood.

• If the woman experiences severe stomach pain, this may be a symptom of an ectopic pregnancy.

• If the woman experiences fever, shivering or a smelly vaginal discharge, this can be a sign of an infection or inflammation.

All these conditions are potentially serious and must be treated immediately.

Aftermath

Following a miscarriage, it is advisable to take it easy and rest for a couple of days. It will help if the woman has someone she trusts with her, so that she can talk openly about her feelings. After a couple of days it is often helpful to return to a normal daily routine.

After a miscarriage a woman might experience headaches or have trouble sleeping. She may also experience lack of appetite and fatigue.

Many women feel anger and sadness after a miscarriage, while many others experience a strong sense of guilt, even though it is not their fault. These are all natural reactions.

A miscarriage can be frightening, confusing and depressing. It is natural to feel grief over the loss of a child. Women should not let people ignore or belittle what they have been through. The people they choose to talk to must be prepared to listen to what they have experienced and deal with the strong emotions involved.

Any woman who finds it too difficult to deal with her grief, or who continues to feel depressed, should consult her doctor for further help.

Prevention

Since the cause for 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.

• Exercise regularly

• Eat healthy

• Manage stress

• Keep weight in healthy limits

• Take folic acid daily

• Do not smoke

Once you find out that you are pregnant, again the goal is to be as healthy as possible, to provide a healthful 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 — Agencies