MISCARRIAGES!!!! SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION..

Miscarriage is a term used for a pregnancy that ends on its own, within the first 20 weeks of gestation. While a chemical miscarriage occurs when a pregnancy is lost shortly after implantation, resulting in bleeding that occurs around the time of her expected period. The woman may not realize that she conceived when she experiences a chemical pregnancy.

WHY DO MISCARRIAGES HAPPEN? The reason for miscarriage varied, and most often the cause cannot be identified. During the first trimester, the most common cause of miscarriage is chromosomal abnormality – meaning that something is not correct with the baby’s chromosomes. Most chromosomal abnormalities are the cause of a damaged egg or sperm cell or are due to a problem at the time that the zygote went through the division process. Other causes of miscarriage include, Hormonal problems, infections or maternal health problems

Lifestyle (i.e. smoking, drug use, malnutrition, excessive caffeine and exposure to radiation or toxic substances)

Implantation of the egg into the uterine lining does not occur properly

Maternal age

Maternal trauma Factors that are not proven to cause miscarriage are ; sex, working outside the home (unless in a harmful environment) or moderate exercise.

Miscarriage Warning Signs If you experience any or all of these symptoms, it is important to contact your health care provider or a medical facility to evaluate if you could be having a miscarriage:

Mild to severe back pain (often worse than normal menstrual cramps)

Weight loss

White-pink mucus

True contractions (very painful happening every 5-20 minutes)

Brown or bright red bleeding with or without cramps (20-30% of all pregnancies can experience some bleeding in early pregnancy, with about 50% of those resulting in normal pregnancies)

Tissue with clot like material passing from the vagina

A sudden decrease in signs of pregnancy The Different Types of Miscarriage Miscarriage is often a process and not a single event. There are many different stages or types of miscarriage. Most of the time all types of miscarriage are just called a miscarriage, but you may hear your health care provider refer to other terms or names according to what is experienced.

Miscarriage Types: Threatened Miscarriage: Some degree of early pregnancy uterine bleeding accompanied by cramping or lower backache. The cervix remains closed. This bleeding is often the result of implantation. Inevitable or Incomplete Miscarriage: Abdominal or back pain accompanied by bleeding with an open cervix.

Miscarriage is inevitable when there is a dilation or effacement of the cervix and/or there is a rupture of the membranes. Bleeding and cramps may persist if the miscarriage is not complete. Complete Miscarriage: A completed miscarriage is when the embryo or products of conception have emptied out of the uterus. Bleeding should subside quickly, as should any pain or cramping. A completed miscarriage can be confirmed by an ultrasound or by having a surgical curettage (D&C) performed. Missed Miscarriage: Women can experience a miscarriage without knowing it. A missed miscarriage is when embryonic death has occurred but there is not any expulsion of the embryo.

It is not known why this occurs. Signs of this would be a loss of pregnancy symptoms and the absence of fetal heart tones found on an ultrasound. Recurrent Miscarriage (RM): Defined as 3 or more consecutive first trimester miscarriages. This can affect 1% of couples trying to conceive. Blighted Ovum: Also called an embryonic pregnancy. A fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall, but fetal development never begins. Often there is a gestational sac with or without a yolk sac, but there is an absence of fetal growth. Ectopic Pregnancy: A fertilized egg implants itself in places other than the uterus, most commonly the fallopian tube.

Treatment is needed immediately to stop the development of the implanted egg. If not treated rapidly, this could end in serious maternal complications. Molar Pregnancy: The result of a genetic error during the fertilization process that leads to the growth of abnormal tissue within the uterus. Molar pregnancies rarely involve a developing embryo, but often entail the most common symptoms of pregnancy including a missed period, positive pregnancy test and severe nausea. Treatments for Miscarriage The main goal of treatment during or after a miscarriage is to prevent hemorrhaging and/or infection. The earlier you are in the pregnancy, the more likely that your body will expel all the fetal tissue by itself and will not require further medical procedures.

If the body does not expel all the tissue, the most common procedure performed to stop bleeding and prevent infection is a dilation and curettage, known as a D&C. Drugs may be prescribed to help control bleeding after the D&C is performed.

Bleeding should be monitored closely once you are at home; if you notice an increase in bleeding or the onset of chills or fever, it is best to call your physician immediately. Miscarriage Prevention 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. Work on improving egg and sperm quality by doing the following.

Exercise regularly Eat healthily Manage stress Keep weight within healthy limits Take folic acid daily Do not smoke Once you find out that you are pregnant, the goal is to be as healthy as possible, to provide a healthy environment for your baby to grow in. 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 a risk of injury.

For miscarriage as a result of hormonal inbalance, make sure to balance hormones before trying again or if pregnancy is threatened as a result of low progesterone, ask your doctor if you could benefit from the use of progesterone suppositories .like cyclogest, primolute or duphaston.

As for me ,i usually have recurrent miscarriages so as soon as i confirm pregnancy ,i am placed on progesterone suppository called cyclogest 400mg which i insert into the vagina morning and night until the pregnancy gets to 12weeks. After 12weeks, my doctor put in place a cervical cerclarge to help with any late miscarriage that can occur as a result of incompetent cervix.

At 37weeks,the cerclarge is removed and i give birth vaginally. If you have been having miscarriages, you can discuss this options with your doctor.

Try to find out the root cause of the miscarriage and address it. Also avoid spicy food, eat fruits and vegetables like avocados, add nuts and seeds to your diet and above all be prayerful. I hope this was helpful. and if you need help on the above topic, i will be in the comment .

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