A miscarriage during pregnancy can be a very stressful and confusing experience. This causes a person to ask many questions and look for different answers and reasons as to why and how the miscarriage happened.
There are many possible factors that contribute to a miscarriage: an abnormal development of the fetus; the health condition of the mother; a problem with the chromosomes of the fetus; hormones, and; an infection. But most often, the cause of a miscarriage is difficult to pinpoint.
An estimated 10 to 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. This number may actually be higher since there are some cases where a miscarriage occurs too early to even tell if the woman is pregnant. This also contributes to the difficulty in finding out what exactly causes miscarriages.
One miscarriage does not mean that a woman has a lesser chance of getting pregnant. There are even some women who have gone through several miscarriages, but eventually went on to having children of their own.
To guide you in the next steps after a miscarriage, below are some suggestions that you can follow before your next pregnancy:
- Ask your doctor if you should go through any special tests like a blood or chromosomal test, to see if there may be underlying causes of miscarriage
- Other tests like an ultrasound, hysteroscopy (a small lighted telescope is used to examine the walls of your fallopian tubes), and other procedures may also be suggested to detect uterine problems
- Give yourself time to physically rest and heal after your miscarriage. This may only take a couple of days.
- This also means emotional healing as some feelings of anger, sadness or guilt may still be lingering. Do not rush the grieving process.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle:
- Refrain from smoking, drinking alcohol, taking illegal drugs and caffeine
- Watch your weight
- Eat food high in protein, zinc and vitamins
- Take prenatal supplements
Once you feel ready for pregnancy, consult your health care provider, again.
You can also consider the following guidelines if you have had:
- One miscarriage: World Health Organization recommends waiting at least 6 months before trying to conceive, but other evidence shows no harm in conceiving earlier
- Two or more miscarriages: Consult your doctor. She or he may recommend tests find out if there are any underlying causes
- Molar Pregnancy: This is when the tissue in your uterus develops into a benign mass instead of a fetus and the mass has to be removed. Doctors advise waiting six months to a year before trying to get pregnant.
The most important thing to remember is never lose hope. Though these suggestions are not designed to guarantee a successful pregnancy, they are here to help you in your goal to be a parent, just as there are health care providers who are a call, message or email away.
For more information on miscarriage and pregnancy, don’t hesitate to Contact us or email us at victoryartlab@yahoo.com