Miscarriage

Miscarriages are a lonely experience that causes sadness and fear. A miscarriage is defined as pregnancy loss up to the 23rd week of gestation. If this experience occurs before the 12th week of gestation, it’s referred to as early miscarriage, and if it occurs between the 12th and 23rd weeks, it is called late miscarriage. Unfortunately, early miscarriages are common, with most miscarriages happening before the 12th week of pregnancy. In fact, many women miscarry before even realizing they were pregnant. It’s believed that more than half of fertilized eggs end in miscarriage before being detected through a pregnancy test. Statistically confirmed pregnancies will result in a miscarriage in about 20% of cases, a percentage that increases with age. Late miscarriages, on the other hand, are rare, constituting only about 2% of all miscarriages.

The causes of miscarriages?

Early pregnancy loss almost always occurs due to the embryo’s inability to develop healthily. Chromosomal abnormalities are believed to be the most common cause of early pregnancy loss. Chromosomes are tiny structures inside the body’s cells that carry many genes. Genes determine all our physical characteristics such as gender, hair color, and blood type. Chromosomal problems leading to a miscarriage often occur randomly and without a specific cause related to the health of the mother or father. The baby needs a normal number and structure of chromosomes for normal development. Of these chromosomes, 23 come from the mother and 23 from the father. Chromosomal abnormalities disrupt the baby’s development. These abnormalities can involve an excess or shortage of chromosomes or a structural abnormality in the chromosome. In these cases, the pregnancy ends in the first 8 weeks of gestation, which is the embryo stage of pregnancy.

Late miscarriages, besides developmental abnormalities in the baby, can also be due to medical interventions (induced abortions). Health problems of the mother, such as cervical incompetence, uterine abnormalities, and chronic health conditions like diabetes, can also cause late miscarriages.

If you’ve had several miscarriages in a row, not understanding the cause can be frustrating. However, in about half of women experiencing recurrent miscarriages, no specific cause is found. Moreover, out of every four women who experience three or more consecutive miscarriages, three will go on to have a healthy baby. With proper care and medical support from the beginning of the pregnancy, you can have a child.

How will I know if I am at risk of miscarriage, and how can I tell?

It’s quite challenging to answer this question. Most of the time, a pregnancy loss occurs without a specific reason and is difficult to prevent. This is mostly true for early miscarriages. Most often, whether you experience a miscarriage or not is not due to something you did or did not do. In most cases, the reason behind many miscarriages cannot be determined. However, there are certain factors that can increase the risk of a miscarriage:

Age: The risk of chromosomal anomalies increases with age. While one in ten pregnant women under 30 will have a miscarriage, a quarter of pregnant women aged 35-39 and half of pregnant women over 40 are at risk of having a miscarriage. A mother’s health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney failure, and thyroid gland problems can increase the risk of a miscarriage. It is important to seek proper care if you have health problems. If you have a condition related to blood clotting or carry it in your genes, you may have recurrent miscarriages. Structural defects in the uterus, whether congenital or acquired (such as fibroids or polyps), can cause recurrent miscarriages.

Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, or substance abuse can increase the risk of miscarriage. Excessive caffeine consumption can also increase the risk of a miscarriage. The recommended amount is not more than 200 mg of caffeine (equivalent to two cups of coffee).

After a miscarriage, how long should one wait?

Many doctors recommend waiting for one menstrual cycle after a miscarriage. This is mainly for the ease of calculating the timing of the next pregnancy after a miscarriage. However, the decision of how long to wait after a miscarriage should be made by you and your partner.

If you have special conditions like infection, ectopic pregnancy, or molar pregnancy, it is important to follow the time frames recommended by your doctor. Also, in the case of late miscarriages and recurrent miscarriages, it would be appropriate to try for pregnancy when you feel psychologically ready, considering the results of some tests related to pregnancy timing that you discuss with your doctor.

If you have experienced a miscarriage, you may repeat certain mistakes that you believed to be correct during your next pregnancy. Some people may tell you that the stress you experienced during your pregnancy caused the miscarriage. However, studies do not show that stress, work-related stress, or depression during pregnancy leads to a miscarriage. It has not been proven that having sex during a subsequent pregnancy after a miscarriage causes a miscarriage. Also, there is no evidence that activities like walking and swimming, which are beneficial for maintaining a healthy pregnancy, cause a miscarriage. If you have had investigations for miscarriage or if you have a risk of miscarriage, your doctor’s warnings will be important. When you receive proper and healthy care, your pregnancy after a miscarriage will progress well.