A miscarriage is the end of a pregnancy due to natural (and often unknown) causes before week 20. Many miscarriages seem to be the result of chromosomal abnormalities that affect the fetus's growth. Others may be due to the mother's anatomy or infection, among other causes. Miscarriages take place in about 15 percent of all known pregnancies. This means that the prevalence may be even higher for miscarriage since some women have one so early that it may be mistaken for menstruation.
Miscarriage
Roughly 15% of all recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage. Most miscarriages occur early into the pregnancy and are triggered by chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo. If you have had multiple miscarriages, blood-clotting issues, hormone imbalances, and immune responses could be factors in the terminations of embryos. Age also plays a large role. As you age, the risk factor of early miscarriage goes up as well.
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Sigma Nursing answeredIt is possible to get pregnant within the next menstrual cycle following a miscarriage. This may be too soon for women to fully recover from the effects of the miscarriage. Therefore, doctors often recommend waiting a little while (one month or so) before trying to get pregnant again.
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If you are concerned about spotting and potential miscarriage, you should see your doctor. Spotting may be a sign of miscarriage but does not guarantee that you will have a miscarriage.
In early pregnancy, spotting can be due to the implantation of the embryo into the uterine lining, a light withdrawal bleed during the time a woman would have had her period, cervical irritation, or threatened or imminent miscarriage. Spotting is often more concerning if it is accompanied by cramps similar to those during a menstrual period or if bleeding becomes heavier.
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Penn Medicine answeredSee All 3 AnswersEven though losing a pregnancy is very upsetting, it is a fairly common event. Usually, an evaluation is not started until after three miscarriages have occurred. Obviously, such an approach seems unsatisfactory to couples, and certainly it can be extremely upsetting.
It would be appropriate, after two miscarriages, to proceed with a limited evaluation, which includes, primarily, a few blood tests. Any board-certified reproductive endocrinologist should be able to guide you through such an evaluation and recommend further treatment.
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1 AnswerA
Sigma Nursing answered
If you have had a miscarriage (even a complete miscarriage) or one is to be expected, you should know that your body may recover within hours or days. For at least two weeks, don't use tampons and avoid sex. Pelvic rest is important during this time of recovery. Also be aware of signs of complications: fever, chills, and excessive bleeding and pain. Seek medical attention if these symptoms are present. Finally, allow yourself to experience grief and other emotions associated with the loss of the pregnancy. Lean on friends and family at this time or join a support group to help you deal with the miscarriage.
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Sigma Nursing answered
A miscarriage, complete or otherwise, is an emotional circumstance. Your loved one may feel deep loss and sadness as well as anger and guilt. The best thing you can do is to listen to her. Allow her to open up to you if she feels comfortable. It is difficult to face the loss of a pregnancy alone, so make her know that you are there to support her.
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Sigma Nursing answered
If your doctor believes a miscarriage is to be expected, then you have a few treatment options. You can allow the miscarriage to occur as it naturally would, though it may not happen for a few weeks, and it may mean that you experience bleeding while the process takes place. And since all the pregnancy related tissues leave the body, there shouldn't be any need for medical treatment to remove it.
If waiting is unsettling for you, you might decide to take medication to prompt labor and, thus, the miscarriage, or have a surgical procedure, such as a suction dilation and curettage, performed to remove the tissues from the uterus.
If you experience any signs of complication, excessive pain and bleeding, fever, chills, racing heart rate or low blood pressure consult your physician.
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Of all pregnancies, 15-20% end in miscarriage; 75% of these in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Infertility is defined as 2 or more consecutive miscarriages. If you have experienced multiple miscarriages, you may need one or more of the following tests:- Hormonal Factors Tests. Ask to have a prolactin, thyroid and progesterone level taken. If they are abnormal and treatment is given, make sure that you are re-tested to check your levels.
- Structural Factors Tests. A hysterosalpingogram is done to evaluate the shape and size of your uterus and to rule out possible scarring, polyps, fibroids or a septal wall, which could affect implantation. If there is concern about the uterine cavity, a hysteroscopy (examination done in combination with laparoscopy or as an office procedure) can be done. In some women the cervical muscle is too loose, causing pregnancy loss after the first trimester. A special exam is done when a woman is not pregnant to check for an incompetent cervix.
- Adequacy of the Uterine Lining Tests. An endometrial biopsy is done on cycle day 21 or later and will document if your lining is getting thick enough for the fertilized egg to implant. If you have a lag of two or more days in the development of the lining, you will be treated with various hormones (Clomiphene, hCG, Progesterone). It is important to have the biopsy repeated after several cycles to ensure the treatment is helping. If you are on Progesterone, discuss the advantages of the oral, vaginal gel creams or tablets or injection routes with your doctor.
- Tests for Chromosomal Causes. Chromosomal tests are rarely done on tissue from a miscarriage because it is difficult to preserve the tissue for adequate studies. If chromosome testing is needed, you and your partner will have blood tests to make sure there is no translocation of genes (a condition in which the number of genes is the normal 46, but they are joined together abnormally). This condition can result in pregnancy loss.
- Tests for Immunologic Causes. Blood tests to check for immunologic responses that can cause pregnancy loss include antithyroid antibodies (antibodies to thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase) the lupus anticoagulant factor and anticardiolipin antibodies. These appear to influence blood clotting mechanisms within the placenta as it develops. There are also blood tests that check for protective blocking factors. These are essential to protect the pregnancy from being rejected by the mother's body.