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What is a miscarriage?Women's health & fitness guideEvery year there are hundreds of thousands of women suffering from the devastating affects of miscarriage; while some get through this time relatively easy for others it can be devastating, leaving the women with many feelings such as grieving, guilt, inferiority and depression. One thing that almost all women will have in common is the question why me? Unfortunately in many cases the question can't be answered as miscarriages can and do just happen without what seems to be any clear reason, this is very often the hardest part to deal with. However some causes can be explained and while this doesn't make it any easier to deal with at least you're not left wondering why. What is a miscarriage? The medical explanation for miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of pregnancy before 24 weeks, studies into miscarriage have shown that around ¼ of all pregnancies do actually miscarry many times with women not realising they have had a miscarriage as most happen within the first 6 weeks. Are there any symptoms or signs of a miscarriage? You should always be wary of any bleeding during early pregnancy, while some women do bleed during the first few months and have even been known to bleed lightly throughout the pregnancy, bleeding can be a sign of a miscarriage. The bleeding can range from lightly spotting to heavier bleeding and a doctor's advice should be sought. Often with a miscarriage there is stomach pain, very much like the pain you get when your period is due, this is a clear sign something is wrong and you should get help immediately. If you have any stomach pain and/or bleeding the best thing you can do is to lie down straight away and call your doctor for advice. Some women are advised to spend the first three months in bed this way particularly if they have suffered two or more miscarriages in the past. Why does miscarriage happen? Unfortunately in a lot cases the cause for it is unknown, this can be one of the hardest things for the women to deal with, and in around 60% of the cases it is thought to be a problem with the way the sperm and the egg join together initially. Another cause is the egg not attaching to the wall of the womb properly and it comes away, age also seems to be a factor with miscarriages being more common in older women. Types of miscarriage The medical profession put miscarriages into different categories depending on the outcome of an internal investigation made by the doctor, they are: * Threatened miscarriage - this is when bleeding starts early in the pregnancy but on examination the cervix is found to be closed and the pregnancy can continue to full term. * Inevitable miscarriage - this term describes bleeding in early pregnancy and on examination the cervix is found to be open, a miscarriage will also certainly occur in this case. * Incomplete miscarriage - a miscarriage occurs but there is still some tissue left in the womb, the cervix will usually be found to be open. * Complete miscarriage - this term describes the pregnancy being lost and the womb is empty. * Missed miscarriage - this occurs when no bleeding or other sign of miscarriage has taken place but the pregnancy has stopped growing. The aftercare of miscarriage Some women deal with miscarriage better than others so there are no clear guidelines for aftercare, the physical effects will usually heal quicker than the mental effects with any bleeding usually settling down after around 10 days. The emotional side however can take a long time, grief will be a normal sign after miscarriage and the couple should take adequate time to do so, it is important for the couple to talk about what happened and to be there for each other. During this time the women in particular will be very emotional and will need a lot of support from their partner, family and friends, they may also need to see a miscarriage councillor. |
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