A miscarriage is basically the
loss of a pregnancy that happens within 20 weeks of conception. While it’s very
common, there are still many misconceptions surrounding it. The reason for this
is that plenty of women don’t talk about their experiences. With that said,
below are certain miscarriage facts you should know.
Miscarriages Are More Common Than You Think
Although the ACOD or American
Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that 10% of pregnancies usually end in a woman miscarrying, this number might be higher.
For one, most the miscarriages occur prior to women realizing they’re actually
pregnant. The risk of miscarrying also goes up with age.
Abdominal Cramps and Bleeding Are the Most Common Signs
If you experience cramps
accompanied by bleeding, visit your OB-GYN in Provo as soon as possible. Be prepared to undergo a
physical exam, ultrasound, and blood testing to help your OB-GYN make a
diagnosis.
You Won’t Require Special Exams Following a Miscarriage
At this point, you don’t have to
undergo any evaluations or exams because of your risk of miscarrying again in the
future only increases after going through more than two miscarriages. In the event that you miscarry more than once, your OB-GYN might do an extensive
assessment and test to try and determine potential issues that triggered your
miscarriages.
You Might Need Treatment After a Miscarriage
Depending on your case, your
OB-GYN might recommend the following treatment options after your miscarriage:
- You
can wait for the remaining pregnancy tissue in your uterus to get expelled
naturally, which could take as much as two weeks.
- Your
OB-GYN can prescribe you a medication called misoprostol to help flush
away remaining tissue within one week.
- You
can likewise opt for a D&C, dilation, and curettage procedure, to get rid of the remaining tissue. This is usually recommended for women with heavy bleeding or suspected of having an infection.
It’s Very Common to Feel Guilty After a Miscarriage
While feeling guilty is very
common, the most vital thing to remember is that in most cases, there is
absolutely nothing that the women could’ve done differently to prevent the
miscarriage. The reason for this is that most miscarriages are in fact because
of chromosomal abnormalities, which is something that women don’t have any
control over.
It’s Perfectly Normal to Grieve After a Miscarriage
A miscarriage is essentially the
death of what could’ve been a baby, so it’s perfectly normal to grieve that
loss. Conversely, some women might feel relief after miscarrying if they were
not really planning on getting pregnant yet. This is also normal and nothing to
be ashamed about.
A Majority of Women Can Conceive Again After Miscarrying
While you might need some time
to get pregnant again for whatever reason, you can still get pregnant and give
birth even after miscarrying. For lots of women, miscarrying does not
automatically reduce their chances of conceiving.
Having an open conversation
about miscarriages is crucial to ending the stigma about it and misplaced blame
on women. More importantly, the more information is out there, and the
better-equipped women will be to handle a miscarriage.