Miscarriage

What is a miscarriage?

Anytime your pregnancy ends on its own within the first 20 weeks it’s characterized as a miscarriage. As many as 10-25% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, with most occurring before week 13.

Why do miscarriages happen?

Miscarriages happen for a variety of reasons, but the most common cause is a chromosomal abnormality. Other possible reasons for miscarriage include:

• Maternal age
• Maternal trauma
• Lifestyle choices, such as drug use, smoking, or exposure to toxic substances
• Improper implantation of the egg in the uterine lining

At OB/GYN Specialists, the doctors do extensive workups of women who’ve experienced miscarriage to help prevent it from happening again in the future.

What are the symptoms of a miscarriage?

If you experience symptoms of miscarriage, you should contact the doctors at OB/GYN Specialists immediately. Warning signs include:

• Back pain that often feels worse than menstrual cramps
• Contractions
• Whitish-pink vaginal discharge
• Bleeding or brown spotting
• Tissue and blood clots passing from the vagina

If you experience a decrease in pregnancy symptoms, such as fatigue or morning sickness, it can also signal something is not right with your pregnancy.

What happens after a miscarriage?

During or after a miscarriage, the team at OB/GYN Specialists helps ensure you don’t experience hemorrhaging or infection. Early miscarriages likely result in the natural expulsion of all fetal tissue. If you have a later miscarriage or still have remaining remnants of pregnancy, the doctors may recommend a dilation and curettage, or D&C, to clean out the uterus.

Psychological support following a miscarriage is also available. The entire staff at OB/GYN Specialists offer compassion when evaluating why you may have experienced a pregnancy loss and in helping you become pregnant again should you make that choice.

How can I prevent miscarriage?

Prevent miscarriage by taking care of yourself prior to getting pregnant. Eat healthy, exercise, manage stress, manage your weight, stop smoking, and take prenatal vitamins. Once you are pregnant, take the following steps to reduce your risk of losing the baby:

• Protect your abdominal area
• Don’t smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke
• Don’t drink
• Moderate caffeine intake
• Avoid toxins and environmental hazards
• Avoid contact sports and high-risk activities

Although these good habits can’t guarantee you’ll avoid miscarriage, they give you a better chance of sustaining a healthy pregnancy.

Call OB/GYN Specialists, or book an appointment online to learn how you can prevent and overcome miscarriage.