Miscarriage Symptoms

The signs of miscarriage may be greater or lesser apparent: from heavy sensation in the lower abdomen or the lower back to bleeding, slight or strong. Always remember that these miscarriage symptoms not necessary mean your pregnancy loss. For example, some women experience implantation bleeding in the early stages of pregnancy. This kind of bleeding is slight and occurs at the times when you would normally have had a period. Any bleeding outside of implantation period is considered as threatening miscarriage though. About 25 % of threatened miscarriages settle down and normal pregnancy happens.

So if you find yourself suffering from such miscarriage symptoms as:

• increasing vaginal bleeding
• pelvic spasms and pain
• high temperature
• weakness
• vomiting
• the low back pain

contact your doctor or midwife immediately! There is not a moment to lose.

Miscarriage is loss of embrio or fetus earlier than 20th week of pregnancy. If labor results in live birth before the 37th week of pregnancy than it is called “premature birth”. Most miscarriages occur in the first trimester of pregnancy (50%) The rate may be even higher because some women are not aware of their miscarriages at very early stages of their pregnancies, so these cases are not included into the statistics. 20% of miscarriages take place in the 2nd trimester and 30% in the third one.

Primarily it is essential to find out the reasons of miscarriage and rehabilitate the woman to prepare her to the next pregnancy. It includes, in particular, therapeutics’ consultation to reveal extra genital diseases. The husband’s health examination is mandatory, including his sperm test. If the initial level of the diagnostics has not revealed the miscarriage reason, more specialized clinics may do so with deeper examination of the woman’s body, especially her endocrine and immune system.

The prevention is done with taking into account the reasons revealed, For example, hormonal misbalance needs hormonal treatment, infections need anti-inflectional treatment etc.

The factors promoting miscarriage has to be eliminated.

Your doctor will make gynecological and ultrasound examination to confirm that miscarriage has occurred. If the miscarriage is complete and the womb is clean, than no special treatment is usually necessary. If the miscarriage does not completely clear on its own, this is an ‘incomplete abortion’ and medical intervention is required. The most common form of intervention is surgical, it involves dilating the cervix followed by scraping the uterine walls with a curette, a spoon-shaped instrument with a sharp edge. Alternatively, you may be given a medicine to stimulate the womb to clean itself. Both ways have their risks so it has to be carefully decided what to do in any specific case.

If miscarriage has not been confirmed but the miscarriage symptoms have been taken place, you will be prescribed bed rest or sent to the hospital for a survey. The pregnancy hormone (choriogonadotropin) test will be made to find out your baby status. When the bleeding stops you will be allowed to return back to your usual activity. If the womb cervix is still open special procedure may be done to close it. If you have rhesus negative blood and your partner has positive one the doctor may prescribe you immunoglobulin. It prevents antibodies formation that may hurt your baby and any of your future pregnancy.

If a woman has more than two miscarriages repeatedly she may be prescribed blood tests, genetic tests and treatment by medications. Some diagnostic procedures for finding out the reasons of the repeated miscarriage include: endometrial biopsy (taking small amount of endometrial tissue from the womb and its microscopic examination), hysterosalpingoram (X-ray womb examination with a thin telescopic device that is placed into vagina), and laparoscopy (Surgical intervention when the doctor makes pelvic organs examination with an illuminated tool).

After the diagnostic procedures the magicians may find out the reason of your miscarriage to take into account your body specific functioning features in the next pregnancies.

Miscarriage is response of female body to unfavorable conditions of its external or internal environment. There may be one or more causes of miscarriage:

Genetic abnormalities of the embrio are the most common reason of early (in the 1st trimester) miscarriages. The abnormalities include wrong quantity or structure of chromosomes in the embrio cells leading to wrong development of the embrio. It becomes non-viable, dies and is taken away from the womb. The “wrong” chromosomes can be inherited by the embrio from the parents (who can be healthy) but seldom. More often chromosome abnormalities occur due to intrauterine growth failures. Such failures may be caused by different environmental factors, such as radiation, chemicals etc. but in most cases the reason is unknown.

Infections, especially of the genitals, are the 2nd common reason of miscarriage. Microbes cause inflammation of womb mucosa, fetal membranes, placenta that often leads to miscarriage. Chronic inflammations are particularly dangerous. Infections may cause miscarriages at any stage of pregnancy.

The age of a pregnant woman can also influence the pregnancy development. The best age for pregnancy and labor is between 20 and 35 years, the first child should be better born before 28-30 years. Too young and too old female age may be one of miscarriage reason.

Endocrine disorders in pregnant women also often lead to miscarriages. Nevertheless the modern medicine correct such states so timely diagnostics and treatment makes carriage and delivery of a healthy baby possible.

Inborn or acquired maternal anatomical abnormalities (e.g. one-horned uterus), tumors (ovarial miomas and cysts); endometrial trauma (e.g. due to repetitive abortions) etc. can cause miscarriage in the 2nd trimester.

Pregnancy complications (e.g. toxicosis, abnormal fetus position in the womb) can cause miscarriage in the 3rd trimester.

Environmental factors: exposure to chemicals or drugs, occupational hazards or smoking, drinking alcohol etc.

Physical stress, minor falling down etc. are seldom real reasons of miscarriage despite of the common opinion. They can (and often they do) induce miscarriage if there is one of the above mentioned problems. But if the maternal body is healthy and genetic program of the fetus is correct, than fall down or stress should be really enormous to cause any harm to the fetus.