It is important to realize that miscarriage is a natural process and cannot be caused by something you did or didn’t do. About 20 percent of women who conceive will lose their pregnancy in a miscarriage. There is no reason why you will not be able to have a baby the next time you try.
What is a miscarriage (abortion)?
A miscarriage is the spontaneous ending of a pregnancy before the 5th month (20th week) of pregnancy. The medical term for miscarriage is spontaneous abortion.
Most miscarriages occur during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. Many occur within the first 10 weeks. Some women miscarry even before they know they are pregnant.
What are the symptoms of a miscarriage?
Possible symptoms include:
- Bleeding which can range from a few drops of blood to a heavy flow. The bleeding may start with no warning or there may be a brownish discharge first.
- Cramping pain in the lower abdomen
- A gush of fluid from the vagina without bleeding or pain. This may mean that the membranes have ruptured.
- Some clot like tissue may pass out of the vagina. Try to keep this material so the doctor can examine it.
It is possible that you may have minimal or no bleeding and pain, but the foetus has died and symptoms of early pregnancy disappear. The diagnosis is made with an ultrasound examination. This condition is called a missed abortion.
I am 24 years old. I got married 8 months ago. My husband and I were so happy when we found out I was pregnant. I miscarried in the second month. We both are very upset. How did this happen?
It is often difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of a miscarriage. However, most miscarriages are caused by problems that occur during fertilisation – when the sperm and the egg fuse to form an embryo. The commonest cause of a miscarriage is an abnormal number of chromosomes- either too many or too few. Often the baby (also called a foetus) does not develop at all, or may develop abnormally. In such cases, miscarriage is the body’s way of ending a pregnancy that is not developing normally.
To give you an example, if we plant seeds in the ground, all seeds do not sprout into a healthy plant. It is nature’s way of making sure that a weak or abnormal plant does not grow. Similarly, miscarriage is nature’s way of preventing an abnormal pregnancy from continuing.
I am pregnant for the second time. In my first pregnancy, I miscarried in the third month. I had fallen once in the bathroom before the miscarriage. My mother-in-law told me I was careless and the fall caused the miscarriage. How do I prevent a miscarriage this time?
Please tell your mother-in-law to back off and not blame you for the miscarriage. A fall can hardly be blamed for a miscarriage. The baby is well protected within the uterus. It was just a coincidence that you fell a few days before the miscarriage. It is a human tendency to connect the dots and create a cause and effect phenomenon!
I am 31 years old. I have just confirmed my pregnancy. My mother and husband want me to quit my job because I have to travel 1 hour each way. Will traveling such a long distance cause me to miscarry?
Traveling to work or working long hours will not cause a miscarriage. Please do not give up your job (and your independence!). Sitting at home will only make you put on unnecessary weight (because of lack of activity and overeating) and bore you to tears.
Traveling by two-wheeler, auto, bus or car does not cause a miscarriage. Many husbands are worried that the potholes on the roads will cause a miscarriage. This is just a misconception.
I am 37 years old. I am pregnant for the first time. When I found out I was pregnant my doctor told me that I have to be at complete bed rest because of my age and that I should avoid sex. I am a very active person and I find complete bed rest very difficult. Can usual activity cause a miscarriage at my age?
There is absolutely no reason for complete bed rest for you. The rate of miscarriage does increase with age but we know that bed rest does not prevent a miscarriage. Complete bed rest also has other bad effects like making your muscles weak and it may also lead to dangerous blood clots in your legs.
As I am fond of telling my patients, if the pregnancy is normal, it will continue even if you jump up and down. On the other hand, if the pregnancy is abnormal, you will miscarry even if you lie completely still in bed for weeks.
In addition, there is no evidence that emotional stress or sexual activity causes miscarriage in a normal pregnancy.
Over the years, medical research has clearly proven that there is no need for hormonal tablets or injections in case of a threatened abortion. The ovary and the placenta produce all the hormones required to keep your pregnancy safe.