Miscarriages
April 18, 2007
Although miscarriages are very common especially prior to 12 weeks gestation, they remain very difficult to cope with. A miscarriage is technically defined as any pregnancy lost before 20 weeks and believe it or not, it is believed that up to half of all pregnancies wind up as miscarriages. Fortunately though, the vast majority of miscarriages are not recognized because most people never knew they were pregnant in the first place and just thought their miscarriage was a “delayed” period.
After the age of 35, miscarriages tend to occur at a much higher rate because the eggs wind up having an abnormal amount of chromosomes, which basically means that since the initiation of fertilization, it unfortunately wasn’t meant to be. In a few cases, miscarriages can be caused by underlying medical problems, but most doctors will usually not investigate this issue until after the 2nd or 3rd miscarriage.
Vaginal spotting or bleeding is a common presentation of miscarriages. But don’t worry, live pregnancies are repeatedly noted even in the face of these signs. A more ominous sign would be the passage of significant amounts of clots. Whenever there is any bleeding and the mother has an Rh negative blood type, a RhoGAM injection must be given within a three of days unless the father is also Rh negative.
There are a couple tests which can be performed to determine if a miscarriage is taking place. Following hCG titers is one way of determining a healthy pregnancy or an imminent miscarriage. If a pregnancy is further along than 6 weeks, then a vaginal ultrasound can be performed to make sure the pregnancy is inside the uterus and to also determine fetal cardiac activity.
Once a miscarriage has been determined, there are different ways to allow the miscarriage to pass. Women who are under 10 weeks pregnant have a good chance of passing the miscarriage spontaneously sometimes with the help of medications. Even though the vast majority of miscarriages pass spontaneously without incident, if you feel lightheaded, weak, pale, and/or have fainted, you need to call 911 immediately as you may be going into shock.
If the miscarriage is emotionally trying or is greater than 10 weeks along, then surgical intervention like a dilation and curettage (D&C) can quickly expel the uterine contents. The procedure usually lasts about 10 minutes and can be at times done under local anesthesia if necessary.
During the second trimester, your medical provider may examine your cervix even though you are not having any uterine contractions (labor pains) or bleeding. If your cervix is shortening or opening at this time, then a cerclage may be placed to suture the cervix closed if a normal baby is determined which may prevent a premature delivery.
After a miscarriage, some people cope by attempting to get pregnant as soon as they can. Others, on the other hand, try and let time heal the wounds. If this was your first or second miscarriage, odds are in your favor that your next detectable pregnancy will end up in a live birth if you’re under 35. We encourage you to hang in there during these trying times and when you’re ready to try again, it may be wise to first consult your Ob/Gyn or RE for further recommendations.
After the age of 35, miscarriages tend to occur at a much higher rate because the eggs wind up having an abnormal amount of chromosomes, which basically means that since the initiation of fertilization, it unfortunately wasn’t meant to be. In a few cases, miscarriages can be caused by underlying medical problems, but most doctors will usually not investigate this issue until after the 2nd or 3rd miscarriage.
Vaginal spotting or bleeding is a common presentation of miscarriages. But don’t worry, live pregnancies are repeatedly noted even in the face of these signs. A more ominous sign would be the passage of significant amounts of clots. Whenever there is any bleeding and the mother has an Rh negative blood type, a RhoGAM injection must be given within a three of days unless the father is also Rh negative.
There are a couple tests which can be performed to determine if a miscarriage is taking place. Following hCG titers is one way of determining a healthy pregnancy or an imminent miscarriage. If a pregnancy is further along than 6 weeks, then a vaginal ultrasound can be performed to make sure the pregnancy is inside the uterus and to also determine fetal cardiac activity.
Once a miscarriage has been determined, there are different ways to allow the miscarriage to pass. Women who are under 10 weeks pregnant have a good chance of passing the miscarriage spontaneously sometimes with the help of medications. Even though the vast majority of miscarriages pass spontaneously without incident, if you feel lightheaded, weak, pale, and/or have fainted, you need to call 911 immediately as you may be going into shock.
If the miscarriage is emotionally trying or is greater than 10 weeks along, then surgical intervention like a dilation and curettage (D&C) can quickly expel the uterine contents. The procedure usually lasts about 10 minutes and can be at times done under local anesthesia if necessary.
During the second trimester, your medical provider may examine your cervix even though you are not having any uterine contractions (labor pains) or bleeding. If your cervix is shortening or opening at this time, then a cerclage may be placed to suture the cervix closed if a normal baby is determined which may prevent a premature delivery.
After a miscarriage, some people cope by attempting to get pregnant as soon as they can. Others, on the other hand, try and let time heal the wounds. If this was your first or second miscarriage, odds are in your favor that your next detectable pregnancy will end up in a live birth if you’re under 35. We encourage you to hang in there during these trying times and when you’re ready to try again, it may be wise to first consult your Ob/Gyn or RE for further recommendations.
