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What Is A Miscarriage?
According to American Heritage Dictionary, a miscarriage is: The premature expulsion of a nonviable fetus from the uterus. Also called spontaneous abortion. The medical community used to refer to a miscarriage as the loss of a pregnancy (a baby) before week 28, but now thanks to modern technology, a baby born at 20 weeks has a chance of survival. In order for a spontaneous abortion to occur, it has to be before 20 weeks because a miscarriage is defined as the loss of life of a nonviable fetus (a child that cannot survive without its mother's body). If a woman miscarries after week 20, the baby is now considered to be a still birth. For more information on miscarriages, the signs and symptoms, and what to do in the event of one, we suggest How Common Are Miscarriages?Unfortunately the actual statistic does not exist. This is because most women who miscarry never even knew they were pregnant (they show no miscarriage symptoms)! Typically miscarriages happen well before week 20, typically in the first few weeks of life. Sometimes a woman will have a period that comes a few days late, but because she never took a pregnancy test, never realized that she was pregnant, and therefore had no idea she was bleeding because of a miscarriage, not a period. This is a terribly sad and disturbing fact and it makes you wonder...A rough estimate is that approximately 30-50% of all fertilized eggs (implanted) results in a miscarriage. However, another 15% of fertilized eggs never get implanted and the baby dies before an expected period (giving the mother no way of ever knowing she was pregnant), making the total about 45-65% of all fertilized eggs (pregnancies). This is a shockingly sad reality that most people don't even know about. According to Jonathan Scher, M.D., 1 in 300 couples suffer three or more miscarriages back to back. In his book "Preventing Miscarriage, The Good News" He states that about 200,000 women suffer 2 consecutive miscarriages, and about 80,000 couples suffer three back to back miscarriages each year in the U.S. These numbers may seem a little high, but advanced maternal age is a documented cause of miscarriage, and the number of women putting off having babies until after a career, waiting until they are in their 30's before trying for a family, is increasing drastically, as is in vitro fertilization. Miscarriage SymptomsThe signs of a miscarriage include: * Cramping* Bleeding * Loss of "feeling pregnant" Although in the beginning of a pregnancy it is normal for a woman to feel crampy as her uterus begins to expand, severe cramping, or cramping on just one side is not normal, and may be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy which is potentially life threatening.Bleeding is also relatively normal in the early days of a pregnancy. Many women experience implantation bleeding, which is about 10-12 days after conception. Implantation bleeding is just spotting, and not severe. Only 20% of all pregnant women will experience bleeding at some point in their pregnancy. Of those 20%, half will result in the baby's death, while the other 50% will go on to have a healthy, full term baby. The last miscarriage symptom listed is loss of "feeling pregnant". Some women say they just woke up one morning and didn't feel pregnant any more. Either their hormones seemed different, or their breasts weren't as tender, or maybe just instinct, but some women will just know something is wrong. And if you fall into any of these 3 categories, you should call your doctor immediately. What Should I Do If I Suspect I Am Having A Miscarriage?The first thing you should do is to lay down. Prop up your feet and try to relax. (If you are however in pain, you should call your doctor and seek medical attention immediately.) Laying down in some circumstances can prevent a miscarriage. Some women, who have had recurrent miscarriages may be instructed to be on strict bed rest, until they are past the 12 week mark, and in the second trimester.If you have begun bleeding and know you are pregnant, it is suggested that you try and gather up the "clot-like" material to take to the doctor or hospital with you, for testing. The grayish colored clot is usually the sac and baby, while the red colored clots are the lining of the uterus (like in a period). If you have passed your baby and the sac, you have had a total and complete miscarriage, and will not have to be scraped or a D&C (dilation and curettage). Having the clots with you to show to your doctor will make analyzing your situation a lot easier, and may give them insight as to why this has happened. What Can I Expect At The Hospital?Again, as long as you are not in pain, you will most likely have blood work drawn, an internal pelvic exam performed, and an ultrasound done to see if the baby is still inside of you (and if so where), and to see if everything else looks normal. The ultrasound is generally internal and external, because the baby is so small at this point, that it is hard to see with just an external machine.
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