Miscarriage/Recurrent Miscarriage

Miscarriage is a serious issue faced by women, especially during their pregnancy. They take all necessary precautions during the pregnancy to avoid even the minimal chances of miscarriage. Some women even face recurrent miscarriages, which makes pregnancy a traumatic experience. Read this article to learn more about this troubling issue faced by women and what the remedies are.

What is recurrent miscarriage?

Miscarriage is not a pleasant experience and causes trauma among women during pregnancy. Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is defined as the loss of pregnancy in less than 20 weeks of gestation. Miscarriage has been identified by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) as the most common form of pregnancy loss among women. It is estimated that 26% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, and 80% of pregnancy loss occurs in the first trimester. The chance of miscarriage decreases after 12 weeks of gestation. Miscarriage occurs naturally, unlike abortion, which includes medical intervention (but may occur naturally at times).

What are the different types of miscarriages?

Several types of miscarriage occur at different stages of pregnancy.

• Early miscarriage: This occurs when there is a pregnancy loss in the first trimester, i.e., in the first 3 months. It is the most common type of miscarriage.
• Late miscarriage: This is when there is pregnancy loss after the first trimester, i.e., after 12 weeks but before 24 weeks. Late miscarriages occur in 1–2% of cases of pregnancy loss.
• Stillbirth: This is the loss of pregnancy after 24 weeks. It happens in 0.5% of cases.

Other types of miscarriages include:

• Threatened miscarriage: This is when your body shows signs of a possible miscarriage, such as light vaginal bleeding or pain in the lower abdomen.
• Inevitable miscarriage: This occurs after a threatened miscarriage and sometimes without any warning. It is accompanied by heavy vaginal bleeding and strong cramps in your lower stomach. The developing foetus gets discharged with the blood.
• Complete miscarriage: This is when all the pregnancy tissue has been discharged from your uterus with blood. Vaginal bleeding continues for several days, accompanied by strong cramps.
• Missed miscarriage: When the foetus dies but stays in the uterus. You might have a brownish discharge during this phase.
• Recurrent miscarriage: This is when a woman has had repeated miscarriages. In this case, you should consult a doctor.

What are the symptoms of miscarriage? 

There can be a lot of visible symptoms of miscarriage, which are:

• You can notice a sort of spotting in the vagina along with vaginal bleeding. Pain mostly in the lower back along with cramps is also faced by women in this case.
• You also experience abdominal bloating and pain in the shoulders in the second trimester.
• A blood clot is seen, followed by a pinkish material, with or without cramps.

These symptoms, along with fluid coming out of the vagina that has a bad smell, can be seen. An unusual feeling of uneasiness or illness or an odd taste in the mouth can be experienced too.

What are the causes of miscarriage?

There can be several reasons why you can have a miscarriage:

• Chromosomal problems: This can happen at the point of conception when the foetus either receives too many or not enough chromosomes. This leads to the abnormal development of the foetus, leading to a miscarriage.
• Placenta problems: If there is a problem with the development of the placenta, it can lead to a miscarriage.
• Chronic health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism can increase the risk of miscarriage.
• Infections like syphilis, gonorrhoea, HIV, and bacterial vaginosis increase the chances of miscarriage.
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that results in larger ovaries and causes hormonal changes in the ovaries. This leads to infertility as it prevents the release of an egg from the ovary. If you have PCOS, there is a risk of miscarriage.

When should you see a doctor for recurrent miscarriage?

In most cases of miscarriages, recovery takes only a few hours to a couple of days. If you are experiencing heavy blood flow even after a few days or have a fever or constant abdominal pain, you should visit a doctor in such cases.

What are the different treatment options for miscarriage?

If you miscarry at home, then

• Use pads to manage vaginal bleeding.
• Take medicines to reduce pain.
• Rest as much as possible.
• Call your doctor. 
• There is also a surgical treatment called dilatation and curettage (D&C) if you have heavy bleeding, significant pain, or any sign of infection.

Conclusion 

Now that you know the various types, symptoms, causes, and risk factors involving miscarriage, you must aim to reduce the risk factors and lead a healthy lifestyle to prevent the minimum chances of miscarriage. If you are facing recurrent miscarriages, I hope that this article has made you aware of the treatment for miscarriages.

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