Miscarriage Myths & Facts Every Patient Needs to Know
Miscarriages are very common and are rarely spoken about due to the stigma many women carry about why they happen. A miscarriage by definition is a non-viable pregnancy in the uterus and roughly 80 percent of them happen in the first trimester. Approximately 20 percent of confirmed pregnancies miscarry, mostly in the early months. Misunderstanding fuels miscarriage myths and below we highlight some misconceptions and common causes.
Myth: “I did something wrong”
Couples may place blame on themselves to explain a pregnancy loss. However, miscarriages do not occur because of physical activity, emotional vulnerability or a missed pre-natal vitamin. Miscarriages often occur early on due to chromosome problems, which leads to a nonviable pregnancy.
A women’s immune system may play a role in miscarriage. Thrombophilia or clotting disorders, hormone imbalances, and diabetes can contribute to pregnancy loss. Your provider can help screen and address these disorders through various treatments.
While some may feel that stress can contribute to miscarriage, it is the actions taken from stress that could contribute. It is important to avoid smoking, taking drugs and drinking when you are experiencing pressure – these actions could lead to pregnancy loss.
Myth: “I will never have a baby”
According to ACOG (The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) women have a 65% percent chance of conceiving and carrying a full-term pregnancy even after miscarriage.
Testing and evaluation can be done to try to find a cause if you have several pregnancy losses. Even if no cause is found, most couples will go on to have successful pregnancies.
(source – https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/early-pregnancy-loss).
The decision on when to try again is a personal choice and should be decided with the help of your health care provider. The good news is that isolated pregnancy loss in the first trimester is usually a one-time event and, if desired, women go on to have a successful pregnancy.
Myth: “Miscarriages happen to everyone”
Only 10 percent of women younger than 35 are at risk for miscarriage, and only 18 percent are at risk between the ages of 35 and 39. While the risk of miscarriage does increase the older you get, you can lower your risk by maintaining good health through nutrition and exercise.
Be kind to yourself and your partner as you go through the journey, and it often helps to speak to others who have gone through similar experiences. There are many resources available to you while experiencing the loss of a pregnancy and a few recommendations are:
From there, Uniquely Knitted has grown into a licensed non profit organization on a mission to heal the traumas of infertility and end the isolation associated with struggling to get pregnant.
About LFC: Laurel Fertility Care offers a supportive and knowledgeable team to guide you when you’re ready to pursue your dream of a family. The decision to start a family is life-changing, full of anticipation and dreams. As the premier boutique clinic in the Bay Area, we are dedicated to helping your family grow, offering a personalized care approach full of hope!