It is a complete blessing to embrace motherhood without any serious complications. But there are some women who face miscarriages and go through physical struggles and profound emotional imbalances. This devastating mishap can affect any woman to the core and it can take years to overcome it.
However, most women believe that misscarriage can happen to anyone but it is not. Women are unaware but their pregnancy can start showing early miscarriage symptoms. Thus, it is essential to be fully backed with the right and authentic information to avoid this situation or seek help at the right time.
Understand the meaning of miscarriage.
It is essential to start with the basic meaning of miscarriage and then move forward with confusing information. Miscarriage is a sudden abortion which mostly happens before the 20th week. This situation can happen when a woman’s embryo or fetus fails to survive outside the womb. The common reasons behind this could be chromosomal abnormalities, uterus or placenta issues, already existing health issues, infections, hormonal imbalances, etc.
The common types of miscarriages
It might be weird but miscarriage has different types, severity, implications, and different characteristics. Here are types of miscarriage which can help you to further understand its symptoms and much more:
- Threatened miscarriage
This can happen when women face vaginal bleeding at the early stage of pregnancy. However, at this stage, the cervix is still closed. This situation mainly points to the possibility of miscarriage.
- Incomplete miscarriage
This is a situation where miscarriage happens but some pregnancy tissues are still in the uterus. The entire situation needs medical assistance.
- Complete miscarriage
The expulsion of pregnancy tissues from the uterus declares complete miscarriage. After this, bleeding or cramping subsides fast.
- Recurrent miscarriage
When a woman faces three or more consecutive miscarriages, this indicates underlying health problems.
- Chemical pregnancy
This occurs after implantation and gets identified via blood tests. Chemical pregnancy often shows a rise and fall in the hCG levels.
- Missed miscarriage
The dead embryo situation and no expulsion of pregnancy tissue means missed miscarriage. This mostly gets detected during an ultrasound without any other possible symptoms.
- Inevitable miscarriage
During this situation, there is a vaginal bleeding and an open cervix. In other words, the miscarriage is inevitable and cannot be reversed.
- Ectopic pregnancy
A fertilized egg getting implanted mainly in a fallopian tube leads to this. It can even happen outside the uterus. Ectopic pregnancy can be deadly and calls for immediate medical help.
Common symptoms of miscarriage
A woman faces miscarriage mainly before the 20th week after getting pregnant. However, the miscarriage symptoms can be different in every situation but here are a few things to note:
- Vaginal bleeding
A light spotting or heavy bleeding is a common symptom. Also, a woman can face clots or tissue getting through the vagina.
- Fluid discharge
Facing a clear or pink fluid from the vagina can indicate miscarriage.
- Weakness and dizziness
There are women who face weakness, fainting, and even dizziness which can lead to miscarriage.
- Excruciating pain
Excruciating pain in the back or abdomen area can be problematic. It can result in miscarriage.
- Cramping or pain
Experiencing cramping or pain in the lower abdomen should be worrisome. It can result in a miscarriage. The pain can be experienced in the lower back or pelvis.
- No pregnancy symptoms
If you are facing no pregnancy symptoms like nausea, breast tenderness, frequent urination, etc. then it can be a miscarriage.
The main reasons for facing miscarriage
There are many factors that contribute to miscarriage before the 20th week. Here are some reasons for miscarriage mentioned below:
- Genetic abnormalities
- Infections
- Uneven lifestyle
- Physical trauma
- Hormonal imbalances
- Chronic health issues
- Maternal age
- Medications
- Issues with the immune system
- Structural abnormalities
- Stress
How to diagnose a miscarriage?
No wonder experiencing miscarriage symptoms should always lead you to a professional doctor. Diagnosing or confirming miscarriage at home is not possible. So, here are some ways to diagnose a miscarriage:
- Medical history or review of symptoms
The medical provider will always seek information about your medical history and the ongoing symptoms. This can involve onset, duration, any bleeding or pain, previous pregnancy, etc.
- Physical examination
A physical examination is the best way to understand the signs of miscarriage clearly. This involves a pelvic exam. Plus, the doctors see the overall condition of the cervix. If there is a cervix opening, it results in a miscarriage occurring or an already occurred miscarriage.
- Blood tests
Blood tests are effective to know the hCG levels which is a pregnancy hormone. A decrease or extremely low hCG levels can be worrisome. Also, blood tests can help detect the progesterone levels which are effective in maintaining pregnancy.
- Dilation and curettage
D&C is performed during a confirmed miscarriage. In this situation remaining tissue present in the uterus is removed. Plus, the process can help in understanding any other cause of miscarriage.
- Ultrasound scan
This is the most reliable method to detect miscarriage. Ultrasound scan ensures a heartbeat in the embryo or fetus and normal development. However, if no heartbeat is found or no development of the fetus, then a miscarriage is likely to happen.
How to avoid facing a miscarriage?
Miscarriage can break a woman emotionally and physically. However, to avoid this possibility, here are some steps to follow:
- Getting medical advice
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
- Having a healthy body weight
- Taking care of your prenatal vitamins
- Ditching unwanted stress
- Opting for genetic counseling
- Taking necessary rest
- Managing chronic health issues
Conclusion
To embrace motherhood, a woman goes through a lot mentally, emotionally, and physically. However, no woman wishes to face the disaster of miscarriage. This is why it is essential to understand it completely. The above-mentioned guide will help you understand the true meaning of miscarriage, miscarriage symptoms, and types, when to seek medical help, and the main reasons for miscarriage. Thus, being cautious and following the right ways to avoid it is necessary.
