Pregnancy brings happiness to women. However, it can also be filled with worry if they have previously suffered from a miscarriage. It is usual for them to feel a range of emotions after a pregnancy loss. However, there is no need to be unduly anxious as most women who experience a miscarriage will have a healthy baby.
This blog is a comprehensive understanding of miscarriage, its causes, the chances of recurrent miscarriages, and the steps women can take to lower their chances of miscarriage and increase their odds of conceiving again.
What are the causes of a miscarriage?
A miscarriage is the loss of the baby before women enter the 20th week of pregnancy. The majority of miscarriages happen when the fetus is not developing as expected. In about 50 per cent of the cases, problems with the baby’s chromosomes are responsible for early pregnancy loss. Most of these chromosome problems are caused accidentally when the embryo divides and grows, although it becomes more common as women age. Sometimes health conditions, including poorly controlled diabetes or a uterine problem, can cause miscarriage. However, the cause of miscarriage is often unknown.
In about 8 to 20 per cent of cases, the confirmed pregnancies end in miscarriage. The number of actual miscarriages is likely higher since many women miscarry before they are even aware of their pregnancy.
What are the chances of another miscarriage?
Most women who miscarry have healthy pregnancies after one miscarriage, although a small number of women, about 1 per cent, will suffer miscarriages repeatedly.
The predicted risk of miscarriage in a future pregnancy after women suffer from one miscarriage is about 20 per cent. The risk of another miscarriage after back-to-back miscarriages increases to about 28 per cent, and the risk of another miscarriage after three or more consecutive miscarriages is about 43 per cent.
When is the best time for women to get pregnant after a miscarriage?
Miscarriage may cause intense feelings of loss in women. In addition, they can also experience sadness, anxiety, or guilt. They must take time to grieve and not rush the process.
Sex is not suggested for two weeks after a miscarriage to prevent an infection. Women can ovulate and become pregnant as early as two weeks after they suffer a miscarriage. They can ask the doctor for guidance once they feel emotionally and physically ready for pregnancy. Women need not wait to conceive after they have suffered one miscarriage.
What happens when women miscarry again?
Women must see the doctor when they experience recurrent pregnancy loss. While up to 75 per cent of repeated miscarriages can be due to an unknown cause, some health conditions can put women at greater risk of pregnancy loss. When the grounds of miscarriage are determined, the treatment for the underlying cause can help women get and stay pregnant. Specific tests can help. They include:
- Blood tests – doctors evaluate a sample of the woman’s blood to detect problems with hormones or the immune system.
- Genetic tests (karyotyping) – doctors look for genetic variations in either partner that can affect chromosomes at the time of conception.
- Ultrasound (transvaginal or abdominal) – an ultrasound examines the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. They can detect uterine problems, including fibroids within the uterine cavity.
- Hysterosalpingogram is an X-ray procedure that doctors use to examine the inside of the uterus and fallopian tubes.
- Sonohysterogram is a procedure that examines the inside of the uterus. It is safe as it does not use radiation and is painless because it uses sound waves to produce images.
- Hysteroscopy – The doctor inserts a thin instrument known as a hysteroscope through the woman’s cervix into their uterus to diagnose and treat identified intrauterine problems
- Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that doctors perform to examine the pelvic organs.
Suppose doctors cannot detect the cause of the miscarriages; women must not lose hope since most of them who experience repeated miscarriages are likely to have healthy pregnancies eventually.
