Being able to conceive a baby perhaps is one of the blessings for couples hoping to establish a family unit. However, with pregnancy come a variety of factors that could sometimes complicate the process. Leaving some if not many parents in face of the harsh reality of losing a baby during pregnancy.
While pregnancy loss is defined differently around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that a baby who dies before 28 weeks of pregnancy is referred to as a miscarriage and a baby who dies at or after 28 weeks is a stillbirth.
Although it is more common for miscarriages to be the cause of child loss during pregnancy. Stillbirth account for a whopping 2.6 million pregnancy loss around the world. However, despite the frequency of its occurrence, they remain a topic that is shunned. Sometimes even among the support system of these grieving individuals.
If any, the time is now to break the silence around losing a baby. Not just for grieving parents but also for those around them.
Miscarriage impact on the body
A miscarriage is the term used to describe the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks of gestation. Miscarriage happens when a pregnancy stops growing.
Eventually, the pregnant tissue will depart from the body. Vaginal bleeding usually happens, and some women will have crampy, period-like pain.
Within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, 75 to 80 percent of spontaneous miscarriages occur. On average, miscarriages occur in one out of every four pregnancies. Many miscarriages are unreported or untreated because they occur so early in the pregnancy.
What causes a miscarriage
Usually, a miscarriage occurs when the pregnancy is not developing appropriately. The procedure of creating a baby from a male and a female cell is really difficult.
If something goes wrong throughout the process, the pregnancy will stop developing. Miscarriages are more frequent in older women than in younger women because genetic abnormalities become more common with age.
Another factor contributing to miscarriage could be that the developing pregnancy was not sufficiently implanted in the uterine lining (womb). The unviable pregnancy is naturally expelled by the uterus as a defense mechanism.
Symptoms of miscarriage
Signs and symptoms of a miscarriage include:
- modest bleeding that becomes massive bleeding
- stinging cramps
- abdominal pain
- weakness
- severe or escalating back pain
- shedding pounds
- rosy-white mucus
- contractions
- tissue moving from your vagina that resembles blood clots
- fewer signs of pregnancy
- any of these symptoms, together with fever
If you see any of these symptoms, give your doctor a call straight away. You will be told whether to go to the emergency room or the doctor's office.
Types of Miscarriage
Miscarriages come in a variety of forms, including:
1. Missed abortion
When a pregnancy fails despite no bleeding or other symptoms, it is said to have been missed. The unborn child may occasionally stay in the uterus for weeks or even months before bleeding starts.
When pregnancy signs vanish and the uterus stops expanding, a missed abortion is thought to have occurred. An ultrasound examination is used to diagnose it.
2. Blighted Ovum
When a pregnancy sac forms but there is no growing child inside, the ovum is said to be blighted. After some bleeding, ultrasonography is typically used to detect this.
3. Ectopic Pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy is when the growing embryo implants in the fallopian tubes rather than the uterus. It accounts for one to two percent of all pregnancies, and if left untreated, an ectopic pregnancy can have a negative influence on your health and fertility.
Miscarriage after effects
Bleeding and minor discomfort are usual miscarriage after effects. If you are bleeding a lot, have pain, a fever, or chills, call your doctor straight once. These might point to an infection.
Along with the physical miscarriage side effects, you could also feel a range of emotions, including despondency, regret, loss, and worry of upcoming pregnancies. You ought to feel the way you do. Don't be afraid to cry.
Talk to your partner, a friend, or a member of your family who is supportive of you when you feel ready.
Another choice is to speak to a qualified mental health counselor. Support groups for women who have lost their babies may be helpful to you and your partner.
Miscarriage side effects on the body
Due to the shifting hormones it creates, a miscarriage can have a variety of effects on your body. Both during and after a miscarriage, you could encounter several symptoms.
Among the most typical warning signs and symptoms of miscarriage are:
- bleeding and spotting in the vagina
- back or abdominal pain
- removal of tissue or clots
- loss of nausea and other pregnancy symptoms
- stomach aches
Because of these feelings, your body is actually going through very early labor. A few weeks after the miscarriage, your body will start to mend. You may experience some of the following signs and symptoms during this initial stage of recovery:
- Slight or faint bleeding
- Fatigue
- Stomach pain
- Breast discomfort or breast growth
Your hormones may be in flux following a miscarriage and take a few weeks to return to normal. Ovulation can occur in as little as two weeks, and the menstrual cycle often returns to normal in four to six weeks.
Miscarriage effects on mother: Pregnancy after a miscarriage
After a miscarriage, you can become pregnant once more. At least 85% of women who have one go on to experience healthy pregnancies and births.
Miscarriage does not indicate that you have a reproductive system issue. On the other side, between 1% and 2% of women may experience repeated miscarriages (three or more).
If you've lost two pregnancies in a row, you should stop attempting to conceive, use birth control, and request testing from your doctor so they can determine what's wrong.
Discuss the specifics of your planned pregnancy with your doctor. You should wait anything between one menstrual cycle and three months before trying again, according to some doctors.
In order to encourage early pregnancy and help the embryo implant in your uterus and prevent more miscarriages, the doctor may suggest progesterone medication.
How do you prevent miscarriages?
Pregnancy-related problems are the main cause of miscarriages. They are unstoppable. If your doctor does tests and finds a problem, there might be treatment choices.
Your chances of getting pregnant can rise if you get any ailments treated. Getting as healthy as you can before trying to conceive is one thing you can do:
- Regularly move about.
- Eat a wholesome, well-balanced diet.
- maintain a healthy weight.
- Prevent getting sick.
- Steer clear of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal substances.
- Limit your caffeine consumption.
READ MORE:
Important to know during pregnancy: Can perfume cause miscarriage?
What causes miscarriage and how much at risk is a pregnant woman in
Losing a baby during pregnancy: Why we need to talk about it
1. Pregnancy loss is far more common than we think
It is said that most miscarriages occur during the first 7 weeks of pregnancy. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, miscarriages account for 15 to 20 percent of recognized pregnancies (or one in five pregnancies).That's not considering half of all the fertilized eggs which die and are lost, usually even before a woman discovers that she is pregnant. Stillbirths, on the other hand, could happen later in pregnancy, with one in two stillbirths occurring during labor. The silver lining, however, is that many of these deaths are preventable.
With the shocking statistics presented to us, it is clear that a large number of pregnancies may not see the light. And this is the reason why they talk about losing a baby becoming increasingly important so that these many women (or parents) don't have to suffer in silence.
2. Grieving parents blame themselves more than you think...
Whether it is losing their baby through miscarriage or stillbirth, parents often experience feelings of shame, embarrassment, and an overwhelming sense of blame that they have let those around them down—or even perhaps their unborn baby too.However, there are many reasons that cause such as fetal abnormalities, the mother's age, infections, and lifestyle that could have contributed to the loss, where even medical professionals have difficulty pinpointing the exact cause. As such, grieving parents choose not to discuss the loss because they are worried about how others might perceive them and that they did something to cause this. This leads to them struggling on their own as they deal with the confusion of their loss.
3. ...and that is linked to a culture of silence
When the support system of these grieving parents choose not to talk about the issue or grief—or worse—respond negatively to the news of baby loss, it compounds their feelings of stress and dejection. "As with other health issues such as mental health, around which there is tremendous taboo still, many women report that no matter their culture, education or upbringing, their friends and family do not want to talk about their loss," according to WHO. When these individuals avoid talking about grief, it is akin to telling the parents that it is not okay for them to feel the way they are feeling. Thus, perpetuating the problem even further.4. Some want to talk about it, but don't know how or what or say
On the contrary, as far as some parents do not wish to talk about their loss of losing a baby during pregnancy, some still recognise their baby internally.It just takes that little sensitivity and empathy for loved ones and friends to help these parents feel like they have a safe space and outlet for their thoughts and emotions. The first step is to acknowledge how grieving parents might be feeling. There could be instances when an individual tries to say something thoughtful out of his or her own discomfort but ends up causing more hurt and stress to the parents. One way to tackle this is to say or ask a simple question: "I'm sorry for your loss. How are you thinking about your baby?" And this extends to medical professionals who also play an important role in helping parents cope with their loss healthily. Apart from providing a listening ear to parents, healthcare staff can provide support by giving parents clear information and directing them to any specific support, such as a counselor or psychologist.
5. Mental health at stake
Many women (or parents) who have lost their baby during pregnancy can go on to develop mental health issues. Which could last for months to even years. And this does not change even after they subsequently give birth to healthy babies. It is said that bereaved parents who have unexpectedly lost their children face an increased risk of developing a number of mental disorders, especially affective disorders like clinical depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety.For grieving mothers, the likelihood of them being hospitalized for these affective disorders. It's almost twice that of mothers who do not experience the death of a child. According to Dr Olsen, chairman of epidemiology at the UCLA School of Public Health. He further explains that mothers "face the greatest risk during the first year after the child dies. But remained significantly elevated five years or more after the death". "We also found a dose-effect - mothers who lose more than one child, have a greater risk," he adds. And beyond that, even after losing a baby. There are plans to go about it while still being respectful to the dead baby. While the policies of hospitals differ. Some of these babies are treated as clinical waste. When removed from the mother and flopped onto a tray. It is a distressing experience for parents. By openly discussing these issues and available options. Only will grieving parents be able to kickstart the healing process and get the relief they need. And it all starts with one person at a time to break the silence about grief and the loss of the baby.
Updates by Margaux Dolores
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