How do i miscarriage at home

A Complete Guide to Miscarriage at Home

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When you’re pregnant, there’s no shortage of happy chatter about becoming a mom, nor shortage of options for childbirth education classes. However, there’s very little that prepares us either emotionally or physically for something that remains a hushed topic, and yet which 1 in 4 women will experience: miscarriage.

In other articles, I’ll walk you through the physical and emotional nuances of miscarriage: why they occur, how to heal physically and emotionally, how to prevent recurrent miscarriage, and much more. But today I want to focus in on what happens in an early pregnancy loss – a miscarriage before 13 weeks – and how to experience a miscarriage at home: why you might want to, the options for doing so safely, and when to seek urgent medical care. This information is especially relevant right now, during this COVID-19 pandemic when staying home, and out of the hospital when possible, is ideal.

Miscarriage remains so absent from conversations, hidden and secret, that few women really understand what it is or what happens. It's also so routinely treated as a medicalized event, that most women believe that it’s a dangerous process that requires hospital treatment. So let's talk about it and bring it into the light.

The truth is that in the vast majority of cases, first trimester miscarriages can happen safely in the comfort of your home, with no complications at all. This is entirely contrary to what you might expect. Many of the numerous women I’ve guided through miscarriage at home over many decades have described their miscarriage as a sacred process that allowed a sense of emotional completion and resolution, rather than the trauma and grief so many found themselves with after a medically managed miscarriage. That's why if it’s an option that my patients are interested in, and there are no medical reasons not to, I consider home the optimal place to be.

Signs and Symptoms of Early Pregnancy Loss

Early pregnancy loss occurs in 15 to 20% of recognized pregnancies and accounts for 80% of all miscarriages. In most early pregnancy losses, fetal demise occurs around 6 or 7 weeks into the pregnancy, though the definition includes any miscarriage through 13 weeks. The most common symptoms that suggest you could be miscarrying include:

Vaginal spotting or bleeding
Low back ache
Abdominal pain, uterine cramping, or contractions

Some women also report noticing a decrease in pregnancy symptoms (for example, they no longer feel nausea or breast tenderness goes away, though this is by no means a definitive sign that you're going to miscarry). If you are having these symptoms, meet with your midwife or OB who can confirm, based on an ultrasound, whether the baby has stopped growing or if there is a heartbeat.

If you’re very early in the pregnancy, it might not be clear on ultrasound whether a fetus has formed, or whether it is still living. In this case, you may need further assessment to help put the question to rest. This might include transvaginal ultrasound, measuring blood levels of beta-HCg, and a repeated ultrasound at a near future date. It may also be necessary to rule out an ectopic pregnancy, a complication in which the fertilized egg implants and begins to grow in one of the fallopian tubes – which needs to be managed either with medications or sometimes surgery.

Sometimes, a woman doesn’t initially experience symptoms of miscarriage, and finds out she’s lost a pregnancy when a routine ultrasound shows that no fetus ever formed, that the fetus has stopped growing, or that there’s no heartbeat.

Know Your Miscarriage Options

There are 3 options for how to go about starting and completing a miscarriage:

Watchful waiting
A medication approach
Suction (uterine aspiration) or dilation and curettage (D&C)

The first two are ‘at-home’ options.

‘Watchful waiting’ means you do just that – watch and wait for miscarriage to get underway spontaneously. It's the most natural approach, but can take days or up to several weeks between when you learn that you're going to miscarry and the onset of symptoms or completion of the miscarriage. This waiting is frustrating, and for some may feel unbearable. Once it does get actively underway, however, a miscarriage is usually complete within five or six hours. Most miscarriages do not need intervention and can be managed this way. If the miscarriage doesn’t kick in on its own within a few weeks, or you get tired of waiting, one of other options will be required. If at any time, heavy bleeding, persistent pain, or any signs of infection develop, then the 3^rd option will be needed.

A medication approach involves taking either a combination of two pharmaceuticals, mifepristone (a progesterone receptor antagonist) and misoprostol (a synthetic prostaglandin), or just misoprostol alone if mifepristone isn’t available, which is sometimes the case. This option allows you greater control when you start the miscarriage process (you can choose which day you want to take the pills) and allows you to expedite and complete the miscarriage process, all of which can be done at home. In 84% of cases, the pill combination leads to a completed miscarriage in two days; if not completed in two days, 89% of the time the miscarriage will be completed within a week. If you can’t obtain the mifepristone, misoprostol alone works within two days 67% of the time and within a week 84% of the time. The medication method is considered safe to do at home through the 13^th week of gestation.

Here's how this process works:

Your medical provider will give you one 200 mg tablet of mifepristone at their office, which you can take in the office or at home.
About 24 hours later, at home, you'll insert four 200 mcg misoprostol pills preferably into your vagina (wash hands first, lay down when inserting and remain laying down for 30 minutes after; they can be inserted in any location in the vagina). About an hour before you do this, take 600 mg of ibuprofen – it can really help to buffer the misoprostol's side effects. Sometimes, if the mifepristone is unavailable, you just start with the misoprostol pills.
After 30 minutes, you can just go about your biz – even if the pills fall out it’s okay – you’ve absorbed what you need.

Overall this is a very low risk option and is also the same process for doing a safe first trimester medication abortion at home.

Common misoprostol side effects include nausea, diarrhea, or chills. These symptoms should improve a few hours after using the pills. Mifepristone can cause serious interactions with a number of medications, so discuss use with your medical provider before taking it. If there is no response to the initial dose of misoprostol, a repeat dose may be taken one week later.

Suction (uterine aspiration) or dilation and curettage (D&C) are procedures done in the hospital in which your cervix (opening to your uterus at the top of the vaginal canal) is dilated and one of a couple of methods are used to empty the uterus of the products of conception. A suction procedure or D&C is effective 100% of the time with any type of miscarriage. These methods are the go-to if miscarriage isn’t able to start or be completed spontaneously or with medications, if there is heavy bleeding or any complications, or if you just want to get on with it. In the latter case you schedule your procedure, go in and have it done, and you’re usually back at home in a matter of hours. Suction is preferable to D&C for early pregnancy loss because it's quicker to perform and there's less risk of scarring the uterine lining which can be problematic for future pregnancies. Disadvantages to either of these methods include the need for a procedure in a hospital and the risks of anesthesia.

The Most Effective Treatment May Depend on the Type of Miscarriage

How you choose to handle your miscarriage experience is largely a personal decision, though it may be dictated by medical factors (heavy bleeding, for example) or what type of miscarriage you’re having, which I discuss below.

Miscarriage isn’t a one size fits all phenomenon – there are three main types, each of which influences how long a miscarriage might take to get started spontaneously, and how effective each strategy might be. Your midwife or OB can usually tell you which type you're having, based on an ultrasound, and this can help you decide which approach you’d prefer.

Incomplete miscarriage is when the pregnancy tissue begins to pass on its own. Using the watch-and-wait option, it will pass on its own over 90% of the time, but the whole process can take weeks. With misoprostol, the tissue passes up to 84% of the time in within 2 days, and over 90% of the time within a week.

Fetal or embryonic demise is when the pregnancy has stopped growing but is not passing on its own. Using the watch-and-wait option, this type of miscarriage will pass on its own about 75% of the time, but it too, can take weeks. With misoprostol, the tissue passes close to 90% of the time within a week.

“Empty sac” (anembryonic pregnancy) is when the pregnancy stopped growing before the fetus developed. Using the watch-and-wait option, this type of miscarriage will pass on its own only 66% of the time and may take many weeks. Using misoprostol increases the rate to about 80% of the time within a week.

Many women prefer to start out with a watch and wait approach, but you can choose to switch options if things are just taking too long to get started. An herbal approach can also be considered as part of a watchful waiting approach before going to medications or a medical procedure, but should be done under the guidance of a midwife or physician skilled in herbal miscarriage support.

Empowered, Healthy Miscarriage at Home

If there are no medical reasons not to, and you choose to stay at home, here’s how to create an optimal experience for yourself. Plan for and create:

Time: During your miscarriage, you’ll want to be at home, rather than out at work or running errands, so clear your calendar for a few days, or ideally up to a week, once your miscarriage symptoms have started or on the days you plan to take the induction medications.

Support: I recommend you create a bit of a cozy nest at home. Go about your life as if you had a weekend to yourself to lounge, watch movies, or read a favorite book. In other words, pamper yourself.

Also, have your partner or a close friend with you so you have the support you might need physically and emotionally, but also a watchful eye should problems arise that require you to get quick medical care.

Nourishment: Stay well hydrated, and have light, healthy foods on hand that you enjoy and will help you to stay nourished. Eating lightly is also important if you’re using medications to get the miscarriage going, or if you need to take pain medication – otherwise you’ll get an upset stomach. Sip red raspberry leaf (RRL) tea which many women use to encourage healthy contractions and uterine tone in labor. Steep 4 TBS. of dried RRL and 2 tsp. dried peppermint leaves in a quart of boiling water for 1 hour or use 4 RRL tea bags instead. Strain and drink up to a quart daily for a few days.

Comfort: As cramps or contractions become more intense:

A hot water bottle on your lower back or lower abdomen can be comforting and pain relieving.
Have somebody massage your feet or your lower back, especially applying firm pressure to the area over your sacrum.
Use deep breathing techniques and visualize them emptying your womb, your womb contracting down, and a healing light around your uterus. This is very similar to effective hypnobirthing techniques.
Take warm showers and let the water crash onto your lower back.
If needed, use pain relieving herbs like CBD, cramp bark, and ginger, or take ibuprofen (i.e., Motrin or Advil) 600 mg every 8 hours (take with food to avoid nausea).
Sip relaxing herbal tea like lavender, chamomile, or lemon balm.
As uncomfortable as this may feel physically – and emotionally – try to remember that your body knows how to do this. Understanding the process and what to expect can help put your mind at ease and give you some ‘reference points’ for the experience.

Creating Sacred Space for Miscarriage Healing

Miscarriage brings a wide array of emotions. There’s no one right way to feel during or after. You may feel anywhere from grief to relief, depending on your unique hopes and goals at this moment in your life. It’s important to know deep inside yourself that there’s nothing you did wrong, from that glass or wine to those ambivalent feelings you may have had, to cause the pregnancy loss and that there’s absolutely nothing to feel embarrassed about. Over the years, I’ve learned that when we allow time for and create sacred space around our women’s life cycle experiences, our brains, hearts, and psyches integrate these with less trauma – we can experience the loss, yes, but with this also a powerful sense of completion and even inner peace. Also, if we open up to our sisters – the women in our lives who honor and love us through our experiences – the joyous and painful ones alike – we can share our loss and grief with those who will help us carry it, and we open up a conversation about pregnancy loss that is waiting to be had by so many women.

How can you create sacred space around miscarriage:

Treat the experience as if it was a birth – have candles, music, twinkle lights, sip tea, rock your hips through the cramps, and if you have a partner, engage her/him/them in the process.
Have a burial ceremony if in fact there was a fetus (or even if not, because you may feel you’re losing hopes or dreams right now). Commemorate the burial place with a special stone, feather, or herbal offering.
Write a letter to yourself or journal about your experience.
Mark the date on the calendar so in a year you can honor the passage of time.

Of course, if this is a more private experience, or one you feel more ‘matter of fact’ about – you may not wish to share the experience, or you may wish to just have it be ‘another day’ and move on. Again, no right or wrong – just what feels good to you.

Miscarriage-at-Home: What Happens and How It Feels

A miscarriage entails a combination of uterine cramping, which forces the uterus to empty out what’s inside of it, and bleeding as the contents of your uterus is shed. The cramping is typically like a very painful period or slightly worse, and the bleeding may be like a heavy period, or considerably more, which can all still be entirely normal. I’ll explain when it’s not later in the article.

If you’re taking a watch and wait approach, miscarriage symptoms may build up for several days or even weeks before the miscarriage kicks in full on, with cramping and spotting occurring intermittently during this time, ultimately building in intensity to the actual last hours when your uterus empties itself out. The actual final stages of miscarriage, with regular cramping and heavier bleeding, usually takes place within a few couple of hours, or up to about five hours. Initially, there is light to moderate bleeding and cramping, both of which become increasingly heavy and are eventually accompanied by the passage of some solid tissue through the vagina. Sometimes a miscarriage will begin with a fury – heavy cramping and bleeding right from the beginning, and happen in a matter of five or six hours from start to finish.

If you’ve taken misoprostol, the cramps usually start 2-4 hours after you insert the pills in your vagina and may last 3-5 hours. Bleeding may be heavy, but as long as you’re not soaking through menstrual pads as described under When to Seek Medical Care below, heavy bleeding is expected and is not risky. It means the pills are doing their job.

What to Expect Later in the First Trimester

The further along the pregnancy is, the heavier the bleeding and cramping will be, and you may notice that you are passing tissue along with blood and clots. If the miscarriage is occurring very early in pregnancy, the tissue may simply look like clots; after about 8-weeks gestation, and a fetus had formed, fetal tissue may be apparent in the form of a very small rudimentary placenta and a small sac that looks a bit like a thin grape skin. Passing visible fetal tissue can be very emotionally demanding – so it’s something to be aware of that many providers don’t warn you about in advance. Sometimes you will see material that looks like wet toilet paper covered in more or less blood coming from the cervix if it is being examined, or the vagina – this is part of the membranes. Saving the tissue that comes out to show to a midwife or doc can be really helpful in determining if everything has cleared out of the uterus, and in case tissue samples are needed for chromosomal testing. You can put a sieve in the toilet to catch this tissue as it comes out, or if need be, someone can retrieve it from the bowl.

What If the Miscarriage Doesn’t Start or I’m Not Completing It?

If a few weeks go by on the watchful waiting plan, you can always go back to your clinician’s office and opt for the medication or suction or D&C option. If you’re taking the medications and they don’t kick in, talk with your clinician about doing another round of the medications. If this doesn’t work the second time, or you’re just tired of waiting, you can choose the suction or D&C option.

A Midwife's Herbal Approach

In my midwifery practice, I’ve often used herbs to initiate contractions in cases where a woman is getting tired of watchful waiting but wants to try something natural before going onto medication options. A protocol from my textbook, Botanical Medicines for Women’s Health, is:

Mix the following amounts of tinctures in a 2 oz. amber glass bottle with a dropper top.

Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) 20 ml
Black cohosh (Actaea racemoa) 15 ml
Motherwort (Leonorus cardiaca) 10 ml
Cramp bark (Viburnum opulus) 5 ml
Total 50 ml

Instructions: Beginning in the morning take 3 mL (about ½ tsp.) of the above tincture combination every 4 hours to stimulate uterine contractions. If no contractions ensue, repeat the next day. Contractions usually begin after the first 24 hours, but it may take as long as 48 hours. The process can be repeated for a third day; if I ever have to do this, I usually allow a one-day break between the second and third days of using the protocol. Wait for the miscarriage symptoms to begin. If they do not, you can move onto the medication option.

Additional supportive herbs once the miscarriage begins:

Strong yarrow infusion can be kept on hand and taken in cupful doses for 30 minutes as long as the woman is stable and blood loss is within the 2 pads/30 minute or 2 pads/hour for 2 consecutive hours rule.
Sip a tea of dried basil or of cinnamon throughout the miscarriage to promote contractions and prevent excessive bleeding. Steep 1 tsp. of either herb in 1 cup of boiling water (cover while steeping) for ten minutes. Strain and sweeten lightly with honey. Dose 2 cups/day.
Sip a calming cup of tea made with chamomile and lavender blossoms (1 tsp. total of dried herbs to 1 cup boiling water, steeped covered for ten minutes, strain and sweeten lightly with honey.

What to Look Out For & When to Seek Medical Care

Most women who allow nature to take its course and who receive support through the process will miscarry with no complications. But miscarriage should not be taken lightly – it does carry risks of hemorrhage and infection.

Here’s what to look out for and when you need to get immediate medical care:

You’re bleeding heavily enough to soak two maxi pads per hour for two hours in a row.
You have a fever over 101°F (38.3° C) if you did a watchful waiting approach, or over 102°F (38.3° C) if you did a medication approach (a slight fever of 102°F or less is a common side-effect of misoprostol use).
You start to feel very unwell at any time, or have lower abdominal pain after the cramping is done.

In this case, a D&C or suction procedure and antibiotics may be necessary to fully complete the miscarriage and prevent or treat infection. If at any time in the few weeks after the miscarriage you develop heavy bleeding, are passing large clots (larger than a quarter), have abdominal pain, fever, or bad smelling vaginal discharge, you could have retained tissue or an infection, and need prompt medical attention.

After Your Miscarriage

Once the miscarriage is completed, the cramping will completely subside, however vaginal bleeding typically lasts as long as 1-2 weeks after, much like a moderate or heavy period, getting lighter over time. It may even start and stop a few times over those couple of weeks. During the first few days after your miscarriage you may also pass a few small clots. This is all normal. Get plenty of rest, eat nourishing foods such as hearty soups and stews, and drink plenty of fluids. Change your menstrual pad every couple of hours to avoid infection from bacteria in the pad. A follow-up visit to your medical provider is recommended within two weeks of the medication approach to confirm that the miscarriage is complete – meaning everything has been passed from your uterus.

When Can I Try Again?

Most women will ask when they can try to become pregnant again – believe it or not, if they want to, they can try as soon as they feel like it – and for unknown reasons, fertility is actually increased in the month after a miscarriage. Make sure to take a prenatal vitamin, especially one with 400 to 1000 mcg of methylfolate. Having a miscarriage does not affect future fertility so the woman can be reassured of this as well.

I hope this article has helped you to feel more knowledge and empowered. Please share it with the women in your life, so we can heal the stigma, and increase support, tools, and understanding. It’s really time that we change this culture of fear and shame around miscarriage, and honor our experience as part of the spectrum of what can be both painful and powerful experiences as women, that we can support each other through.

References

Am Fam Physician. 2011 Jul 1;84(1):75-82.

Am Fam Physician. 2011 Jul 1;84(1):85-86.

Romm, A. Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health. 2010, Elsevier

10 Effective Tips To Induce Miscarriage (or) Spontaneous Abortion

Sometimes the idea of being a mother and taking care of a child is quite hard to handle, especially if you are a young mother having an unexpected pregnancy. You may have financial difficulties or abortion might be illegal in your country. Your family might not support the practice or maybe you just want to keep the entire procedure private and devoid of controversy. Here is when inducing a miscarriage becomes an option to consider.

There are many ways to induce a miscarriage with safe and natural methods. These methods have been used for generations, from times when medical practices were still underdeveloped. Whatever the case, the decision lies with you and you alone. To give you a little support, we will discuss what the options for a young mother wanting a safe, natural miscarriage are- its advantages and its complications as well.

Let us first learn exactly what the term means.

What is Natural Miscarriage?

When you lose the foetus inside your womb within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, it is called a miscarriage or a spontaneous abortion. It is different from an abortion where you undergo medical methods to terminate your pregnancy. 20% of all pregnancies have chances of a miscarriage, and 80% of such miscarriages happen before 12 weeks of pregnancy.

If you have an unexpected pregnancy, you may want to know what the natural miscarriage methods you can employ at home are. Here we will discuss a few natural remedies for you to undergo a miscarriage at home, without the intervention of a doctor or a medical procedure.

10 Natural Ways to Induce Miscarriage

Don’t go by what’s randomly on the internet. Many methods you find there can be wrong or dangerous for you. Here are 10 ways for causing a miscarriage naturally and more importantly, safely –

1. Vitamin C

This is actually one of the most popular ways to induce your period faster than its due date. Vitamin C helps to promote oestrogen levels, a female hormone which is responsible for inducing menstruation. As the level of Vitamin C increases in your body, uterine contractions start and your periods begin, effectively inducing a miscarriage. You should ideally take vitamin C every hour but take care not to consume more than 6000mg per day, as it might cause other negative side effects that can be dangerous to your health! A common side effect of this method is bloating but it isn’t something to be worried about.

2. Cinnamon

Cinnamon has properties which makes it a natural substance that causes a miscarriage and also, is helpful in stopping the pain associated with the act. When taken in the right amounts, it stimulates the uterine wall. However, if you cook it in food and then have it, it loses its properties which help induce the miscarriage. Usually, cinnamon supplements work better than naturally occurring cinnamon in this regard, as they are stronger.

3. Blue and Black Cohosh

These are two herbs that are used commonly in India to induce a miscarriage. They are cheap and grown in poor areas. Their terrible taste usually does the trick. On eating them, they first prepare your cervix to expel whatever is in the uterus. Following that, they help produce increased oxytocin, which speeds up contractions inside your body.

Although these herbs are one of the most effective and safest home remedies for a miscarriage, taking them in high amounts can cause dangerous side effects to your body. So it is best to consult a health expert or a trusted doctor to recommend what is the correct dosage for you in order to undergo a harmless miscarriage.

4. Dong Quai

This herb is often used to reduce menstrual pain or help with reproductive issues. However, it is also a substance which can boost your uterus and increase the strength of contractions, making it an excellent home remedy for a natural miscarriage. You can either take it in tea with boiling water, or use dong quai supplements, or even take it in combination with other herbs like blue or black cohosh.

But, as mentioned earlier, although such herbs are safe when taken in regulated amounts, remember never to overdo it with the dosage as it may cause medical complications. Always consult a doctor or physician before making use of it!

5. Parsley

This is also a good ingredient if you want a natural and harmless method to induce a miscarriage, as it has a high content of vitamin C. All you have to do is steep a small bunch of parsley in a cup of boiling water and drink the parsley tea 2-3 times on a daily basis. You can also prepare a bunch of sprigs and put it directly into your vaginal cavity.

6. Sepia and Sabina

Sabina and sepia are both homoeopathic herbal remedies that can induce a harmless natural miscarriage by helping in removing the tissues left behind during an incomplete miscarriage. However, a word of caution is that although these herbs are very effective, they do cause a fair amount of pain, so make sure you are not doing any kind of activity while taking them. It is a good idea to consult a herbalist or doctor prior to taking them too.

7. Pomegranate

The pomegranate fruit has seeds which contain a high amount of uterine contraction stimulating substances. Taking it during the early period of pregnancy will increase your chances of having a naturally induced miscarriage.

8. Green Papaya

Green papaya contains enzymes and pus which can cause contractions and miscarriages. Drinking green papaya juice can thus naturally induce a miscarriage and is one of the more common methods to do so.

9. Cheese

Eating cheese is another method to induce a natural miscarriage at home, as they have compounds which contain miscarriage-causing bacteria. You can choose from a wide variety of cheeses like camembert cheese, feta cheese, and other Mexican cheeses.

10. Intense Exercise

Usually, during pregnancy, the body is in a fragile state and your uterus is just getting used to keeping the foetus is a healthy state. In such a time, putting your body through excess strain is not recommended by doctors as it will cause one to miscarry.

Intense exercise, rigorous workouts and heavy lifting are therefore natural ways to induce a miscarriage. However, it is better to do it according to a proper workout regime as improper exercise can lead to harming your own body.

There are other ways to induce a natural miscarriage without any invasive procedures as well, such as yoga, acupuncture, caffeine, cupping, and so on but the ten ways above are the most commonly used remedies.

Complications Associated with Abortion and Miscarriage

Natural miscarriages are, as you can see, quite straightforward and simple. They can be induced by a variety of home remedies which are safe and easily procurable. The downside is that sometimes there is pain involved which you will have to bear.

Now that you know the pros of natural miscarriages, it is always best to know the cons as well. We will see below what complications can arise (and in many cases, do arise) during a natural miscarriage or abortion:

1.

Pre-existing Medical Conditions

If you already have a medical condition at the time of your miscarriage, like diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure or complications affecting vital organs like your heart, kidneys and lungs, then you may end up suffering from serious side effects. It is very important to consult a doctor if you have a medical condition, before trying to self-induce a miscarriage.

2. Medication

Likewise, if you are choosing to take herbs to induce a miscarriage and are also taking medication for some pre-existing medical condition, make sure to check whether the herbs can counteract with the medication. If so, then it is better to abstain from that method.

3. Herbs and Supplements

High amounts or dosage of any herb can be fatal to your body as toxicity levels can rise extremely high. Always consult your doctor regarding the dosage of herb to take before using it to induce a natural miscarriage.

4. Foetal Tissue

Sometimes, some tissue can still remain in the uterus following a miscarriage. If it comes out naturally, there is nothing to be worried about. If it remains in the body, however, then it may pose a serious health risk and therefore, has to be removed by a medical professional.

5. Late-stage Miscarriage

A miscarriage gets riskier and riskier as the pregnancy continues into a later stage. If you are past your first trimester, it is best to consult with a doctor as proceeding to do a miscarriage by yourself will put your safety at risk.

After a natural miscarriage at home, there are certain precautions you have to take and certain warnings to watch out for:

Go to a doctor to be a hundred percent sure you’ve had a complete miscarriage and the entire foetal tissue has been expelled out of your body.

Heavy bleeding is not a good sign. If after your miscarriage, you experience heavy bleeding accompanied by fever, aches, pain or a foul-smelling vaginal discharge, visit the emergency room.

Avoid activities like swimming and intercourse for a few weeks after a successful natural miscarriage. You can start once after the bleeding has completely stopped.

It is always important to involve a doctor if you are trying to induce a miscarriage as this is the only way you will know you are using the safest and most reliable method. A medical abortion is for all practical purposes the best choice, but many women everywhere induce natural miscarriages for their own reasons and privacy. If you are deciding to take this step, then hopefully this article can give you all the information for a safe and healthy natural miscarriage.

Also Read:

Foods That Can Cause Miscarriage in Early Pregnancy
Symptoms and Treatment of Incomplete Miscarriage
Natural Home Remedies for Abortion

Self-administered medical abortion versus provider-led medical abortion (review)

Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods ►

Survey Question

The purpose of this review was to compare whether self-administered abortion medication without the supervision of a healthcare professional can be as effective and safe as taking these medications in the presence of trained healthcare professionals. nine0003

Relevance

Medical abortion to terminate pregnancy has been shown to be successful and safe when women have access to the necessary information and resources. In a provider-led medical abortion, medications are taken in the presence of trained health professionals. Medical abortion drugs became more widely available, allowing women to self-administer the drugs and giving them more control over the abortion procedure. In a self-administered medical abortion, the woman takes the drug(s) without the supervision of a healthcare professional after receiving the necessary information and resources. This is the first review of published evidence on whether self-administration of medical abortion drugs is a safe and successful way to terminate a pregnancy. We compared the success and safety of self-administered medical abortion versus provider-led medical abortion. nine0003

Study profile

We included 18 studies (two randomized controlled trials and 16 prospective cohort studies) involving 11,043 women who had medical abortion in early pregnancy (before nine weeks of pregnancy) in 10 countries. These studies compared self-administered medical abortion with provider-led medical abortion. In both cases, the abortion was performed after the initial visit to the clinic. Most of the studies (16) were conducted in low- or moderate-resource settings, and two studies were conducted in high-resource settings. The evidence described in this review comes from studies published up to 10 July 2019.of the year.

Main results

In both low-to-moderate and high-resource settings, women self-administering medical abortion drugs in early pregnancy (before nine weeks of pregnancy) had abortion success rates similar to those seen in women undergoing an abortion procedure under the guidance of a medical professional. The evidence for safety is uncertain. nine0003

Quality of evidence

The evidence for the success of self-administered medical abortion versus provider-led medical abortion was moderate (moderate) certainty, due to low certainty in studies. The evidence for the safety of these interventions was very weak due to the low degree of certainty in the studies.

Translation notes:

Translation: Saturday Svetlana Anatolyevna. Editing: Yudina Ekaterina Viktorovna. Russian translation project coordination: Cochrane Russia - Cochrane Russia, Cochrane Geographic Group Associated to Cochrane Nordic. For questions related to this translation, please contact us at: [email protected]

Online for abortion: how women in different parts of the world circumvent bans

June 7, 2018

Image copyright Getty Images

Worldwide searches for "abortion pills" have doubled in the past decade, a BBC study found. In countries where laws more severely restrict - or outright ban - abortion, there are several times more such requests.

Whether buying pills online or sharing advice with each other through WhatsApp groups, women are increasingly using new technology to circumvent government restrictions. nine0003

In the digital age, clandestine or "home" abortions now begin at the screen of a home computer or smartphone.

Signed to the church: how abortions are not allowed in the Belgorod region

misoprostol more than 10 times more likely than more liberal countries, an analysis by the BBC's 100 Women project found. The search query study included queries in multiple languages, not just English, and covered information from Google over the past five years. nine0003

There are two main methods of artificial termination of pregnancy: surgical and medical. Medication is that you must first take one pill, a few hours later - another, and their combination causes bleeding and miscarriage.

How and where in the world are abortions banned? But where abortion is severely restricted (from neighboring Ireland to Iran and beyond), by typing in names and buying them online, women are breaking the law and risking criminal prosecution. nine0003
- "Silent Revolution": Irish people voted to legalize abortion
- Abortion in Poland: "Black Monday" and female power
According to Google data, two countries are the leaders in searching for misoprostol online: Ghana and Nigeria.

In Ghana, abortions are only allowed if the pregnancy is the result of rape, incest, if it endangers the woman's mental health, or if the fetus is damaged.

In Nigeria, the law is stricter: abortion is only allowed to save a woman's life. nine0003
Of the 25 countries with the highest interest in searching for misoprostol on the Internet, 11 are in Africa and 14 in Latin America. In almost all of these 25 states - with the exception of Zambia and Mozambique - abortion is completely prohibited or allowed only in case of a threat to the life and health of a woman.
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In Ireland, taking abortion pills is punishable by 14 years in prison. However, as a result of a referendum held in May, the law will change - but for now that it works.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who himself supported the liberalization of legislation, said that the tough bans will be lifted by the end of this year.

The BBC recently reported on a WhatsApp group operating in Brazil where women get pills and share advice and experiences.
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Juliana (not her real name) was one such woman who sought help on WhatsApp. “I did the procedure alone at home, in a WhatsApp chat I wrote the time when I would start,” said the 28-year-old Brazilian.

"The other women in the group were willing to help, share information, discuss doubts and fears. It gave me some strength. It's good to know you're not alone," says Juliana. nine0003
Google's Internet search data shows not only in which countries interest in this topic is the highest, but also the frequency with which specific words or phrases are driven into the search bar.

"Abortion pills" is the most popular request in all countries covered by the study. "How to induce a miscarriage" is asked in 2/3 of the countries. Questions about the specific use and dosage of misoprostol come in third.

But in addition to medicines, women also search the Internet for alternative methods by typing the words "parsley", "cinnamon", "vitamin C", "aspirin" and "decoction" in combination with the phrase "interruption". nine0003
In half the countries, the top search term for abortion was "home remedies for abortion." Physicians have previously studied the "folk remedies" traditionally used by sub-Saharan herbalists and concluded that some herbs do have effects on the uterus, but controlling dosages and dangerous side effects in such conditions is almost impossible.

None of the "folk methods" is considered safe by the standards of the World Health Organization. nine0003
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Image caption,
Abortion is high on the political agenda in Argentina, with both supporters and opponents of the ban taking to the streets

According to WHO, out of 55 million abortions worldwide every year, almost half - about 25 million - are produced by methods unsafe for women.

Even misoprostol, although generally considered safe, carries a risk of complications when used alone without medical supervision. nine0003
"Even if the drug is absolutely perfect and you do everything according to the instructions, there is still a failure rate," says Dammika Perera, global director of medicine at the Mary Stopes Foundation (an organization that promotes women's reproductive choice).

Buying a pill online or getting it from someone without medical qualifications increases a woman's risk of a failed abortion, he says. And they are often afraid to seek medical help after an interruption: "Fear of shame, money, geographic inaccessibility - all this makes women hesitate and refuse to see a doctor, which increases health risks." nine0003
"Things are improving, but progress is slow," says Perera. "Globally, there are some steps back, in the US, for example, but I remain optimistic."

Arezu, a law student, told the BBC her story. Arezu lives in Iran. She recently got pregnant by her boyfriend, whom they have been dating for five years. According to her, they were always protected.

"I went to all the gynecological clinics and offices that I saw in the city. Doctors examined me, and as soon as they heard that I was not married and that I needed to have an abortion, they immediately refused," says Arezu. nine0003
She forged a document claiming to be divorced and persuaded a doctor to help her.

"He sold me eight pills for a fortune. But they had no effect."

Then the woman went on the Internet and came across the website of a charitable organization that sends abortion drugs to women in countries where the procedure for obtaining them is limited. There she received information and moral support.

In the end, the pills bought from the doctor worked and caused severe bleeding, but the termination of the pregnancy was not complete. A week later, Arez had to be rushed to a private medical clinic - her sister was with her. "I lied to them, said that my husband was in France, and my documents were locked somewhere in a safe, and I urgently needed an abortion with qualified help." nine0003
The clinic staff did not want to see the patient. Arezu calls it a miracle that they still put her in the hospital and took her word for it.

"I lied as best I could, and in the end they took me in and after half an hour they had a vacuum aspiration procedure.
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