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An obstetrician-gynecologist at the SM-Clinic Center for Reproductive Health spoke about whether it is possible not to notice a miscarriage

Unfortunately, the loss of a child at an early stage of pregnancy is quite common. After the first miscarriage, a woman lives in constant fear and is afraid that the second attempt to become a mother will turn into a tragedy.

“A miscarriage is the spontaneous termination of a pregnancy before the fetus reaches a viable term. A fetus weighing up to 500 g is considered viable, which corresponds to a period of less than 22 weeks of pregnancy. Many women face this diagnosis. About 80 percent of miscarriages occur before 12 weeks of pregnancy.” nine0007

Causes of miscarriage

Approximately half of early miscarriages occur due to genetic pathologies in the development of the fetus, that is, from defects in the number and composition of chromosomes. It is in the first weeks that the formation of the baby's organs begins, which requires 23 normal chromosomes from each of the future parents. When at least one abnormal changes occur, there is a risk of losing a child.

At 8–11 weeks, the rate of such miscarriages is 41–50 percent, at 16–19 weeksweeks of pregnancy, the frequency of miscarriages caused by chromosomal defects drops to 10 to 20 percent.

There are other causes of miscarriage. Among them:

• Congenital and acquired disorders of the anatomy of the genital organs
If there are fibroids, polyps in the uterus, this can cause abnormal development of the embryo. The threat of miscarriage may be in women with an abnormal development of the uterus.
• Infectious causes
Numerous studies have shown that the risk of miscarriage increases in the presence of sexually transmitted infections. Dangerous for a pregnant woman are measles, rubella, cytomegalovirus, as well as diseases that occur with an increase in body temperature. Intoxication of the body often leads to the loss of a child.
• Endocrine causes
Problems with gestation occur with diabetes, thyroid diseases, disorders of the adrenal glands.
• Unfavorable ecology, exposure
• Blood clotting disorder (thrombosis, antiphospholipid syndrome)
APS (antiphospholipid syndrome) is a disease in which the human body produces a lot of antibodies to phospholipids, the chemical structures that make up parts of cells. The body mistakenly perceives its own phospholipids as foreign and begins to defend itself against them: it produces antibodies to them that damage blood components. Blood clotting increases, microthrombi appear in small vessels that feed the fetal egg and placenta. Blood circulation in the fetal egg is disturbed. As a result, the pregnancy stops or the growth of the fetus slows down. Both of these lead to miscarriage. All this is due to the hormonal background that has changed during pregnancy. nine0018 Lifestyle and bad habits Nicotine addiction, alcohol use, obesity.

Is it possible not to notice a miscarriage

Sometimes women mistake a miscarriage for normal menstruation. This occurs during the so-called biochemical pregnancy, when there is a violation of the implantation of the embryo at a very early stage and menstruation begins. But before the appearance of spotting, the test will show two strips.

The classic variant is when a miscarriage is manifested by bleeding against the background of a long delay in menstruation, which rarely stops on its own. Therefore, even if a woman does not follow the menstrual cycle, the signs of an interrupted pregnancy will be immediately noticed by the doctor during examination and ultrasound. nine0007

Alarm

The symptoms of a miscarriage can be completely different, and depending on them, as a rule, it is possible to predict the likelihood of maintaining and successfully continuing this pregnancy.

For the threat of miscarriage is characterized by pulling pains in the lower abdomen and lumbar region, scanty bloody discharge from the genital tract. Ultrasound signs: the tone of the uterus is increased, the cervix is ​​not shortened and closed, the body of the uterus corresponds to the gestational age, the fetal heartbeat is recorded. nine0003

Started miscarriage - pain and discharge from the genital tract are more pronounced, the cervix is ​​ajar.

Miscarriage in progress - cramping pain in the lower abdomen, copious bloody discharge from the genital tract. On examination, as a rule, the uterus does not correspond to the gestational age, the cervix is ​​open, the elements of the fetal egg are in the cervix or in the vagina.

Incomplete miscarriage - the pregnancy was interrupted, but there are delayed elements of the fetal egg in the uterine cavity. This is manifested by ongoing bleeding due to the lack of a full contraction of the uterus. nine0003

Non-progressive pregnancy - the death of an embryo (up to 9 weeks) or a fetus up to 22 weeks of gestation in the absence of any signs of termination of pregnancy.

Important!
Severe abdominal pain and spotting at any stage of pregnancy is a reason for an urgent appeal to an obstetrician-gynecologist with a solution to the issue of hospitalization in a gynecological hospital.

Is it possible to avoid miscarriage

“Today, there are no methods for preventing miscarriages,” the doctor says. “Therefore, it is very important to comprehensively prepare for pregnancy before it occurs by visiting an obstetrician-gynecologist and following all the necessary recommendations for examination and taking the necessary drugs.”

But if, nevertheless, the pregnancy could not be maintained, then the birth of a child can be planned again no earlier than 3-6 months after the miscarriage. This time is needed to figure out, together with the attending physician, what are the causes of miscarriage and whether it is possible to avoid them in the future. nine0003

By the way, a common misconception for both women and men is that only the woman is to blame for the loss of pregnancy, but this is far from being the case.

“A man is also responsible, which is why future dads are required to perform a study - a spermogram and be tested for genital infections, since with a pathology of spermatozoa, the likelihood of miscarriage due to genetic abnormalities increases many times,” emphasizes our expert.

There is always a chance

Most women whose first pregnancy ends in a miscarriage, when examined before pregnancy and the causes are eliminated, have a high chance of a successful next pregnancy (about 85 percent). “A woman who has lost a child needs the support of her family and friends. Sometimes words are unnecessary, just be there. Duty phrases from the series “You will definitely give birth”, “It was just an embryo” hurt very much. The best consolation is to advise you to see a doctor,” says Natalia Kalinina. nine0003

Published on the portal wday.ru

Miscarriage. What to do after a miscarriage?

When a woman finds out about her pregnancy, she changes her rhythm of life, especially if the pregnancy is desired. However, depending on many circumstances, miscarriage may occur, that is, a natural termination of pregnancy. Statistics say that up to 20 percent of pregnancies end in pathological abortions. Often a woman may not know that she was pregnant, as a miscarriage sometimes occurs at a very early stage and seems to be just a normal delay in menstruation followed by heavy discharge. nine0003

If a woman finds out that she is pregnant and wants to become a mother, she should be very attentive to her condition. The threat of miscarriage often occurs in the early stages of pregnancy and therefore it is necessary to know what symptoms and signs precede a sudden miscarriage.

Signs

The main sign of a suspected miscarriage is bleeding from the uterus. They happen not abundant, pale scarlet or gray-brown. The discharge most often gradually increases and is characterized by sudden spasms or pulling pains in the lower abdomen. These symptoms may last for some time. nine0003

The pains are often so weak that the woman simply does not pay attention to them. They are able to be interrupted, and the woman simply forgets about them, especially if the discharge also stopped, and before that they were insignificant. Meanwhile, the very first symptoms should alert you and you should urgently go to the gynecologist for examination and consultation. Even if the process has stopped, after a few days you can feel a sharp deterioration in health, and then you can no longer save the life of the unborn child. Be sure to pay attention to what exactly comes out with the discharge, if there are tissue fragments, it means that miscarriage has already occurred. Therefore, one should not hesitate to go to the doctor, the fetus may come out, in whole or in parts, there may be white particles or a round gray bubble. When the body is completely cleansed, the pain will subside, but before that it may continue for some time.

Terms of miscarriage

A miscarriage is classified as early if it occurred before twelve weeks from the onset of pregnancy. Starting from the 22nd week, if a spontaneous miscarriage has occurred, it is considered late. If the termination of pregnancy occurred before thirty-seven weeks, then this is already called premature birth. All subsequent fetal rejections are called term births and are generally considered normal, since during this period, mostly able-to-survive children are born. In modern medicine, children born after 22 weeks are nursed and subsequently do not differ from those born at term with normal weight. nine0003

Types of miscarriages

Specialists have identified several types of miscarriages.

1. Complete or unavoidable - characterized by pain in the lower back and dilatation of the cervix, hemorrhages from it. The fetal membrane necessarily bursts, and the pregnancy is terminated. The fetus comes out of the uterus, and all discomfort in the form of pain and bleeding stops.
2. Miscarriage is different in that the fetus died, but remained in the mother's body. This can be detected by a doctor when examining a woman and when listening to the fetal heartbeat. nine0023
3. Repeated miscarriage is rare, it occurs only some time after the first and can occur up to three times in a row in the early stages.

Causes of spontaneous abortion

The vast majority of women, having learned about their pregnancy, want to give birth to a healthy baby. And if a spontaneous miscarriage occurs, then for a failed mother this is a real tragedy. Many, having experienced an abortion, try to conceive a child faster again, but first you need to know the reasons for what happened in order to save the fetus in the future. According to statistics, the largest number of miscarriages occurs precisely in the early stages. nine0003

There are several reasons for this:

1. Violations in genetics.

This is the most common cause of miscarriage. This is not due to heredity, it is a consequence of the mutation of parent germ cells, which accidentally ended up in unfavorable conditions. This is also the influence of radiation, poisoning, viruses, that is, temporary situations that affected the quality of germ cells. The body thus gets rid of a weak non-viable fetus. It is impossible and unnecessary to prevent such spontaneous abortion. It is only necessary, having decided to become pregnant, to try to cleanse your body of possible harmful influences. nine0003

2. Hormonal disorders

The cause of a miscarriage at a very early stage also lies in the lack of the hormone progesterone, or in the fact that a woman has an excess of male sex hormones that suppress the production of estrogen and progesterone in her body. In this case, the fetus can be saved medically by administering the necessary medicines to the woman. The work of the adrenal glands, as well as the thyroid gland, affects the production of hormones, so a lot depends on the work of these glands throughout the pregnancy process. nine0003

3. Immunological causes .

In this case, the vitality of the fetus is directly affected by the Rh conflict. The embryo will inherit the positive Rh of the man, and if the partner has a negative Rh, then her body simply rejects cells that are foreign to him. A similar situation can be prevented by injecting the expectant mother with a variety of progesterone, a process called immunomodulation.

Sexually transmitted infections such as toxoplasmosis, syphilis, trichomoniasis, chlamydia and others are of great danger. External infection: bacteria and viruses infect the fetal membranes, and the body will inevitably reject the embryo. Therefore, before becoming pregnant, you should be examined to know for sure that there are no infections, and if the result is positive, undergo treatment. nine0003

In addition, all inflammatory processes, various diseases of the internal organs, which are accompanied by a persistent high temperature, can also lead to unexpected rejection of the fetus. Rubella is especially dangerous, and viral hepatitis is common. But even a sore throat, mild pneumonia, appendicitis sometimes play a key role and lead to a miscarriage, so the expectant mother must undergo a thorough examination even before the child is conceived, and then beware of all kinds of infections and weakening of the body. nine0003

4. Medical abortion.

If a woman had an abortion in a hospital and then became pregnant and decided to give birth, there is a risk that she will have a miscarriage. Abortion is a stress factor for the body, ovarian dysfunction is often observed, inflammatory processes in the female genital organs can begin, and all this will lead, at best, to miscarriage and subsequent repeated miscarriages, and at worst, to infertility. Therefore, you need to think very seriously before going for an abortion. nine0003

5. Medicines and certain herbs.

Pregnant women should not take any medication at all, especially during the first three calendar months. Medicines and herbs can cause various defects in the fetus, which in turn will lead to its rejection. Analgesics and uncontrolled hormonal contraceptives are especially dangerous. Parsley and nettle should be eaten with caution - they cause a high tone of the uterus, which in turn can reject the fetus. nine0003

6. Stress.

It is no coincidence that in ancient times pregnant women were protected from unrest, they were created comfortable conditions, and they tried to give as many positive emotions as possible. Now the direct dependence of the health of the unborn baby on the mental state during pregnancy has already been proven. Any stress, fear and overstrain can cause an unexpected termination of pregnancy. If you have a problem (death of a loved one, divorce, etc.), you need to find sedatives with the help of a doctor, they will help you cope with this period. nine0003

7. Unhealthy lifestyle.

Of course, the intake of alcoholic beverages, the wrong lifestyle, smoking, even the use of coffee in large quantities, improper diet - all this can lead to a transient miscarriage. Therefore, the expectant mother should prioritize and change her rhythm of life in advance in order to give birth to a healthy child.

8. Sexual intercourse, falling, heavy lifting.
nine0176

All of these factors can affect the fetus, so you should protect yourself and your baby by avoiding these activities.

What to do after a miscarriage?

Having experienced the tragedy of losing a child, parents often intend to immediately conceive a new baby, but they are afraid that everything will happen again. In this case, you do not need to make independent decisions, but consult a doctor. And first of all, it is necessary to identify the cause that led to the miscarriage. For this, the expectant mother needs to undergo as thorough an examination as possible. nine0003

If no obvious cause is found, the fetus most likely has a chromosomal abnormality. In this case, you should not worry, since the next conception will occur with a different set of chromosomes, which means that there will be no repeated miscarriage. If the miscarriage was repeated, it is necessary to contact a geneticist and conduct a study of the set of chromosomes of both parents. If it turns out that the cause was an infection, then it is necessary to fully recover. If we are talking about sexual infections, then both parents need to undergo therapy. It is necessary to take tests for hormonal studies, hemostasis systems and determine the immune status. nine0003

After a miscarriage, should be treated, if necessary, and pause between conceptions. During pregnancy, you should not take medications to prevent re-spontaneous pathological termination of pregnancy. Therefore, you can become pregnant only after the end of the course of treatment. If the cause was hormonal abnormalities, then the expectant mother should take special drugs to stabilize the background, and at this time she should never become pregnant. During the pause, you need to choose contraceptives with the help of a doctor. You can go to a specialized clinic where you will be prescribed a full course of rehabilitation. nine0003

The first week after a miscarriage women often experience pain in the lower abdomen, heavy bleeding, so you should refrain from sexual intercourse with a man. If there is severe bleeding, acute pain in the lower abdomen, convulsions, high fever, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, then you should immediately consult a doctor to identify the cause of this condition. It is necessary to plan a subsequent pregnancy not earlier than three months after this situation, but preferably six months later. Until that time, it is worth reconsidering your outlook on life, giving up hard work, eating right and wisely, taking vitamins, exercising, losing weight if you are overweight, stop smoking, drinking alcohol, think over your daily routine. nine0003

It is very important during this recovery period to have a positive attitude and confidence that the next attempt will be successful. This is harder to do than to say, because after a miscarriage the woman is in a depressed state and is afraid of a repetition of the situation. You can’t get hung up on your problem, during this period it’s better to do some favorite thing, relax, change the situation, travel, visit the city more often. The modern ecological situation in cities has a bad effect on women's health, so private trips to nature, a trip to the sea, to friends in another city can distract from painful thoughts. An important role in this case is played by the woman's relatives and, above all, the husband, who can surround her with care and attention, creating peace of mind. nine0003

You may need to contact a counseling psychologist or psychotherapist. Yoga classes, self-education, visiting theaters, exhibitions and temples have a very beneficial effect on the psyche of a woman and help to distract from her problems. Helping others who have a difficult life situation, caring for the sick can also have a beneficial psychological effect and help you look at your problems from the outside.

Remember, the human body is a self-healing system, it just needs a little help.

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