A miscarriage is one of the most gut-wrenching experiences a woman can go through in her life. One moment you’re there, expecting a baby and perhaps finally fulfilling your dream of raising a family with your partner, and in the next moment, it’s all gone. It’s a far more common story than most people realise, as 1 in 5 women experience a miscarriage at some point in their lives.
If you or someone you know has recently experienced a miscarriage, the first thing to know is this: It is not your fault. A lot of miscarriages happen because of factors that are simply outside your control, and more importantly, it is not the end of your conception journey.
What happened was tragic, and you have every right to feel the way you do, but this isn’t the end. So if it helps, read on as we explore why miscarriages happen, and more importantly, why you must not give up hope on your dream of having a baby.
What causes a miscarriage?
Chromosomal abnormalities
When the embryo has the wrong number or structure of chromosomes, it can lead to an early loss of pregnancy, typically in the first trimester. The reason is that our chromosomes carry genetic information, and if something goes wrong during fertilisation, the embryo may have difficulty developing properly. In such a situation, doctors consider the miscarriage as the body’s natural way of stopping an unviable pregnancy. What’s more important to note is that this chromosomal error is completely random and unpredictable. It is not something you play a hand in, and it can happen to just about any woman out there.
Insufficient progesterone
Progesterone is an important hormone that supports the early development of the pregnancy tissue. It is also what helps thicken the uterine lining and create a stable environment for the embryo to grow. If its levels are low, the lining may not be able to support the pregnancy well, which, unfortunately, can lead to a miscarriage.
Issues with uterine lining thickness
Extending on the previous point, your uterine lining is affected by a number of things – hormonal balance, past surgeries, and underlying medical conditions. If any of these things cause the lining to be too thin, the implantation itself may fail, or the pregnancy may not continue. Thankfully, this is easy to predict with the help of hormone testing and detailed ultrasound scans – so at the very least, you don’t have to feel that the miscarriage happened out of nowhere.
Underlying health conditions
There are a few chronic conditions that tremendously increase the risk of miscarriage in women. Poorly managed diabetes, autoimmune conditions like lupus, kidney disease, and thyroid disorders such as hyperthyroidism can all interfere with healthy pregnancy development. The key point here is that these conditions pose a problem only when they are not well controlled. With a bit of management using appropriate medicines and lifestyle changes, many women with such conditions can have completely healthy pregnancies.
Paternal age
With cases of miscarriage, people often focus on the mother and her circumstances, but paternal age plays a massive role in this problem. As men get older, sperm quality starts to take a hit, which, in turn, can increase the likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities.
Immune conditions
In some cases, our immune system can also react in strange ways that affect implantation or early pregnancy. To counter this, doctors rely on reproductive immunology to see if your hormone system is contributing to recurrent miscarriages in some way.
Speaking of recurrent miscarriages, if you’ve been experiencing them and there is no plausible cause for them, you should get yourself assessed at a good fertility clinic in London as soon as you can. These fertility-focused clinics are well-equipped to uncover underlying causes, investigating via blood tests, genetic screening, uterine imaging, and immune evaluations tailored to your history. If anyone can help you at present, it’s clinics like these.
Factors that increase the risk of miscarriage
High maternal age
The idea here is that older women will have a harder time carrying their pregnancies to term due to declining egg quality. Not to mention, women in their late 30s and early 40s will have to wrestle with chromosomal abnormalities as well. That said, many women in this age group go on to have successful, healthy pregnancies. There is a risk attached to it, of course, but the possibility isn’t completely gone yet, especially when you factor in assisted reproductive treatments.
Previous miscarriages
While having two or more previous miscarriages increases the risk of another, you must note that your chances of having a healthy are still high, provided you combine that with proper investigation and support. Recurrent miscarriages can be heartbreaking, but they do not mark an end to all hope.
Lifestyle factor
Smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs – if you use any of these things, consider stopping for the time being, as all of them tremendously increase your miscarriage risk. Even caffeine, when taken in excess, has been linked to higher rates of miscarriages. So if you’re trying to conceive, reduce or put all of these things on hold to improve your chances.
Harmful exposures
Exposure to certain toxins and chemicals, whether at home or in the workplace, can also increase your miscarriage risk – this can include heavy metals, radiation, or industrial chemicals. If you suspect any such things to be a factor in your miscarriage, be sure to let your doctor know before trying to conceive again. If you’re located somewhere where exposure to such substances is higher than what’s considered safe, consider moving somewhere else for the time being if possible.
How to cope with a miscarriage?
After something as difficult as a miscarriage, it is natural that you’d play the days leading up to it over and over again with a lot of questions. You’d ask yourself if something went wrong, if you did something that caused what happened. You’d find yourself searching desperately for a cause, but chances are that you’d only come up empty-handed. That’s because you’re not at fault here. Pregnancies are very delicate in nature, and even a minuscule error – something not even in your control- can lead to a miscarriage. While it is natural to put the blame on yourself or your circumstances, it is misplaced and not right.
After a miscarriage, what you need is kindness towards yourself as you heal from this event. Some days things might look up, but on other days, you may feel the grief and blame returning. This is normal and part of moving on. While you’ll be able to return to normal life within a few weeks, allow yourself some time for emotional recovery. Seek support if you need it. Talk to your partner. Talk to your friends. Spark with a counsellor if that feels helpful. Just don’t carry your feelings and burden by yourself.
Why you must not give up hope
You may not wish to hear this, but statistically speaking, you have a higher chance of having a healthy pregnancy again after a miscarriage than not. Even if it’s a recurrent miscarriage, the odds of success exceed any chance for failure.
Plus, don’t forget that fertility medicine and treatments have come a long way in the last couple of decades. From hormonal support, genetic testing, uterine imaging, immune therapy, IVFs, to personalised treatment plans, there are a lot of things to help you raise a baby without any troubles.
While yes, the miscarriage may feel like the end of the world right now, this is not the end of your story. It is a painful chapter, yes, but it will not harm your chances of becoming a parent. If that helps you move forward, then hold on to these feelings and ready yourself for another try.
