How to Lower Miscarriage Risk: Useful Tips You Need to Know

Women go through various health conditions before and after pregnancy that make them vulnerable to many unfortunate events that hinder their journey to motherhood. Budding mothers fear many things during their pregnancy, and miscarriage is the most prevalent and not mostly talked about. Moreover, 15% of pregnancies lead to miscarriage for mostly unknown reasons. Miscarriages usually occur during the initial days or weeks of conception. As long as you are following a healthy regime, the chances of miscarriage get really less.

In this article, we will shed some light on the causes that lead to miscarriage and how you can avoid miscarriage.

What is Miscarriage?

A spontaneous abortion or miscarriage happens when a pregnancy has an unexpected and unpredicted end in the first 20 weeks of gestation. Miscarriage doesn't state that you did something wrong during the pregnancy, as most miscarriages happen without any specific reason or when the foetus stops growing.

Types of Miscarriage

You may get diagnosed with either of the following types of miscarriages-

Complete Miscarriage- You would experience bleeding and pass fetal tissue through your uterus, and nothing remains in the uterus. Your health expert will confirm this only after an ultrasound.

Missed Miscarriage- You may not realise that you have experienced a miscarriage. There will be no specific symptoms of miscarriage, but an ultrasound will confirm that foetus has no heartbeat.

Inevitable Miscarriage- You will experience cramping, and your cervix will dilate. You may also leak amniotic fluid, leading to a complete miscarriage.

Threatened Miscarriage- Your cervix will not dilate, but there will be bleeding and pelvic cramping. In this case, pregnancy continues with no issues, but you must be under constant observation for the rest of the pregnancy.

Recurrent Miscarriage- Three consecutive miscarriages are called recurrent miscarriages affecting about 1% of couples.

Miscarriage Symptoms

You may experience symptoms while getting a miscarriage. Some common symptoms are-

• Bleeding progressing from light to heavy while passing blood clots or greyish tissue.
• Abdominal pain and cramps (usually more painful than menstrual cramps)
• Lower backache ranging from mild to severe
• No symptoms of pregnancy

If you see anything alarming, contact your healthcare provider for further investigation.

Causes of Miscarriage

50% of miscarriages are caused due to chromosomal abnormalities in the first trimester of pregnancy. Chromosomes are found inside the cells of your body carrying your genes. Genes control all the attributes of a person, such as eye colour, hair, blood type and sex.

Two sets of chromosomes combine when the egg and sperm meet during fertilisation. The foetus will have an unusual number if your egg or sperm has fewer or more chromosomes than usual. Such abnormalities usually lead to a miscarriage.

Such chromosomal issues happen unknowingly, and the cause is not completely known, but there are a few factors that may cause a miscarriage-

• Age
• Infection anywhere in the body
• Exposure to toxoplasmosis, others (syphilis, hepatitis B), rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex
• Hormonal imbalance
• Uterine abnormalities
• Improper cervix (starts opening too early during pregnancy)
• Lupus (a disorder of the immune system)
• Unhealthy lifestyle (drinking alcohol, smoking or consuming recreational drugs)
• Kidney or congenital heart disease
• Extreme diabetes
• Thyroid
• Radiation
• Extreme malnutrition
• Medicines such as Accutane

Although no evidence proves stress, exercise, prolonged use of birth control pills, or sexual activity leads to miscarriage, you still need to limit these potential causes. Whatever the reason for your miscarriage, one should never feel disheartened about it. Most miscarriages have nothing to do with anything wrong or right you have done.

>> Also Read: How to Claim the Maternity Cover in Health Insurance?

Miscarriage Prevention

It is usually impossible to avoid a miscarriage, but you can take some preventive measures. Below mentioned are the things to avoid during pregnancy that cause miscarriage-

• Do not forget to attend all your prenatal care appointments
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Avoid alcoholic drinks and smoking cigarettes
• Take vitamins and other supplements regularly
• Follow a healthy regime by exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet

Along with the following preventive measures, you can also follow the best sleeping position to avoid miscarriage. You will have to understand which position makes you feel and sleep better.

Most Common Myths About Miscarriage

There are so many myths that revolve around miscarriage. The most common myths are-

#1 Myth- You will likely have another miscarriage after one miscarriage.

Fact- There is no greater chance of having another miscarriage after one. If any woman has recurrent miscarriages, she must consult her health expert for better assistance.

#2 Myth- One should wait at least 3 months after a miscarriage to conceive again.

Fact- When your blood test (serum beta-hCG) value drops to zero, you can start trying to conceive again. This could get normal in just a few weeks or 1-month max.

#3 Myth- Bleeding and spotting during pregnancy means you have a miscarriage

Fact- You may experience vaginal bleeding in the first trimester. Even prolonged heavy bleeding is a sign of a healthy pregnancy.

#4 Myth- Miscarriages are rare

Fact- It is common in at least 10%-15% of pregnancies. Some miscarriages happen so early in the pregnancy that many women don’t know there were ever pregnant.

#5 Myth- Miscarriages are unpreventable

Fact- In many cases, you clearly can’t prevent miscarriages as they happen for no reason. But if you are knowingly harming yourself, be it by consuming alcohol, smoking, or following an unhealthy lifestyle, you are most likely to have a miscarriage if you don’t stop then and there. So, you can prevent a miscarriage if you know you are not following healthy practices.

Summing It Up

Now that you know how miscarriages happen and what best you can do to have a healthy pregnancy, you must start living consciously during your pregnancy. Emotional turmoils are natural among families during a miscarriage, but one should never get disheartened and lose hope. It is not an end for you to start the journey to motherhood once again.

If you desire to be a mother anytime soon or planning your family, buy yourself maternity health insurance beforehand to start your journey carefree. Care Health Insurance’s JOY- maternity health insurance plan comes with a waiting period, so it is advisable to get maternity cover insurance in advance and stay prepared to welcome your baby into this world without any distress.

Disclaimer: The information mentioned above is for reference purposes only. Please carefully verify the policy details with the official prospectus and read the terms and conditions. Claim approval is subject to the underwriter’s discretion.