If you are contemplating the question of how to prevent miscarriages, then you are here at the right place. Also, if you just had a miscarriage, you should know that you can recover from it. Here are a few things that you should know about miscarriage and how to prevent it.
Miscarriages Are Common
The first thing that you should know about miscarriages is that these are extremely common. At least 50% of all pregnancies can end in miscarriages. Of those, about half are early abortions. On that note, if you have had an early abortion, check out this post abortion treatment, as it will help you manage the side effects and complications.
Usually, early miscarriage occurs when a female does not even know that she is pregnant.
Fetal Heart Motion and Miscarriage
Early miscarriages occur when a doctor sees a fetus with heart motion on an ultrasound.
The good news is that if you have an early miscarriage and you are resultantly experiencing vaginal bleeding – and your doctor can detect fetal heart motion, then more than 90% of such pregnancies will go on to result in having a viable baby.
When it comes to the fetal heart motion, if the heart rate is slower than it should be, the chances of having an early miscarriage accelerate to thirty times. Also, a slow heart rate in combination with vaginal bleeding is a common sign of early miscarriage.
At this point, you might be wondering about how slow of a heartbeat we are talking about. The answer is that if the heart rate is less than 110 beats per minute, it is a matter of concern.
Potential Causes of Early Miscarriage
Various things can cause an early miscarriage. Amongst the top common causes, you will find that the fetus doesn’t have the correct number of chromosomes. Ideally, a fetus should have 46 chromosomes, which is 23 chromosomes from each parent.
An incorrect number of chromosomes causes at least 70% of early miscarriages. As women get older, this number gets higher, which is why older women are more likely to have a miscarriage, and any given miscarriage is more likely to be from a chromosome problem.
Other Factors That Can Cause Miscarriage
Other potential factors that can increase the risk of early miscarriage include the following:
- Drinking alcohol
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Caffeine
- Taking supplements – other than prenatal vitamins
It is important to mention here that the common misconception is that stress might cause a miscarriage. However, this is just a myth. Apart from stress, the following things do not cause miscarriage:
- Sex during pregnancy
- Exercise during pregnancy
- Use of birth control before pregnancy
- Falling during pregnancy
- Morning sickness
- Getting hit in the abdomen during pregnancy
The thing about morning sickness is that women with morning sickness usually have a lower risk of miscarriage.
The Takeaway
You should watch out for the most common and early signs of miscarriage, such as cramping and vaginal bleeding. However, these symptoms are also common in women who don’t have an early miscarriage. So, the best thing to do is to immediately go to your doctor so they can assess your health and prevent a miscarriage.