Complications Of Miscarriage & Attempting To Become Pregnant Again!

Unfortunately, lots of women lost a pregnancy through miscarriage. The loss of a pregnancy in the first 5 months is pretty frequent. It`s rather difficult to statistically assess this fact, but it seems that at least 1 out of 10 pregnancy ends up through miscarriage. Even more than that, as some women lose a pregnancy about which they didn`t even know. Eighty percent of miscarriages occur in the first 12 weeks, but such accidents may happen in the middle of pregnancy as well.

Any woman can experience a miscarriage, but it should be outlined that some of them are more prone to this type of accident. Fibroma, smoking, diabetes, or repeated pregnancies increase the chances for miscarriage.

Age, a factor that we`ll outlined more in detail below, is a risk factor as well. The risk of pregnancy loss is doubled between 20 and 40 years when around one quarter of pregnancies is lost. Elderly women can have pregnancies with chromosomal malformations, a case in which the fetus self-expelled.

But young and healthy women can also experience such tragedies. There are also lots of cases in which after 2 miscarriages, without an apparent reason, women can give birth to a healthy child.

Complications of Miscarriage

A miscarriage involves a series of risks and complications that can affect the woman`s life or the chances for her to ever have children. The loss of a pregnancy brings a series of dangers that need to be carefully monitored and managed together with the doctor.

Following a miscarriage, the fetus is generally expelled by itself, without any medical intervention. However, there are cases in which there are incomplete miscarriages detected after an ultrasound examination, meaning that there are fetal residues in the uterus that need to be removed, and in these situations, it`s used:

• Manual aspiration (if the miscarriage is produced up to week 7 of pregnancy).
• Dilation and evacuation (13 – 24 weeks of pregnancy).
• Curettage (if the fetus has between 6 and 14 weeks when the miscarriage occurs).

When the surgical intervention is used (curettage), the risk of complications is around the same as an abortion. Any surgical intervention brings with it the possibility of possible complications, although these cases are quite rare.

Affective Disorders

The spontaneous loss of a pregnancy causes lots of emotional wounds to the couple, but especially to the woman. The states that such a woman go through are diverse and can even be dangerous, if she isn`t helped to go over them. Sometimes, the family and friends are the necessary shoulder that helps her to go over the loss, other times psychotherapeutic support is required.

Here`s some of the states that are felt by women who go through such an experience and which leaves a serious mark over their emotional development.

• Depression.
• Sadness.
• Anxiety.
• Frustration.
• Feeling of guilt (even if it`s not about a demanded abortion).
• Loss of motivation.
• Sexual disturbances.

Sterility

It`s a pertinent post-abortion complication, which doesn`t occur very frequently, but it may install in the long term. It`s true that after a woman has a miscarriage, it may become pregnant again without any problems, being able to carry her pregnancy at term in a healthy manner. This happens in most cases, but there are a series of cases of miscarriage that remain unidentified, and if the cause cannot be treated, there`s the risk for the miscarriage to reappear and the woman not being able to carry her pregnancy.

Perforation of the Uterus

Although the cases in which the uterus is perforated are very rare, there`s still this risk associated to curettage when following a cleaning of the uterus with the scalp, the uterus gets perforated. When this happens, bleeding occurs in the uterine cavity and even affecting other possible organs.

If this happens, it`s necessary a medical intervention known as laparotomy.

Infections & Risks of Septicemia

If the fetal residues aren`t removed or eliminated properly, there`s the risk for an infection to be installed. If it`s not diagnosed in time, it may transform in septicemia and can even lead to death. Signs of infection include:

• Fever (over 38° Celsius).
• Vaginal bleeding with bad odor.
• Moderate to severe abdominal pain.

Septic complications that may occur after a miscarriage involve:

• Pelvic troboflebitis.
• Frustration.
• Septic shock.

Abundant Bleeding

Vaginal bleeding is normal immediately after a miscarriage for 2 weeks, but if this period is prolonged and it occurs in large quantities, this represents a danger for the woman`s health.

Recurrence of Miscarriage

Women who already had a miscarriage present a risk of 25% to experience another miscarriage in a future pregnancy. It may even transform in habitual abortion.

Risks by Age Group

For women found in the period of maximum fertility, the risks of having a miscarriage are of 10% to 25%, and in most healthy women, the average is of around 15% to 20%.

A more advanced age of the mother leads to an increased risk of experiencing a miscarriage.

Depending on the age of the future mother, the risks of experiencing a miscarriage are:

• 15% for women under 35 years.
• 20% to 35% for women with ages between 35 and 45 years.
• 50% for women with ages over 45 years.

A woman who already experienced miscarriages in the past has a risk of 25% of having another miscarriage in a future pregnancy.

Reducing the Risk of Miscarriage

Unfortunately, most causes that lead to a miscarriage cannot be prevented. Even so, there are a series of factors that may improve the lifestyle, therefore contributing to an increased fertility and the development of the fetus in normal conditions, such as:

• Avoiding alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.
• Performing some regular physical exercises and choosing a well balanced diet, that should include folic acid and enough vitamins and minerals from natural sources.
• Maintaining weight in normal limits.
• Reducing stress.
• Lots of rest.

Attempting to Become Pregnant Again after a Miscarriage

Each woman reacts differently after a miscarriage. While some couples feel the need of complaining and crying after their baby for quite some time before attempting to try again, others feel that a new pregnancy will fill the emptiness left by the loss of the first baby.

From a medical point of view, a woman can try to become pregnant again after her first menstruation, which usually appears after 4 to 6 weeks after miscarriage. Most doctors recommend a medical consultation after 6 weeks after miscarriage to make sure the uterus has recovered its normal size.

In most situations, a miscarriage occurs randomly, and it`s unlikely for this to happen again in a future pregnancy. Even so, if you experienced 3 consecutive miscarriages, it`s recommended to make a medical investigation before attempting to become pregnant again.