Pregnancy Loss

Experiencing a miscarriage can be very traumatic. Often, women will have feelings of anger, guilt and self-blame as they assume that the miscarriage is their fault in some way. Yet, having a miscarriage is actually quite common among the general population. While this fact is unlikely to ease any emotional pain, it may help to remove those negative thoughts.

A miscarriage can occur for different reasons. A blighted ovum is one type of miscarriage that often occurs before a woman even knows that she is pregnant. Molar pregnancies, chemical pregnancies and embryo toxic factor (ETF) are some other reasons for miscarriage to occur, while a threatened miscarriage refers to the increased possibility that a woman may have a miscarriage. A missed miscarriage occurs when a pregnancy is terminated but when the elements of the pregnancy are not immediately dispelled by the body. Signs of a miscarriage, like bleeding in pregnancy, can usually be detected during the first three months of pregnancy, and there are several types of treatment options available for each case.

Women who experience a pregnancy loss after the 20th week of their pregnancy are said to have had a stillbirth. Because this form of miscarriage occurs quite late in a pregnancy, it can be acutely upsetting to a mother. For women dealing with recurrent miscarriage, it is important to make an appointment with a fertility specialist, as multiple miscarriages are often a sign of a more serious problem.

If you or someone you know has experienced pregnancy loss, www.miscarriagesupport.org.uk provides counselling following loss through miscarriage, pre-pregnancy counselling following loss and pregnancy counselling following miscarriage.