Am I Having a Miscarriage?

Miscarriages are unfortunate but some women have to face them. According to miscarriage statistics, most miscarriages occur in the first three months of pregnancy. Women with previous miscarriage history are more vulnerable to experience it again. The causes for miscarriage are not always apparent. Sometimes it is difficult even for the doctors to tell why a miscarriage takes place when the mother has taken complete care of herself and the baby in the womb. Till date, medical science is aware of very few causes of miscarriages. But before I tell you about the causes, read further to know about the symptoms of miscarriage that will give an answer to your question.

Miscarriage Symptoms

It is not always possible to say if miscarriage is taking place or not. Sometimes all the symptoms do not show up at the same time. This happens because most of the time, miscarriage occurs as a chain of events over many days. Given below are some of the common miscarriage symptoms:

• Back pain
• Significant weight loss
• Pelvic cramps and abdominal pain
• White and pink color discharge
• Vaginal discharge with clots and little amount of tissues
• Sudden loss of pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea and food aversions, etc.
• Not feeling the baby move
• Absence of heartbeat of the baby
• Fever accompanied with chills and shivering

The above miscarriage signs aggravate as the days pass by. For example, the pink discharge in first trimester transforms into a yellowish and foul-smelling discharge during the miscarriage. A woman may experience all the symptoms, or few of them with lot of variations in them. But before you jump to any conclusion it is advisable to consult your doctor and seek an answer.

Miscarriage Causes

Chromosomal Abnormalities
This is one of the common reasons for miscarriage. Chromosomes determine the overall appearance and genetic make up of an offspring. These chromosomes divide and duplicate themselves many times when the fetus is developing. It is a genetic problem that takes place when the genetic crossover from the sperm and the egg takes place at the time of conception and this can lead to spontaneous abortion.

Abnormal Antibodies
In case of certain diseases such as collagen vascular diseases, your own system attacks your own organs. A woman suffering from such a problem produces antibodies to fight her own body tissues. So when the new cells of the fetus are developing they are destroyed by the abnormal antibodies present in the mother's womb that results in a miscarriage.

Diabetes
Diabetes also poses high chances of miscarriage. Apart from this diabetes can cause a fetus to be born with various birth defects. It can also create various delivery and pregnancy complications for a mother. Monitoring blood sugar levels is one of the effective ways to avoid miscarriage.

Hormonal Imbalance
Progesterone plays a vital role in the woman's menstrual cycle and pregnancy. For a healthy pregnancy it is mandatory for women to maintain the progesterone levels in the body. It is produced by the corpus luteum in the ovary. Any dysfunction in the corpus can lead to changed progesterone levels resulting in a miscarriage.

Abnormal Uterine Structure
Sometimes abnormal anatomy of the uterus can also result in a miscarriage. Due to this the fetus may not be provided with essential things required to grow safely. Be it comfort, nutrition, oxygen or blood supply, inadequate supply can cause a miscarriage. The structural abnormalities can also result in fibroid that may interfere with the growth of the fetus resulting in a loss of pregnancy.

Apart from this, there are various diseases and infections like measles, rubella, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex, etc., that can make a woman miscarry her pregnancy. Trauma or invasive procedures to the uterus can also cause a miscarriage. Now you know what can cause a miscarriage so check for the above risk factors that would help you judge if you are having a miscarriage or not.