Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss: What You Should Know

Miscarriage is a very difficult time for many women. The hopes that they have begun to build for their unborn child are dashed including the security that their body would bring a pregnancy to term and result in a baby. This can be a very unsettling time for those reasons.

Miscarriage can also be difficult on dad. He doesn't know how to support his wife during this difficult time and though he tries his best, he can't understand what she's going through.

If you are going through a miscarriage, you may have questions. I hope this article can help answer some of those questions for you.

It's not your fault.

It is estimated that up to 50% of pregnancies end before a woman even misses her period. Most of the time this is due to defects, either of the baby, or of implantation. A pregnancy that endures past the month mark alerts a woman that she is pregnant, but can end the same way for the same reasons.

99% of pregnancies that end in miscarriage do so before the 13 week mark. This is because the fetus that makes it that far is usually “okay” to continue the pregnancy, though there is never any guarantee that any child will be free of birth defects or other issues.

Many women worry that they did something to cause the miscarriage. This is not the case. That Irish Coffee you had before you knew you were pregnant or the fall you had outside your office most likely didn't contribute to the miscarriage. Women's bodies are very durable, as are healthy embryos. The uterus and placenta come with many safeguards, in the case of a healthy embryo. Though the placenta isn't fully formed yet, your body filters a lot of the things you eat or drink so that your baby is safe. It is because of things like this that I say that womens' bodies were meant to bear children. Our bodies know how to protect the embryo and then fetus that grows within us. While this is not to say that one should be irresponsible, there is some leeway if mistakes happen.

You may never know the reason why.