A Center for Women :: miscarriage symptoms, normal pregnancy symptoms

Free Pregnancy Testing offered at A CENTER FOR WOMEN
315 N. Wymore Rd. Winter Park, FL 32789 (407) 628-5433
Hours for free pregnancy testing: 9:30am--4:00pm, M-F

Worrying about the possibility of a miscarriage? Just remember that most pregnancies proceed without any problems at all. However, very few of them proceed without at least a few bothersome symptoms.

Remember that each cramp or ache or blood spot are probably NOT miscarriage symptoms.
The body has to undergo a tremendous number of internal and external changes in order to accommodate a growing baby, swelling uterus and healthy placenta. The uterus, for instance, is normally a little smaller than your balled fist and will become larger than a soccer ball by the end of the pregnancy. That's bound to be a little uncomfortable, right?

WHAT'S NORMAL FOR A PREGNANCY:*

MILD CRAMPING, aching or pulling on one or both sides of the abdomen; severe or constant cramping accompanied by bleeding is not normal and needs medical prompt attention
IMPLANTATION BLEEDING is the light bleeding or slight staining (usually light pink or brown) that can occur a little before or a little after the time you normally would have expected your next period. As the embryo burrows into the uterine wall and the placenta begins to grow, this light bleeding can occur. PAIN is a sign to seek help for, however, even if the bleeding is slight.
SPOTTING AFTER INTERCOURSE (light pink and lasting only a short while) is common, but again, if strong cramping occurs or if the bleeding persists, seek medical help.

CALL YOUR DOCTOR OR GET TO THE CLOSEST EMERGENCY ROOM IF THESE SYMPTOMS OCCUR:*

UNUSUAL VAGINAL BLEEDING, meaning it either lasts longer than 2 weeks (even if it's light bleeding) or that you start bleeding so heavily that you soak through one thick pad or more in an hour or less
PASSING LARGE BLOODY CLOTS (roughly walnut-sized or larger) along with vaginal bleeding
CRAMPING that gets progressively more painful or which lasts more than 2 days
PAIN across your abdomen or radiating up your back
CHILLS or FEVER (temperature 100.5 or higher)
FOUL-SMELLING DISCHARGE from the vagina

*(Note: Always use pads -- not tampons -- to cope with any bleeding during pregnancy or bleeding during or following a miscarriage.)

A miscarriage can be one of the most heartbreaking emotional and physically disturbing experiences a woman suffers, particularly when the miscarriage occurs beyond the first few weeks of the pregnancy. The body has had time by then to adjust to the pregnancy and a woman has often begun to 'feel pregnant.' To have the pregnancy stopped abruptly can leave a woman overwhelmed by sadness and shock, unsure if there's something wrong with her, wondering if she'll be able to have a normal pregnancy in the future. The fact is that early miscarriage occurs in as many as 25% of all pregnancies (often before the woman even knows she's pregnant), and it is perfectly possible to enjoy a normal, full-term pregnancy following a miscarriage.

Dealing with Miscarriage? Here's some special help:

*Facts about Miscarriage

       *Miscarriage: It's not your fault!
       *Life after Miscarriage

The most common cause of pregnancy loss is a random chromosome abnormality that occurs during fertilization. "Random" means that no one can accurately predict the occurrence or explain why. It just happens.

For fertilization to occur, the chromosomes in the nucleus of both the egg and the sperm need to join into 23 pairs (46 total chromosomes). Sometimes this pairing does not happen in exactly the right way, and so the development of the fetus goes awry and development may stop altogether. This can trigger a sudden hormonal change for the mother. As her pregancy hormone levels fall, miscarriage symptoms occur. These changes and symptoms trigger the body's response to let go of the pregnancy and expel the baby and the contents of the uterus.

Known factors that may contribute to some miscarriages:

fertilization occurring late after ovulation (when the egg has aged)
low or high levels of the thyroid hormones
uncontrolled diabetes
exposure to environmental and workplace hazards, such as radiation or toxic agentsPl
uterine abnormalities (wrong shape or size or structure)
an "incompetent" cervix, or when the cervix (the muscle that keeps the uterus sealed to protect the growing child) begins to open and get thinner before the pregnancy has reached full term
certain medications (mostly prescription), such as the acne drug Accutane

FOR POST-MISCARRIAGE HELP AND HEALING
www.MEND.org
www.HANNAH.org

Click here to print out this page.