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A threatened miscarriage is also referred to as a threatened abortion or a threatened spontaneous abortion. Abortion is sometimes used as a medical term for a miscarriage. Abortion occurs when a pregnancy ends before the embryo is ready to survive on its own. It could be a threatened miscarriage, an early pregnancy loss, or a spontaneous abortion.

In this post, you will learn all there is to know about threatened miscarriage; the causes, possible complications, symptoms, and diagnosis.

Let’s Get Started!

What Is Threatened Miscarriage? 

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines threatened abortion as a pregnancy-related bloody vaginal discharge or frank bleeding during the first half of pregnancy without cervical dilatation. 

During the first trimester of pregnancy, some pregnant women experience vaginal bleeding. This blood loss can occur with or without abdominal cramping. A threatened abortion occurs when the symptoms show that a miscarriage is likely to happen in the future.

Causes of threatened miscarriage 

Some of the possible causes of threatened miscarriage are:

• An infection or irritation that may occur following sex.
• Miscarriage, minor falls, injuries, or stress during the first trimester of pregnancy.
• Ectopic pregnancy; is a condition that arises when an embryo implants outside of the uterus.
• Molar pregnancy; is a rare uterine growth.

Other factors that can raise your chances of miscarriage include:

• Obesity
• Thyroid problems
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes 

Symptoms of Threatened Miscarriage  

The main symptom is vaginal bleeding in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is also important to note that the intensity of this bleeding can vary from light to severe. Furthermore, some people also experience stomach cramps or lower back pain.

Women who have a regular miscarriage frequently experience dull or sharp pain in the abdomen and lower back. They may also pass vaginal tissue containing clot-like material.

If you’re pregnant and experiencing these symptoms or bleeding at any point during pregnancy, contact your doctor or obstetrician immediately.

Possible complications include:

• Anemia
• Infection
• Miscarriage

Furthermore, the doctor will want to make sure the symptoms or complications aren’t caused by an ectopic pregnancy, which is a potentially lethal complication. To achieve this, it is important to make a proper diagnosis.

Diagnosis of Threatened Miscarriage

To properly diagnose a threatened miscarriage, the doctor will inquire about your symptoms and medical history. Furthermore, he or she will have to perform a physical examination.

Some of the tests involved include:

• Fetal heart monitoring via ultrasound
• Tests on the blood; The following blood tests are done:
• Beta HCG (quantitative) test (pregnancy test) performed over a period of days or weeks to confirm the continuation of the pregnancy
• A complete blood count (CBC) is performed to determine the presence of anemia.
• Progesterone concentration
• A white blood cell count (WBC) with a differential is done to rule out infection.

Treatment of Threatened Miscarriage

Miscarriages are sometimes unavoidable. In some cases, your doctor will recommend certain measures to reduce your chances of miscarriage.

Some of these preventive measures include:

• Treating conditions that increase the risk of pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes or hypothyroidism.
• Your doctor may also prescribe a progesterone injection to boost your hormone levels.
• If you have Rh-negative blood and your developing fetus has Rh-positive blood, your doctor will also give you Rh immunoglobulin, also known as immune globulin. This prevents your body from producing antibodies against the blood of your child.

Prevention of Threatened Miscarriage:

Although it is really difficult to prevent miscarriage during pregnancy, you can increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy by:

• Attending your antenatal clinics regularly
• Avoiding alcohol
• Regulating your caffeine consumption
• Taking prescribed prenatal vitamins
• Reporting any viral or bacterial infections during pregnancy to your doctor immediately

Long-term prospects

Thankfully, many women who experience threatened miscarriages go on to have healthy children. If your cervix hasn’t already dilated and the fetus is still securely attached to the uterine wall, this is more likely. If your hormone levels are abnormal, hormone therapy can often help you carry the baby to term.

Nonetheless, a threatened abortion can be a very stressful experience for some people, leading to anxiety and depression. If you are experiencing symptoms of either condition following a threatened abortion or miscarriage, you should consult your doctor. They can assist you in obtaining the necessary treatment.

Your doctor may also be aware of local support groups where you can share your experiences and concerns with others who understand what you’re going through.

In Conclusion,

It helps to remember that most miscarriages are often unavoidable. However, if you have two or more miscarriages in a row, please contact your doctor to identify and treat the underlying cause. In addition, studies show that women with proper prenatal care often have better pregnancy outcomes and fewer cases of threatened miscarriage.

Aging is an occurrence that all humans experience. Everyone with a functioning biological clock will advance in age progressively as the years pass by. This advance in age is accompanied by significant and specific changes in the appearance and functionality of the body. As an extension, advanced maternal age has become an important subject in our society.

If you’re looking to have a healthy baby and are above 35 years, this post is just for you. In this article, we’d walk you through all you need to know about advanced maternal age and its significance to your pregnancy.

Let’s get right on it!

What Is Advanced Maternal Age?

Advanced maternal age describes pregnancy in a woman above the age of 35. Most times, a pregnant woman in this category faces a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications. These complications range include:

• Spontaneous miscarriage
• Preterm delivery
• Congenital anomalies
• Gestational diabetes,
• High blood pressure.

As a result, it is essential to take special precautions and care if you’re above 35 years and you plan on having a baby.

Thankfully, medical research also shows that is possible to be above 35 years and have a safe and healthy pregnancy. Nevertheless, there are things to note and steps to follow.

How Maternal Age Works

Women are born with all of the eggs they will ever have in their lifetime. Every month, one of these eggs is released during ovulation. By the time a woman reaches her mid-to-late 30s, the quality and quantity of her eggs will have significantly reduced. See also signs of menopause.

This makes it harder to either conceive a baby or increases the chances of the baby having one or more abnormalities.

What Are The Risk Factors Associated With Advanced Maternal Age

Due to the decline in the viability of eggs, once a woman clocks 35 years, there are certain risks associated with such pregnancy.

Some of the risks will be discussed below:

Longer conception time

An older woman’s eggs are not as easily fertilized as a young woman’s eggs. If you’re above 35, it might take a considerably longer time for you to conceive. This is because of the progressive decline in the quality of eggs due to advancing age. However, after 6 months of unsuccessfully trying to conceive, you should consider speaking to your health care provider.

Multiple Pregnancies

There is an increase in the chances of having multiple pregnancies in older women. This is a result of hormonal changes that may cause the release of multiple eggs. Also, assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF (in vitro fertilization) and fertility drugs may increase the chances of multiple pregnancies.

Thankfully, this is more of an advantage and not a risk involved with advanced maternal age.

Congenital anomalies

Babies born to women over 35 years are more predisposed to certain chromosomal and physical anomalies. A common chromosomal anomaly is down syndrome and cerebral palsy.

Higher risk of pregnancy loss

It is possible for any woman to lose a pregnancy. However, the risk of miscarriages and stillbirths is higher with advanced maternal age.

Risk of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes peculiar to pregnancy. If left untreated, it can cause a baby to grow significantly larger than normal. This may increase the risk of injuries during delivery as well as preterm delivery, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and post-natal complications to the baby.

High blood pressure

According to research, older women are more prone to developing high blood pressure during pregnancy. Your doctor will carefully monitor your blood pressure throughout pregnancy. You may also require frequent visits to your obstetrician to avoid complications.

Cesarean section

Due to the higher risk of pregnancy-related complications in women over 35, a C-section is usually recommended for delivery.

What Can I Do To Stay Healthy With An Advanced Maternal Age Pregnancy?

The key to making a healthy baby is ensuring that you take care of your own self first. You should pay attention to your health before getting pregnant, while pregnant, and even after the baby eventually comes.

Things To Do When You Have An Advanced Maternal Age Pregnancy

Preconception

If you can, you should discuss your overall health with your doctor and also discuss lifestyle changes that may improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy. Ask about conception options available for you as well as ways in which you can boost your conception.

Prenatal care

It is very imperative that you take your prenatal appointments and care with all diligence. Once you find out that you’re pregnant, you should schedule an appointment with an obstetrician. These appointments should be regular all through your pregnancy.

Remember, regular clinics should continue even after childbirth. This article contains many important things to know and ask at your 6th-week postpartum appointment.

Prenatal testing

Talk to your obstetrician about possible tests to screen for congenital abnormalities in your growing baby. Tests like chorionic villi sampling and amniocentesis can be conducted early in your pregnancy to provide specific information about your baby’s chromosomes. Also, blood tests and ultrasound scans will provide other important information about the heath of your developing baby.

Healthy diet and exercise

There are certain nutrients that you will need more in pregnancy. Essential nutrients like folic acid, calcium, iron, and vitamin D are required more in pregnancy. It is important to keep a healthy diet and ensure that these nutrients are incorporated into your diet all through your pregnancy.

In addition, exercise in form of regular physical activity should be encouraged. This helps to ease discomfort and improve overall wellbeing. It can also help prepare you for labor by increasing muscle strength and stamina. If you have an underlying health problem, you can discuss with your doctor about exercise options available and safe for you.

Avoid harmful substances

During pregnancy, certain substances are off-limits because of their ability to cause potential harm to your baby. Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other forms of illegal drugs should be avoided during pregnancy. You should get a clearance from your obstetrician before using any medication or health supplement.

Healthy weight gain

Gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy can support your baby’s health. Discuss with your doctor about healthy weight gain options available for you and how to lose the weight post-pregnancy.

Conclusion

Every expecting parent, whether pregnant or still trying to conceive has a lot of questions. Of course, you want to understand what the pregnancy journey entails so that you will make the right choices for yourself and your unborn baby.

Remember, it is possible to be above 35 and have a safe and healthy pregnancy.

With the right information outlined in this post, you can make informed decisions about your pregnancy. This increases your chances of having a smooth pregnancy and consequently, a healthy baby.

Loss is painful. In the same vein, losing a child, having a miscarriage in the first trimester can be devastating. It’s really sad to have celebrated the news of the coming of a baby only for it to end in tears. A number of factors can cause miscarriage in the first three months of pregnancy. This article was designed to help you answer basic questions about losses in the first 90 days of pregnancy.

What’s A Miscarriage?

A miscarriage is also called spontaneous abortion.

It is the spontaneous loss of pregnancy before the 20^th week of gestation (i.e. the first 20 weeks of pregnancy).

This experience is really painful, both physically and emotionally.

What Are The Risk Factors?

Risk factors are characteristics that increase a person’s chance of having a particular disease. Similarly, risk factors for a miscarriage are traits that increases a woman’s chances of having a miscarriage.

They include:

1. Maternal Age:

The chances of having a miscarriage increases with increasing age. Consequently, women above 35 face a higher risk of miscarriage in the first trimester.

2. Underlying health conditions

Certain associated health conditions increase the possibility of a miscarriage. Later in this article, some of these conditions would be discussed.

3. A Previous Miscarriage

A woman with a history of miscarriages also faces a higher risk of having another miscarriage. Sadly, this is caused by a number of factors that will be discussed subsequently.

What Are The Causes Of Miscarriages In The First Trimester?

1. Chromosomal Abnormalities.

This is the leading cause of miscarriage in most women.

Chromosomes are blocks of DNA which carry genes. These genes determine a person’s physical attributes like height, complexion and eye color. Importantly, most chromosomal abnormalities occur by chance and do not have anything to do with you or your husband’s health.

2. Exposure to Harmful Agents

Radiation, toxic chemicals and other harmful agents harm developing babies greatly.

When a pregnant woman is exposed to high levels of radiation, the baby’s development is affected and most babies do not survive it.

In addition, the ones who survive are at risk of developing cancer later in life

3. Hormonal Imbalance

Pregnancy is really dependent on hormones. From start to finish.

In situations where the womb does not develop properly for fetal development due to insufficient hormone production, a miscarriage can occur.

Furthermore, increased production of a reproductive hormone called prolactin impairs fetal growth.

4. Underlying Health Conditions

Underlying health conditions such as diabetes, sickle cell disease, hypertension, fibroid, thyroid disease, kidney disease, among others can cause miscarriage.

Fibroids are non-cancerous growths which grow into the womb and take over the space that the baby is supposed to grow in. This leads to the impaired growth of the baby and ultimately its expulsion.

5. An Ectopic pregnancy Can Lead To A MIscarriage.

An ectopic pregnancy is one that develops outside the uterus.

When the baby is not properly situated in the womb, a miscarriage can occur. This occurs because the womb is the only location in a woman’s body that can support fetal development.

6. Early Cervical Dilatation

The cervix, or birth canal is the passageway for the baby to come out.

If the cervix opens too early, as it occurs in an incompetent cervix, the baby can be pushed out. An incompetent cervix occurs as a result of weakened muscles in the abdominal region.

At a point in time, a weakened cervix can no longer support the baby’s weight, leading to miscarriage.

7. Severe Malnutrition Causes Misicarriages.

A pregnant woman can lose her pregnancy if she is suffering from severe malnutrition. In addition, deficiency in some minerals such as selenium and vitamins like vitamin D have been linked to the incidence of pregnancy loss and preterm delivery.

Malnutrition occurs when a person takes in less energy than they give out. There is increased demand of energy by a pregnant woman and if she is not able to provide this amount of energy, her baby may not develop properly.

What Does NOT Cause Miscarriage?

1. Regular exercise

Exercise does not lead to miscarriage in the first trimester.

In fact, medical experts believe that exercise during pregnancy lowers the chances of having a miscarriage. This is because exercise helps to relieve pain and reduce stress. In addition, it lowers the risk of gestational diabetes. We’ve discussed how much exercise is safe during pregnancy and conditions where exercise should be avoided.

2. Sexual Intercourse

Having sex during pregnancy does not also lead to miscarriage in the first trimester

. In other words, it has been proven that there is no relationship between sex and miscarriage.

Therefore, feel free to enjoy sex with your partner while you’re pregnant.

3. Going To Work:

Working while pregnant does not lead to miscarriage.

Nevertheless, remember to avoid or at least manage stress. Sometimes stress can worsen certain medical conditions which in turn affect pregnancy. Structural issues with your womb may make your doctor suggest you remain on strict bed rest for a time as a precaution. Please speak with your doctor if you have an underlying health condition.

As long as you’re remain protected from radiation or harmful chemicals, there is no cause for alarm.

Nevertheless, remember to avoid stress at all times

In Conclusion

No one really plans for a miscarriage. Thankfully, it is not the end of motherhood.

The fact that you’ve had one does not mean that it will keep happening. We have put together 6 tips on what to do after a miscarriage. Remember to consult with your doctor to know the best time to be pregnant again after a miscarriage.

Losing a baby is devastating. Sadness often stems from the event itself or the way it was managed at the health facility. Dealing with the grief that follows is very important. Some women go through the gamut of denial of what just occurred, guilt, then anger and rationalization. These are all perfectly natural reactions. These emotions do not need to be repressed but should be recognized for what they are and allowed to run their course.

In our environment, some people tend to do more harm by their insensitive statements and accusatory remarks to the mother or couple as a whole. Some health personnel, unfortunately, do not have the right training to break bad news or deal with grieving patients. It is best to expect this and be intentional about shielding yourself from negativity but not isolating yourself from people who genuinely care and want to help. Read more on 6 things to do if you have a miscarriage

Coping with miscarriages

Coping mechanisms advocated by clinical psychologists include talking about how you feel in a safe space, with someone you trust or seek professional help from a certified grief counsellor or psychologist.

If you have a partner he would be ideal, because men also suffer but process their emotions differently. Other strategies include keeping a diary, writing down how you feel daily or actually writing a letter to the baby you just lost. Please note that mothers who have had miscarriages are also at risk of mood disorders such as postpartum depression and anxiety. It’s perfectly okay to get help for this. We outlined more tips for dealing with emotions in our chat with a clinical psychologist here.

Trying again…

Often mums who have just had a miscarriage wonder when it is okay to get pregnant again. The truth is there is no right time. Some women get pregnant spontaneously almost immediately after ie. their menstrual cycle resumes and the occurrence of ovulation opens them up to getting pregnant within a few weeks after. Some experts advocate waiting for 3 months. The honest truth is the right time to try again is when you feel you are ready; when you are in the right place emotionally and physically.

The term ‘miscarriage’ is loosely used to label pregnancy loss. However, some frown upon it arguing that it suggests that some how something was wrong with the way the mother bore the pregnancy. As though she is to blame.

These sentiments may or may not be lost on you. However, the fact remains that pregnancy loss is common. It should be talked about more openly. In a sensitive and productive way so as to support affected women and couples.

Having a miscarriage be such a shock, it can leave your head spinning. We’re here to help. In this article, we’ve compiled some suggestions on the next steps to take and things to look out for.

1. Visit Your Doctor

You may need to sit with your doctor and discuss what happened; the cause (if known), the treatment you were given, possible complications and what to do next. This may give you and your partner some direction and closure eventually.

2. Get A Report

You may want to get a written report of what happened for your personal records . This is so you don’t forget, can process the situation when your mind is clearer. You can also to refer to this report of what happened and the possible cause of the miscarriage in the future as part of your medical history. Knowing the circumstances around the miscarriage will be very helpful in managing your nect pregnancy.

3. Get The Necessary Medication

There may be some abdominal cramping in response to your womb trying to return to its pre-pregnancy size following a miscarriage. In addition, the medication given to you by your doctor also facilitates this contractions. Do not hesitate to request for further pain relief if you need it. You are perfectly within your rights.

4. Get A Scan After A Miscarriage

It’s important that you have a scan done before and after your womb has been evacuated. Depending on the age of the pregnancy at the time it came to an end, there will be some bleeding which may resolve within a few days. This scan confirms that the pregnancy was actually situated within your womb (ie. is not an ectopic). An ultrasound scan ensures that all the products of conception which could cause prolonged bleeding, infection or formation of adhesions have been removed completely. These are complications which could compromise future fertility.

5. More Medication

Some women produce breast milk after evacuation of the pregnancy following a miscarriage. It depends on the age of the pregnancy when it was lost. This can be an inconvenience as well. In addition, milk production is a source of some discomfort if the mother gets engorged (breasts swollen with milk). There are medications that should be prescribed to suppress breast milk production.

In some countries, mothers have been known to donate their milk. This milk goes to breast milk banks or intensive care units for premature babies who need it. Sadly, we aren’t there yet in Nigeria, but it’s reassuring to know that this option exists.

6. Watch Out For The Warning Signs

As with regular childbirth, after you have a miscarriage, please do not hesitate to go back to the hospital for treatment if you observe warning signs. These signs include:

• Fever of 38 degrees centigrade and above
• Foul smelling vaginal discharge
• Sudden , continuous bleeding which soaks a sanitary pad or more within an hour
• Finally, passing of clots larger than an egg or golf ball and dizziness.

As with regular childbirth, after you have a miscarriage, please do not hesitate to go back to the hospital for treatment if you observe warning signs.