Gyno Groupie

Today we are going to discuss miscarriages.  Miscarriages happens in 1-2 out of every 10 pregnancies.  The majority of them will happen in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. When you lose more than 2-3 in a row, it may be called recurrent miscarriage.  There are multiple reasons that can cause miscarriages.  Unfortunately, more than half of them are unknown.

Some of the known causes are chromosomal or genetic issues, medical conditions in the mother, and problems with the mom's uterus.  By far the most common is chromosomal issues. This accounts for more than 50-60% of the losses.  Some other causes are maternal medical conditions such as autoimmune disease like Lupus, uncontrolled high blood pressure, heavy smoking, clotting disorder and uncontrolled diabetes.  In addition, some women's uteri may have formed abnormally at birth. This is called uterine anomaly. This can also contribute to miscarriages as well.

For those of you that have experienced a miscarriage, there is no better way of describing it other than that it "sucks".  It is a lost of life. You'll feel sad just as if you would if you had loss someone.  In a way you did.

However, what I try to tell my patients is this. Know that the majority of the losses are from a chromosomal issue that is out of your control. So don't beat yourself up. Don't think back and say "maybe I shouldn't have done that, drank that, or taking that medicine".  There will be a natural feeling of guilt. But that's ok. Your human.  But understand that the majority of the times it's NOT YOUR FAULT.  This is very important to understand.

The good news is that even if you had 2 or 3 miscarriages, the chances of you having a healthy baby is still very high.  With the advances in medicine, we can correct uterine anomalies and treat the mom's medical conditions, and hopefully, help you achieve a healthy baby.

Until next time...

docbchen