Earlier this week, reality TV stars Giuliana and Bill Rancic revealed that the surrogate who was nine weeks pregnant with their second child had a miscarriage.
Giuliana told People that she had had a miscarriage herself in 2010 before turning to a surrogate, Delphine. Now, that sense of loss was amplified.
�It was just heartbreaking,� Giuliana said, �I just started sobbing uncontrollably. But I had to get myself together for her. She�s really strong and amazing.�
Still, she and Bill are looking forward to the day when their 21-month-old son can have a sibling.
�Because miscarriage so common, you need to be aware that it could happen to you,� says Teresa Berg, M.D., director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. �And just because you�ve had one doesn�t mean you�re not going to have another.�
Here�s what you need to know to minimize your risk and, if needed, move forward.
Miscarriage happens more often than you think
The figure often cited is that about 15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, which is also called �early pregnancy loss� and �spontaneous abortion.� But with the extra-sensitive, early-response pregnancy tests available these days, that number may be as high as 30% of all pregnancies, Dr. Berg says.
Miscarriage happens early in pregnancy
The definition of miscarriage is a pregnancy lost before 20 weeks, but almost all miscarriages occur before the 12-week mark, says Dr. Berg. (That�s why expecting parents are often told to wait until the second trimester to start spreading the news.) A pregnancy lost after 20 weeks is usually referred to as stillbirth.
You may not know you�ve miscarried
�You can miscarry within the first 10 days of conception and not even recognize that you�ve had a pregnancy loss,� says Dr. Berg. �You may think it�s just a period.� Bleeding is a common symptom of miscarriage, so is severe cramping. If you have either symptom and you know you�re pregnant, see a doctor or go to the emergency room to avoid two possible complications of miscarriage: hemorrhage and infection.
It�s not the mother�s fault
Most miscarriages occur because of genetic abnormalities in the embryo, Dr. Berg says. There�s really no way to predict or prevent them. They just happen.
Older women are more likely to miscarry
Miscarriages become even more common as women get older. That�s because as eggs age, the chances of genetic abnormalities increase.
Source: health
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |