Prolonged Emotional Effects of Pregnancy Miscarriages
Prolonged Emotional Effects of Pregnancy Miscarriages
To an outsider a miscarriage may appear as a bit of bad luck soon to be got over, but to the couple involved the loss of the pregnancy, even at a very early stage, may be utterly devastating and the miscarriage may have profound and prolonged emotional effects on them as the following comments illustrate:
“In the days that followed (the miscarriage) I grew to feel such failure, having let down my husband and my family who could have enjoyed a child or grandchild if I had been able to carry him/her properly—if my body had functioned the way it was supposed to.“ (www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk)
Many people are unaware how frequently miscarriages occur. Approximately one in four women who become pregnant will have one or more miscarriages. (Lachelin, V)
The terms ‘miscarriage’ and ‘abortion’ are used interchangeably by doctors to mean the loss of a pregnancy from the uterus before 20 weeks’ gestation. Pregnancy loss after 20 weeks’ gestation is referred to as a stillbirth.
Spontaneous abortion indicates that the abortion occurred naturally and that it was not induced. Legally and medically, spontaneous abortion is distinguished from stillbirth by the size and/or age of the abortus. Although the exact definition of “abortus” varies from state to state, the term is generally applied to a fetus of less than 20 weeks’ gestation and/or weighing less than 500 grams (1 lb., 1 oz.). (McBride, 1-2)
It is estimated that between 25-50% of conceptions spontaneously abort. The true incidence of spontaneous miscarriage is very difficult to determine for a variety of reasons. It is clear that many miscarriages will occur before a menstrual period has been missed and thus without the woman ever knowing that she had conceived. Many other women have a suspicion that they were pregnant and aborted, but are not certain. A late, heavy, painful “period” is often what is experienced in a mid-first trimester spontaneous abortion. (Lachelin, 33)
The major symptoms of a spontaneous abortion are abdominal cramps and bleeding from the vagina, sometimes with clots and/or bits of tissue. Early warning signs can also include pain in the lower back. It is important to realize that approximately 20% of pregnant women experience some vaginal bleeding during the first trimester. Less than half of these women experience a spontaneous abortion. (www.webmd.com)
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