Despite their prevalence, it is always devastating when a woman experiences a miscarriage. While a miscarriage can cause a woman to feel alone and isolated, it is important to remember that a large portion of women will experience at least one miscarriage during their reproductive years. If you have had a miscarriage, take the time to understand better why these occur and why it is not your fault.
Why did it Happen - Was it My Fault?
When you conceive and a baby is created, it takes half its genes from the sperm and half from the egg that ovulated that month. At the exact time of conception, the cross-over of these genes takes place. Sometimes, for no reason other than bad luck, some information is lost and the pregnancy is destined from that point not to be.
It might be that this lost information is not needed for many weeks, and the pregnancy will continue as normal until that time. When the needed information is not there, it is then that the baby dies and you begin to miscarry. Sometimes when this happens, the miscarriage doesn\'t happen right away. This is called a \'missed\' miscarriage and may not be picked up until some weeks later, following a slight loss of blood or period-type pains.
Another cause might be that the baby did not implant, or bury itself, into the womb lining properly - once again, just due to bad luck.
These are the most common reasons that women miscarry. Not because of something you did or didn\'t do, but just because of chance. Not because you drank alcohol, ate some unpasteurised cheese, or didn\'t take folic acid. Certainly not because you had sex or didn\'t rest enough.
Whether you lay in bed from the day of your positive pregnancy test or went hang-gliding every day wouldn\'t have changed things. Its nature\'s way of making sure that when you do have a baby, it has the best chance for all of its life. Miscarriage does not mean that you won\'t be able to get pregnant again.
How Long Will This Bleeding Last?
Blood loss will probably continue for about 7-10 days, tailing off toward the end of this time. It shouldn\'t be heavier than a period, and shouldn\'t have an offensive odour. If you\'re worried, see your GP or practice nurse for some advice. Normally your next period will come by 6 weeks or so. If they were irregular before, then it may be longer. Also, your fertility returns before your next period, so if you feel pregnant again a pregnancy test might be useful.