What Did I Do To Cause My Miscarriage?
For our readers who may not know, a miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy without obvious cause before the 20th week. Miscarriages usually occur in the first trimester and are more common than many people think – doctors have reported that anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five percent of pregnancies will end in a miscarriage – that is anywhere up to one in four pregnancies.
Most miscarriages have nothing to do with the health or behaviors of the mothers, but occur because the fetus is not developing normally. When you think of how complicated the human body is and all the things that have to occur in specific ways to create a human life, very often problems in the creation of the developing fetus’ genes or chromosomes will occur – and a miscarriage is the body’s natural way of dealing with those problems.
There are certain circumstances that can increase the risk of miscarriage. The risks can be higher for women who:
- Are over the age of 35 when trying to conceive
- Have a history of miscarriages
- Have certain chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, thyroid disease, or blood-clotting problems.
- Smoke cigarettes, use illegal drugs or consume alcohol during the pregnancy
- Have problems with their uterus or cervix
- Use invasive prenatal tests, such as amniocentesis
Unless you fall into one of the risk categories above, there is no reason to think that you did something to cause this miscarriage. In fact, unless there is specific reason for concern, most doctors typically do not start to do any testing or have any cause for concern until a woman has had three miscarriages in a row because they can be so common. However, if you are dealing with any of the risks listed above, or have any other causes for concern, FX recommends that you speak to your doctor with any questions.
If you don't have a doctor and live in northern
While FX does not know how old you are, given that this is website for teenagers, we will go on the basis that you are a teenager who just had a miscarriage. If you are trying to become a mother, FX would like you to seriously think about all of the responsibilities involved in becoming a parent and whether or not you are truly ready for the emotional and financial commitment that having a baby requires. Please read and answer the questions listed in the answer to the question “My Boyfriend Wants A Baby, But I am Not Ready” under the Pregnancy section of the website – and be honest about your answers when you read through this as it takes more than wanting a baby and being a loving person to fully take care of an infant.
If you did not intend on becoming pregnant, please be sure to use a condom and a back-up birth control method such as the pill or patch when you have sex to protect yourself from unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of STDs. You can speak to your doctor about safer sex practices and the best birth control methods for you.
