Experiencing a miscarriage is a very specific experience, and bonding with others who are going through it too can be comforting. It's important to know that you aren't alone, you aren't overreacting, and that your feelings are valid.
Easing Your Miscarriage Fears
Take time to practice mindfulness, meditation, and take some time for yourself. This could include any stress-reducing activities you enjoy like yoga or going for a walk.
Depression and anxiety are common after pregnancy loss. Often there is an “appropriate sadness,” said Reedy, and anxiety that persists for up to a year is not uncommon for either partner. These feelings can be especially intense if the pregnancy was long-awaited.
For many women, miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy is traumatic and has a lasting impact. Given the numbers of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies, the researchers are concerned that this is a hidden public health issue.
This event is often considered to be identical to the death of a child and has been described as traumatic. But the vast majority of those who have suffered both have said they are nothing alike. They describe losing a child as being in a category of its own when it comes to grief.
Even though you lost your child during pregnancy or soon after, you are still a parent. Take care of yourself. Eat well, get good sleep, and pay attention to your thoughts and feelings.
If you miscarry naturally, even in the early weeks of pregnancy, you are likely to have period-like cramps that can be extremely painful. This is because the uterus is tightly squeezing to push its contents out, like it does in labour – and some women do experience contractions not unlike labour.
If a miscarriage happens in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, there's no entitlement to statutory maternity, paternity or parental bereavement leave. However, many people would still consider miscarriage a bereavement.
Nearly 20% of women who experience a miscarriage become symptomatic for depression and/or anxiety; in a majority of those affected, symptoms persist for 1 to 3 years, impacting quality of life and subsequent pregnancies.
Women may experience a roller coaster of emotions such as numbness, disbelief, anger, guilt, sadness, depression, and difficulty concentrating. Even if the pregnancy ended very early, the sense of bonding between a mother and her baby can be strong.
Your hormone levels are rapidly changing after a miscarriage, and mood swings and tears are normal. It may take a bit of time before your body feels normal again. The mind can affect the body and vice versa. Try to take care of your physical and emotional health as best you can.
Gathering around a fire with a close circle of friends and family can be a beautiful way to say goodbye to your baby. You might want to say some words, play a meaningful song or take a moment of silence. You could also write and then burn a letter to your baby during a fire ceremony, as a private way to say goodbye.
While excessive stress isn't good for your overall health, there's no evidence that stress results in miscarriage. About 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage.
Research shows that miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy can lead to lingering post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, and depression — sometimes in male partners, too. It's increasingly recognized that losing a pregnancy can be a heartbreaking event, sometimes leading to depression.
Most miscarriages - 8 out of 10 (80 percent) - happen in the first trimester before the 12th week of pregnancy. Miscarriage in the second trimester (between 13 and 19 weeks) happens in 1 to 5 in 100 (1 to 5 percent) pregnancies. Pregnancy loss that happens after 20 weeks is called stillbirth.
Biologically, men will not experience the full physical impact of a miscarriage like women who was carrying but men can suffer mentally and emotionally. Men may carry guilt as they are not able to understand the true pain and physical discomfort their partner may have experienced.
There are basically no wrong choices here—however a woman emotionally responds to a miscarriage is right for her. "Some people may find solace going back to work—it may take [the miscarriage] off their minds for a while," says Moritz. "Everyone's different. It depends on the person."
There is no law to say when you should or shouldn't return to work after a miscarriage. It's a deeply personal decision and you will have your own view on how soon you need, or feel able, to return to work. Some women find working after pregnancy loss is helpful and find their job to be a welcome distraction.
Although there is no legal requirement to have a burial or cremation, some hospitals offer burials or cremations for miscarried babies. Sometimes a number of babies are buried or cremated together.
What might I feel during a miscarriage? Many women have a miscarriage early in their pregnancy without even realising it. They may just think they are having a heavy period. If this happens to you, you might have cramping, heavier bleeding than normal, pain in the tummy, pelvis or back, and feel weak.
Come up with a new nickname. You could use the nursery room theme you planned/imagined for your baby. For example, Baby Owl, Teddy Bear, Cherry, Little Duckling, Chevy, or Dot.
Most miscarriages happen before 10 weeks gestation. In a very early miscarriage before five weeks, also called a chemical pregnancy, your cramping will probably be only slightly heavier than in a menstrual period. Some women may not have a difference in the amount of cramping.