Motherhood 101: Part Two

Miscarriage is a very scary word. They are fairly common, but hardly anyone talks about them so they seem a lot scarier than they are.

One sister wrote:
We tried all summer long to have a baby and I was pretty frustrated after three months of no luck. I know it is common for couples to have difficulty getting pregnant, but knowing it and accepting it are two very different things. Then I had a miscarriage.

Things I learned from my mom, doctors, and this experience:

• Talk to mom. Chances are she will know what is a normal miscarriage and if you should see a doctor.
• Use a pad because tampons will aggravate the area.
• Have one normal period before trying to have a baby again.
• Pray to not be bitter. The day I found out that the extra bleeding was from a miscarriage my sister-in-law announced that she was two months pregnant. It took me a while to be happy for her.

Another sister wrote:

I have not had a miscarriage, but did recently have an ectopic pregnancy.  It is definitely a very difficult experience to go through, both physically and emotionally.  It is hard to have gone through some of the discomfort and pain of pregnancy without getting the reward of having a beautiful child to make it all worth it.  And it is of course extremely saddening and disappointing to go from expecting a baby and making plans for it to no longer having that.  As with any trial in life, it is so essential to lean on the Lord and trust that his plan for you will work out for the best.  Every person handles loss differently so you have to figure out what will work for you, but I found it can be helpful to actually talk about your experience and your feelings.  Having a close friend or coworker that you can express your feelings to helps you to work through them and it is nice to know that somebody knows what you are going through.  Even if they haven't experienced it themselves, they can still sympathize and be there for you.

Maili pulled together a lot of facts about miscarriage. The rest of this post is from her.

Miscarriage at different times during the pregnancy should be viewed differently.  The first miscarriage a person may encounter happens so early in the pregnancy that most women didn't even know they were pregnant.  This happens when the body realizes the cells of the egg have chromosomal dysfunction and that a baby will never be able to grow or function from it.

Women will commonly miscarriage between weeks 5-15.  The most common cause for miscarriage during this time is horomones. The hormone progestrone is responsible for sustaining and nourishing the endimetrium (lining of the uterus). If there is not enough progestrone in the system then the lining will not be sufficient for an embryo to grow and the body will efficiently dispose of the embryo.  Getting hormones balanced leads to a whole different topic, but there are progestrone creams that can be applied topically to the belly. The cream will continue to ensure that the lining is suitable for embryo growth. For further reading on miscarriage signs and reasons this webpage is fantastic.

After the first trimester the chances of miscarriage dramatically drop. But if a miscarriage happens, see a doctor! The recovery and grieving process are much longer for second or third trimester miscarriages. We pray that none of you will have to deal with this trial. However, sometimes it's important for us to remember that it just may be that the baby's spirit is not ready to come into the world.