Many women report feeling guilty after a miscarriage and a lot of these feelings of guilt originate from common misconceptions about what causes a miscarriage. It’s an unfortunate fact that lots of people still believe in long debunked concepts about what can cause a miscarriage.
Whether you are wondering if you were the cause of your miscarriage, or are looking more information on whether a miscarriage can be avoided, we have 7 facts about pregnancy you probably didn’t know.
1. Most human pregnancies end in miscarriage
As many as 1 in 4 human pregnancies end in miscarriage. This is through no fault of the mother, and something that no medical professional can predict or prevent. It is simply an unfortunate fact of life that many early pregnancies spontaneously abort.
2. Genetic abnormalities are the most common cause of miscarriage
Up to 70% of first trimester miscarriages spontaneously end due to a gene “glitch”. A failure within the chromosomes that may cause a miscarriage does not mean that there is anything wrong with the mother’s uterus, nor that the next pregnancy will be affected either.
3. A glass of wine is not going to end a pregnancy
A few glasses of wine or beer before realizing you were pregnant is not going to cause a miscarriage. Though alcohol does raise the risk of miscarriage, the amount of alcohol you have to expose yourself to after finding out you’re pregnant is much more than a casual glass of wine before the test came back positive.
4. Too much caffeine can be a contributing factor
Women who consume 200 milligrams or more of caffeine each day (two cups of coffee or 5 cans of soda) can raise their risk of miscarriage. While you don’t have to go cold turkey with your caffeine consumption, limit it to one cup or can of soda, or switch to tea.
5. Exercise does not cause miscarriage
If you were working out before your pregnancy, you can safely continue to do so under the supervision of a doctor. It will not increase your risk of a miscarriage and can actually be beneficial to your pregnancy in that it lowers stress, increases your endurance, and can help strengthen your pelvic floor.
6. Average stress levels aren’t a risk
Daily stress, like work and general anxiety, will not cause a miscarriage. The levels of stress required to affect a pregnancy are catastrophic, like the death of a partner or family member. All the same, yoga and meditation have been shown to be very beneficial for pregnant women.
7. You can try again as soon as you get your next period
Once you get your next period and the doctor confirms all is looking well, you can start trying again. Once you are pregnant again, you can use something like http://www.bloomlife.com/ to help you better track your pregnancy. This will help you provide more accurate information to your healthcare professionals, and help you understand more about what’s happening in your pregnancy in real-time.