Whether your pregnancy is planned or unplanned, a miscarriage is a traumatic experience. The spontaneous, unexpected loss of the baby’s life in the early stages of pregnancy can be absolutely heart breaking. And sadly, miscarriages are more common than anyone would hope.
Overall, for women in their childbearing years, the chances of having a miscarriage are 10-25%.
Physicians generally define a miscarriage as the loss of a baby before the 20th week of pregnancy. Many miscarriages occur very early on, before the mother even knows she’s pregnant. In fact, so-called chemical pregnancies, which can only be confirmed through hormone tests, account for 50-75% of all miscarriages.
The causes of miscarriage are varied, and most miscarriages are unpreventable, resulting from genetic abnormalities in the fetus. Other times, a miscarriage can result from environmental factors or health issues within the mother. This is where you may be able to make preemptive choices that literally save your child’s life.
Here are just a few steps you can take to reduce your risk of having a miscarriage1…
1. Quit drinking alcohol and/or smoking
Among many other health issues, drinking alcohol and smoking are linked to increased risk of miscarriage. Quitting both before you are pregnant – or at least immediately after you become pregnant, can have positive health impacts for you and your baby.
2. Eat healthy
Healthy body weight accompanied by a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can lower your risk of miscarriage while also contributing to optimal blood sugar levels. You should also take precautions when preparing meals, as listeria, salmonella and other food-borne illnesses are associated with increased miscarriage risk.
3. Get prenatal care
See a medical professional as soon as you suspect you may be pregnant. Once the pregnancy is confirmed with a medical pregnancy test, you can start getting valuable prenatal care. A prenatal medical exam may uncover health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, STDs or other conditions that could put your baby at risk.
If you believe you may be pregnant, Sira can help you confirm your pregnancy with a free medical pregnancy test and put you on the path to good prenatal health.
Contact Sira in Gainesville today at 352-377-4947.
1Source: 10 Things You Can Do Right Now to Reduce Your Risk of Pregnancy Loss
