| Losing a baby through a miscarriage is a devastating | | | | vaginosis, an infection that makes a pregnant woman |
| experience. The decision to try again to conceive | | | | five times more likely to experience a late miscarriage |
| afterward may have been a difficult one to make, but | | | | or premature birth. Other infections include Chlamydia, |
| there is a very good chance you will be successful. | | | | toxoplasmosis, herpes, and mycoplasma hominis. Many |
| Doctors and fertility experts agree that one | | | | of these conditions show no immediate symptoms, |
| miscarriage does not guarantee a second one in the | | | | which is why it is essential to be screened and treated |
| future. Even women who have miscarried more than | | | | before trying to conceive again. |
| once have a 75% chance of conceiving again. | | | | Increase your intake of folic acid |
| Although there is no treatment that can give you 100% | | | | According to Sweden's Karolinska Institute, one |
| protection from future miscarriages, you can increase | | | | common nutrition-related cause of miscarriages is low |
| your chances of getting pregnant after miscarriage by | | | | levels of folic acid. This B-vitamin is essential for proper |
| taking good care of your body and yourself. | | | | embryo development and cell growth, which can |
| Possible causes | | | | explain why a lack of folic acid contributes to |
| The most common causes of miscarriage are due to | | | | miscarriages due to chromosomal abnormalities. A |
| chromosomal problems in the embryo, physical defects | | | | deficiency in folic acid is also connected to low blood |
| in the uterus, immune system dysfunctions, or a | | | | supply to the placenta, hypertension, and placental |
| hormonal imbalance. However, it's very likely that | | | | separation during pregnancy, which place the mother |
| pollutants, the medicines we take, and poor nutrition | | | | at high risk of miscarriage. Doctors recommend |
| played a role in its occurrence. For instance, | | | | consuming at least 400mcg of folic acid before trying |
| chromosomal defects can be caused by a deficiency | | | | to conceive. You can obtain folic acid from sources |
| in the trace mineral selenium. This mineral, which can | | | | such as green leafy vegetables, beans, whole grains |
| be found in many green vegetables, protects the body | | | | or pre-natal vitamins which contain the recommended |
| from pollutants and toxins that can do DNA damage. | | | | daily allowance of the nutrients needed for a healthy |
| Researchers discovered that women who miscarried | | | | pregnancy. |
| have lower levels of selenium in their blood than | | | | Observe food safety techniques |
| women who have successfully delivered babies. | | | | Two kinds of food-borne bacteria called listeria and T. |
| Seemingly harmless over-the-counter drugs can also | | | | gondii can cause an infection called toxoplasmosis |
| increase the risk of miscarrying. A study by Kaiser | | | | known to induce early miscarriage. Listeria can be |
| Permanente from San Francisco discovered that 24% | | | | found in unpasteurized milk products, undercooked |
| of women who took aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen | | | | meat, and soft cheeses, while T. gondii can be found in |
| miscarried before the 20th week of their pregnancy | | | | undercooked meat and unwashed fruits or vegetables. |
| versus a 15% miscarriage rate among women who | | | | Toxoplasmosis itself only causes flu-like symptoms in |
| didn't take these drugs. Although this phenomenon has | | | | the mother, but it can be passed on to a growing baby |
| to be examined more closely by other researchers, | | | | and cause a miscarriage, birth defects, or retardation. |
| the study theorized that these drugs suppress the | | | | Fortunately, this infection can be prevented by |
| production of prostaglandins. These hormone-like | | | | following basic food safety techniques. Always wash |
| substances participate in pain-signaling, but they are | | | | your hands before you prepare food or handle raw |
| also required for a fertilized egg to successfully implant | | | | meats. All fruits and vegetables must also be washed |
| itself onto the uterus. | | | | under running water before consuming. Cook all your |
| Even fertility drugs can provoke miscarriages. Clomid is | | | | meat and poultry until they are well done, and reheat all |
| known to, in some cases, interfere with the uterine | | | | leftovers until they steam. Never use a microwave to |
| lining and prevent a fertilized egg from implanting itself. | | | | reheat food because this will not kill bacteria. |
| And with gonadotrophin treatment, which is another | | | | Maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise |
| technique to stimulate ovulation, a similar phenomenon | | | | Studies show that women who are overweight or |
| has also been observed. So even if these fertility | | | | obese before pregnancy are more likely to experience |
| drugs increase the chances of conceiving, they also | | | | a miscarriage or other complications like hypertension, |
| ironically increase the odds of a failed pregnancy. | | | | gestational diabetes, and pre-eclampsia. If you are |
| Remedies against future miscarriages | | | | overweight, speak with a nutritionist and ask for a diet |
| Miscarriages are caused by factors beyond your | | | | plan that can help you obtain a healthy weight. Do not |
| control, but there are some simple things you can do to | | | | go on a crash diet because the sudden weight loss will |
| increase the odds of a successful and trouble-free | | | | deplete your body of nutrients needed for a healthy |
| pregnancy. | | | | pregnancy. Regular exercise is good too, but make |
| Have a pre-conception examination | | | | sure you do not overdo it; strenuous exercise places |
| Before attempting to conceive after a miscarriage, visit | | | | the body under stress, which makes it more difficult to |
| your gynecologist or physician for a pre-conception | | | | conceive. |
| examination. This exam will actually involve a series of | | | | You can conceive after a miscarriage |
| tests to check if you have infections or underlying | | | | Going through a miscarriage may have been painful |
| health problems that can threaten your pregnancy. | | | | and traumatic, but that doesn't mean that your next |
| Many miscarriages are caused by infections that need | | | | pregnancy will end the same way. As long as you |
| to be treated before you conceive again, or severe | | | | take good care of yourself and follow your doctor's |
| infections that just happened to occur during the early | | | | advice, you too have an excellent chance of giving |
| part of pregnancy. One of these is called bacterial | | | | birth to a healthy baby. |