What is a miscarriage?
Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy in the first 20 weeks. (In medical articles, you may see the term “spontaneous abortion” used in place of miscarriage.) About 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, and more than 80 percent of these losses happen before 12 weeks.
Miscarriages are caused by a variety of factors, including:
• Infection
• Exposure to environmental and workplace hazards such as high levels of radiation or toxic agents
• Hormonal problems
• Uterine abnormalities
• Incompetent cervix (the cervix begins to widen and open too early, in the middle of pregnancy, without signs of pain or labor)
• Lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or using illegal drugs
• Disorders of the immune system, including lupus
• Severe kidney disease
• Diabetes that is not controlled
• Thyroid disease
• Certain medications, such as the acne drug Accutane
• Severe malnutrition
In Western medicine miscarriage is divided into 3 main categories:
Threatened miscarriage- This implies a warning signs and symptoms such as bleeding, low back ache, and cramping. The cervix is still closed, the fetus still presents as viable, and a heart beat is still present.
Inevitable miscarriage- In this situation, miscarriage is imminent or already occurring. The cervix may be partially dilated. The fetus may have stopped developing.
Missed miscarriage- This is when an embryo or fetus dies but doesn’t actually leave the uterus. Often he only signs of it are a loss of pregnancy symptoms and/or brownish discharge. You can confirm a missed miscarriage if your doctor can’t find a heartbeat at your next ultrasound.
Here we will focus on Threatened Miscarriage-
Threatened Miscarriage can be divided into two disease categories in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), “vaginal bleeding during pregnancy” and “restless fetus”.
Difference between “vaginal bleeding during pregnancy” and “restless fetus”-
During the first one, there is a small amount of vaginal bleeding with no other symptoms. On the other hand, when “restless fetus” there is vaginal bleeding plus other symptoms such as backache, abdominal pain, and / or a bearing-down sensation. The threat of miscarriage is higher in the latter situation.
There are different herbs to treat and avoid both cases of miscarriage. In Chinese Herbal Medicine, herbs are almost never use on their own. They combine them with other herbs to create a synergistic effect. Over the millennia that Traditional Chinese Medicine has been used to treat women during pregnancy, various different herbs and herbal formulas have been prescribed to help prevent miscarriage. But please keep in mind that self prescription of herbal medicine can be harmful when used without appropriate clinical guidance! Contact your herbal practitioner if you have any questions regarding the proper use of your Herbal Medicine prescription. It is very important that patients and doctors be aware of potential interactions between Herbal Medicine and other forms of treatment.
In San Diego, we at Reproductive Wellness are known to help women with botanical herbs and other Chinese medicine techniques such as acupuncture. If you are in an early pregnancy stage or have had recurrent miscarriages, do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss your case or to schedule a for a free initial consultation 858 381 2281 or visit their website for more information. We are know as the best professional team specialized in reproductive health.
Reproductive Wellness is functional medicine clinic in San Diego focused on women’s health; helping women with PCOS, fertility problems, miscarriage, pregnancy and postpartum care and other women’s health conditions like irregular periods, menopause, anxiety or digestive disorders, just to name a few.
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