Missed Miscarriage: Will Your Belly Still Grow?
Experiencing a missed miscarriage (also known as a “missed abortion”) can be a confusing and emotionally challenging time. One moment, you're planning for your future baby, and the next moment, you're faced with an unexpected loss. Dr. Caledonia Buckheit explains the definition of a missed miscarriage: “...where a pregnancy stops developing, but that the body doesn’t recognize it yet, so no bleeding or cramping.”. It's natural to have questions about what's happening to your body during this difficult period. Many women wonder if their belly will continue to grow or if they'll still experience pregnancy symptoms....
RPL Meaning and How It Affects Pregnancy
Pregnancy loss is a devastating time in anyone’s life, with about 15% to 20% of pregnancies resulting in miscarriage. Now imagine experiencing multiple pregnancy losses, which is the case for approximately 1% of reproductive-aged women. This is known as recurrent pregnancy loss, or RPL. “Recurrent pregnancy loss is having two or more consecutive first-trimester pregnancy losses,” explains Jessica Ryniec, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at CCRM Fertility in Boston. For women diagnosed with RPL, the effects on their health can be traumatic. Lillian Ostrach, 39, of Flagstaff, AZ, received her RPL diagnosis in March...
Can Sex Cause Miscarriage?
NGL, back when I was pregnant with my daughter, I was afraid to have sex with my husband. Questions like, “Will sexual intercourse harm my baby?” or worse, “Can sex cause miscarriage?” ran through my mind day in and day out. We had spent years trying to conceive, so the last thing I wanted was to jeopardize this precious pregnancy. But since delivering my healthy baby girl, I learned I wasn’t alone in my fears. It’s quite common to experience sex hesitancy while expecting. The good news is that most of my anxieties were completely unfounded....
Miscarriage vs. Stillbirth: Know the Differences
No matter when pregnancy loss occurs, and no matter which word is used to define the experience, it is a crushing time for the intended parents as they navigate their grief. A pregnancy loss is usually described as either a “miscarriage” or a “stillbirth.” Although “a lot of people use these terms interchangeably,” says Dorothy Bestoyong, DO, an OB/GYN based in Orlando, Florida, “the biggest difference between [miscarriage and stillbirth] is the timeframe or gestational age at which the pregnancy loss occurs.” The biggest similarity between miscarriage and stillbirth? Neither should ever be dismissed as a...
Can Stress Trigger a Miscarriage?
Pregnancy loss is a traumatic time for most people, so the last thing anyone wants to hear is the word “stress” in the same sentence as “miscarriage.” At the same time, this topic warrants discussion, if anything, to avoid the spread of misinformation. While increased stress can potentially cause some health issues in pregnancy, let's be clear: Stress itself can't trigger a miscarriage. First of all, it’s always important to remember some basic facts about miscarriage, which is the loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week. According to the Mayo Clinic, about 10% to 20%...
Experiencing a miscarriage is a scary and painful time, filled with a rollercoaster of emotions — sadness, fear, loneliness — plus all those uncomfortable and often unfamiliar physical symptoms, like blood clots. The presence of blood clots, particularly very large ones, can trigger feelings of worry and anxiety. And if you’re unfamiliar with what to expect during a miscarriage, this adds another layer of confusion and concern. We’ve talked with Massachusetts-based physician Jessica Ryniec, MD, a double board-certified OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist, to help you understand what's normal or not when it comes to blood clots...
The Miscarriage Reassurer: To Use or Not to Use
Pregnancy can be a time of immense joy, but it can also be accompanied by intense worry and anxiety, especially for those who have experienced loss before. In the digital age, we have access to various online tools designed to provide information and reassurance. One such resource that has gained popularity is the Miscarriage Reassurer. But what exactly is this tool, and should expectant parents rely on it? Let's dive in, so you can manage your expectations as best as possible during pregnancy. What is the Miscarriage Reassurer? The Miscarriage Reassurer, developed by Datayze, is an...
Chemical Pregnancy vs. Miscarriage: The Facts
Finding out your pregnancy is nonviable can be one of the most devastating experiences for an intended parent. Adding to this pain are the multiple — and sometimes confusing — ways pregnancy loss can manifest in the first place. Words like “miscarriage,” “spontaneous abortion,” and “early pregnancy loss” tend to be used interchangeably to describe a nonviable pregnancy within the first 12 weeks. But there’s another term that’s also synonymous with pregnancy loss called a chemical pregnancy that denotes a specific type of early miscarriage. So, what is a chemical pregnancy? “A chemical or biochemical pregnancy is a...
How To Heal Emotionally From a Miscarriage With Meditation
Experiencing a miscarriage can be one of the most emotionally devastating times in a person’s life. The grief, guilt, and sense of emptiness can feel overwhelming, leaving many individuals and couples struggling to find a path toward healing. While nothing can take the pain away, in recent years, meditation has emerged as a powerful tool for emotional recovery after such a profound loss. So, how exactly can mindfulness and meditation help you get on the path to healing? Read on for practical tips from an expert in the field. Miscarriage affirmations: Your first step to mindfulness...
Pregnancy After Loss: Mindful Healing
Let’s face it: pregnancy after loss can make for a complex and emotionally charged nine months. While the joy of a new pregnancy is undeniable, it often comes intertwined with a wide range of feelings stemming from past grief. First, it’s crucial to recognize that these difficult (and often opposing) emotions are completely normal and valid. However, there are ways to honor these feelings while also making room for joy and happiness on your pregnancy journey. Read on for expert tips on incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine during pregnancy after loss. Understanding the emotional complexity...
What Is a Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy?
Pregnancy will always be synonymous with a whirlwind of emotions – joy, fear, stress, excitement, to name a few. And sometimes, heartbreak weasels its way into this momentous time of your life in the form of an ectopic pregnancy. While it’s difficult to talk about, it’s worth arming yourself with the facts about this condition, because ectopic pregnancy is the most common cause of U.S. maternal mortality in the first trimester. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of the endometrial cavity instead of attaching to the lining of the uterus. In about...
TTC After Loss Guide: How To Know When You’re Ready
When an athlete returns after a serious injury, sports broadcasters share emotional stories about their resilience and determination. Fans celebrate the return of an athlete who represents the deeply human experience of overcoming adversity. Sure, an athletic comeback story is something to be celebrated, but you know who deserves even more recognition? Women who embark on the journey to conceive again after experiencing pregnancy loss. It takes tremendous courage to try again after a loss — and “getting back in the game” isn’t always as simple as it sounds. In this guide, we help you...
Three days after my D&C from a missed miscarriage, I walked the beach with my mom. It was a sunny May morning, the kind of day that tells you summer’s on the way — but all I could see were dark, heavy clouds looming overhead. We were wading in the water and collecting shells when I found a dime with my birth year. I had no doubt it was a sign from someone or something much bigger than me… a reminder to have hope, even at my lowest point. I’d been through a miscarriage before,...
Ovulation After Miscarriage: Insights & Tips From an OB/GYN
If you’ve experienced any form of pregnancy loss, the first thing to do is to give yourself grace. It’s crucial during this devastating time to embrace as many resources as you need, for both your physical and mental healing. You’re allowed to grieve, rest, and nourish your body, for as much time as it takes to feel better. Accept support from loved ones, and know that you’re not alone (about 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage). But when you’re ready to try to conceive once more, it can be challenging to know...
How To Prepare for a Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Workup
Trying to understand recurrent pregnancy loss is often taxing. There are a lot of questions but very few answers. You are overwhelmed with curiosity about what may happen next while also navigating the grief of the loss you’ve just experienced. It’s a lot. The load can get heavy pretty quickly if you’re one of the women who have navigated two or more miscarriages in a row. “It is always important for couples to recognize the level of grief and anxiety that occurs with each pregnancy loss,” explains Dr. Sandy Goodman, a board-certified OB/GYN and fertility specialist...
This week, the topic of conversation at the Supreme Court was the “abortion pill” or mifepristone. Mifepristone is one of two pills that doctors typically prescribe for medical abortions. According to CNN, two-thirds of all abortions in the United States are medicated abortions. On Tuesday, March 26th, the Supreme Court heard arguments on the pill, how it is currently prescribed, and whether it should be banned nationwide. While the Supreme Court will not issue a decision on the case until early this summer, the arguments alone have reignited a conversation around access to abortion and...
Abortion Is Pregnancy Loss, And We Need to Talk About It
The loss of a baby during pregnancy is traumatic. It doesn’t matter when or how it happens. In my experience, an early loss is the loss of your hopes and plans for the future, while a later loss is that and the loss of a loved one whom you’ve shared your body with for months; you’ve felt them living inside you and are attached — literally and otherwise. Both are a loss of time, which is no small thing for women in their late 30’s and 40’s. All are physically traumatic for the mother —...
Can Boric Acid Cause Miscarriage?
If you’re pregnant and find yourself endlessly scrolling through online forums, you’re not alone. Not by a long shot. With so many dos and don’ts in pregnancy, it’s understandable if you’re not totally sure what’s what. But there’s one question in particular that we’ve seen come up a lot: Can boric acid cause miscarriage? The short answer is… probably not. But that doesn’t make boric acid safe for pregnancy. Here’s what you need to know. What is boric acid? Boric acid is a white power used in hundreds of over-the-counter products, from soil fertilizers to...
11 Thoughtful Miscarriage Gifts for a Loved One
When a loved one experiences a pregnancy loss, it can feel like there aren’t enough words in the world that could ease their pain. Sending a gift, no matter how small, can help your loved one through a painful and challenging time and show them that they are not alone. Miscarriage gifts: A little bit goes a long way Below are 11 thoughtful miscarriage gifts we’d recommend for anyone grieving a pregnancy loss. 1. Make daily tasks a little easier Grief can make mundane tasks like cooking or cleaning feel impossible. Ease this burden with...
It’s Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month, and to Amanda Zurawski, “Abortion Is Healthcare. Plain and Simple.”
When we talk about abortion rights in a post-Roe world, we often talk about the importance of reproductive choice. As we should: Giving people, particularly people with uteruses, autonomy over their bodies is absolutely crucial — frankly, it feels dystopian to have to even make that point. But the need for universal abortion access isn’t always about choice. Sometimes, people who very much want to carry out their pregnancies are abortion patients — and it’s time we include them in the conversation. Their stories highlight a crucial point: In our post-Roe world, we can’t just...