How to deal with a miscarriage

Having a miscarriage can be one of the most painful and traumatic experiences any woman can go through. That is because from the minute a woman learns that she is expecting, she starts bonding with her child.

Sadly, not all pregnancies make it to full term. According to statistics, 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage.

Here are some tips to help you through this difficult time:

Acceptance
One of the first steps in dealing with a miscarriage is accepting that it has happened. While this is going to be difficult, it will be easier to move on once you have come to terms with the situation.

Do not blame yourself
The worst thing you can do is blame yourself for the miscarriage. Wondering if doing things differently could have saved your baby will only hurt you.

“There is nothing a woman can do to prevent a miscarriage, especially the ones that happen within the first three months. They are related to severe abnormalities of the pregnancy,” says Dr C Mosetlhe, a gynaecologist.

“There is no treatment we have to prevent a miscarriage. The treatment we have reduces the risk of it happening  and we do not guarantee that the pregnancy will stay,” he added.

Know you are not alone
There are millions of women in the world who have had miscarriages, and just because you had a miscarriage doesn’t mean you should stop trying for a baby.

Don't give up hope
“The challenge some women face is not knowing whether after trying again they will be successful or not, but in most cases, people do fall pregnant again,” Mosetlhe says.

According to a study published in journal BMJ, women who conceive within six months after a miscarriage are more likely to have a healthy pregnancy.