Getting Pregnant After Miscarriage

Trying to conceive after a miscarriage can be scary and confusing. Your second attempt at pregnancy might be marked with more pessimism than hope because you fear that this too will end in a miscarriage. Although it’s perfectly normal to feel this way, remember that you have at least a 70% chance of getting pregnant after miscarriage. You can increase the odds of success by arming yourself with information – what caused the miscarriage and what you can do to prevent it.

Many women look past stress as a cause of miscarriage, especially if they never had a stressful life before getting pregnant. However, stress due to work or physical activity is not the only risk factor of miscarrying; the emotional stress of a previous miscarriage can make a next one more likely. Taking care of your emotional, mental and spiritual health can increase your chances of conceiving successfully.

The science behind stress and miscarriage

Since lifestyle and environmental factors have an impact on fertility, it makes sense to say that the stress we experience can affect our bodily system, including the reproductive system. There is a lot of scientific evidence to back this up. When you are feeling stress, your brain releases several stress hormones, including cortisol. Cortisol is known to affect the production and inhibit the performance of sex hormones, which can delay menstrual cycles or cause contractions that make implantation difficult. A team of doctors from the University of Michigan discovered that 90% of the pregnancies they studied had miscarriages during the first three weeks of their pregnancy. When blood tests were done, they found that 90% had high levels of cortisol.

More definitive evidence on stress and miscarriage was found by a team of researchers from Tufts University. Their study, which was published in the June 2003 issue of the journal Endocrinology, aimed to find a cause of unexplained miscarriages in order to help prevent them. It turns out that aside from cortisol, the body releases a hormone called corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) during times of stress. Previous studies have shown that women who had premature births or babies with low birth weight have high amounts of CRH in their blood. Unlike cortisol, which is produced by the hypothalamus, CRH is also produced in the uterus and placenta in order to make the uterus contract during delivery.

The researchers discovered that CRH can also be released in other areas of the body, where it attacks mast cells. These are the cells responsible for triggering allergic reactions, and it so happens that the uterus contains a host of mast cells. Under moments of stress, the presence of CRH enables mast cells to release substances that can induce a miscarriage. This was discovered when 23 women who had multiple miscarriages had very high levels of CRH in their uterine mast cells.

Take care of your emotional health

Trying to relax after a miscarriage might seem easier said than done, especially if you’re still going through the maze of loss. However, there is a lot you can do to reduce stress the next time you conceive.

*Acknowledge your feelings and talk about them. It’s perfectly normal to feel scared, pessimistic, or worried that your next pregnancy might not turn out well. But it won’t do you any good to deny these feelings or keep them bottled up inside you. Talk to your spouse about what you are going through, or see a therapist to help you cope with your loss. A support group can also provide the encouragement and healing you need.

*Distract yourself with a new hobby. Instead of worrying about your next pregnancy, why not spend your energies on a creative venture? If there’s a particular project or hobby you’ve always wanted to take up, now is the perfect time to do so. Keeping yourself busy with a fulfilling activity will help you heal and keep you relaxed.

*Pamper yourself. It’s okay to splurge on small luxuries if it will make you feel better. Get away from the stress of everyday life and locate yourself in a more peaceful place. Go to the spa and get a relaxing full-body massage, or spend a weekend with your spouse at a cozy hotel out of town.