The fear of a miscarriage is real. From the day the doctor confirms a pregnancy, the expectant mother experiences the worst fear of her life. The worst part is that no expecting mother is immune to the risk of miscarriages.
Around 10% to 20% of pregnancies end up in miscarriages. Some miscarriages may happen right after conception, even before the mother is aware of the pregnancy. There is no foolproof way to reduce the chances of miscarriage or stay away from it. One of the main causes of miscarriage is the lack of enough progesterone in the female body carrying the child. Therefore, doctors may recommend a progesterone supplement as a medicine to prevent miscarriage in the first trimester.
All you can do is to prepare yourself be more conscious about your pregnancy. Stay away from believing myths and adopt only scientific facts. It is always the best idea to stay in touch with gynecologists and be under supervision. If you have already had the experience of miscarriage before, your doctor shall advise for extra care during the gestational term.
Apart from the medicines and supplements your gynecologist prescribes, there is also a list of food that avoids miscarriage. For example, leafy vegetables supply the mother’s body with enough folate for a healthy pregnancy and can prevent miscarriage. Our article focuses on helping you understand how food items readily available near you can help prevent a miscarriage to a certain extent. Read on to know more-
What is Miscarriage?
A miscarriage is the unwanted ending of a pregnancy. Miscarriage is an unexpected biological incident through which the growing fetus dies. It is also termed spontaneous abortion. Multiple factors lead to miscarriage. Many of these reasons stem from chromosomal abnormalities that force the fetus to abort.
Most incidents of miscarriages occur during the early weeks of pregnancy (usually in the first trimester). Studies show that almost 10 percent of pregnancies end up in miscarriages before the completion of the 20th week. If you are thinking about how to prevent miscarriage, the answer is- you cannot completely prevent a miscarriage. You can just be cautious and take some steps to prevent it from happening. There are certain ways in which you can mitigate the risk of miscarriage.
How Does Miscarriage Happen?
Various reasons may lead to a miscarriage. Most miscarriages occur if there is any genetic abnormality in the fetus. Such anomalies are difficult and mostly impossible to treat. So, for the types of miscarriages, there are usually no remedies. Several remedies may come up when you ask how to prevent miscarriage in the first trimester? But, not many of these really work for pregnancy with genetic abnormalities.
It is important to understand the science behind miscarriage so that you can stop believing in myths and focus on facts. In most cases, the doctors are not able to find out the exact cause of a miscarriage. However, there are certain causes of miscarriage in the first trimester:
Chromosomal Mutations
Also called genetic abnormalities, this is the major cause of miscarriages. If there is some chromosomal abnormality in the growing fetus, the mother’s body will detect it and end the pregnancy spontaneously.
Ectopic Pregnancy
The fetus starts developing outside the uterus. This condition may require medical intervention. The fetus in natural conditions receives all the nutrition from the uterus and cannot survive outside the uterus.
Placental Abnormality
Sometimes, the placenta is not compatible with the growing fetus. Also, there may be uterine defects and abnormalities of several types. Both of these conditions lead to miscarriages. There may be fibroids in the uterus that causes miscarriages.
Autoimmune Disorders
Various autoimmune conditions such as lupus or erythroblastosis fetalis can cause miscarriages. In these medical situations, the cells of the fetus’s body act as allergens to the mother’s body. The mother’s body produces antibodies against it, and the fetus gets terminated by itself.
Lifestyle Disorders
Many lifestyle problems like thyroid or diabetes can lead to miscarriages. Other than these, smoking and high consumption of alcohol and substance abuse may lead to miscarriages. There might also be certain infections (STD or Food-Borne infections) that can lead to miscarriage. Read about some lifestyle changes to boost your overall health.
Anti Phospholipid Syndrome
The lack of phospholipids characterizes this rare condition and leads to the formation of blood clots in the uterus. The clots terminate the pregnancy leading to miscarriage.
How to Avoid Miscarriage?
If you are in a dilemma about how to prevent miscarriage in the first trimester, here are a few ways for you:
Focus on Folic Acid
Ensure that your diet supplies your body with enough folic acid. A minimum of 400 mcg of daily folic acid is needed for a healthy pregnancy to continue. Apart from folic acid tablets, green leafy vegetables and whole grains are good sources of folic acid.
Eat well-balanced meals
Your food must have all the components in the right amount. Your daily diet must contain all the goodies, from the macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to the micronutrients like vitamins and trace elements like minerals. Try to incorporate everything natural and organic into your diet.
Sleep Enough
Sleep properly and stay away from anxiety and frustration. Good sleep will help you stay away from stress and anxiety. Stress hormones such as cortisol can be harmful to the growing baby. To limit the amount of stress hormone released in the body, ensure you stay happy and motivated.
Goodbye to Caffeine and Alcohol
Lead a healthy lifestyle and eliminate alcohol and tobacco consumption. Alcohol and tobacco are potential causes of miscarriages. Quit both first-hand and passive smoking. Caffeinated beverages may also be harmful to health. So, be sure not to drink too much caffeine. A cup of coffee at the max can be permissible.
Exercise Wisely
Take care of your movements. Heavy weight lifting may be dangerous. Ensure that you take special care of the abdominal region during pregnancy. Though taking the stairs is great for your health, avoid overdoing yourself. Consult your gynecologist and trainer before doing pregnancy exercises.
Move freely but avoid heavy movements. 10 minutes of light to moderate exercise, brisk walking, mediation, and yoga are perfect during pregnancy. Watch out for your postures.
Get your Shots
Get immunized with the flu shots and vaccines. Infections such as rubella are transmitted through the placenta and lead to the death of the newborn. It is important to get vaccinated with all the flu shots and other scheduled vaccines during pregnancy to avoid chances of a miscarriage.
Keep a Healthy Weight
Obesity is a lifestyle disorder that can lead to miscarriages. If your body mass index rises over 30 during pregnancy, it is high time you take active steps to reduce weight. Consult your doctor immediately to lose weight. Losing weight in pregnancy is difficult because you cannot enter into random crash diet regimes. There are healthy ways – right food and proper exercise.
Quit Smoking
Tobacco fumes are highly harmful if inhaled. Neither should the pregnant lady smoke nor should she turn up to be a passive smoker. Take special care not to be in the vicinity of anyone who smokes. If you are addicted to narcotics, take help from clinical physicians to take up anti-narcotic treatment. The same applies to alcohol consumption as well. Alcohol of no type is suitable for a pregnant lady.
Avoid Certain Food
Many myths revolve around which food is suitable during pregnancy and which ones to avoid. However, scientifically, there are some food and beverages exist that can threaten your fetus’s life. They are:
- Raw or uncooked fish and meat
- High mercury fish like salmon
- Raw sprouts
- Organ meat
- Unpasteurized milk
- Sesame Seeds
- Pineapple
- Crabs
- Papaya
- Peach
- Processed meat products like sausages
- Seafood
Each of the items has some elements that can injure the fetus’s normal growth and lead to premature termination of the pregnancy.
Daily Yoga
Indian Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of various yogic asanas like Pavanmuktasan, Vajrasana, and Parvatasana for pregnant moms. The light and brisk yogic postures are perfect for keeping the uterine muscles active and calming the mind. It helps the expectant mother to stay active, rejuvenated, and feel fresh and light. 5 minutes of pranayama every morning can infuse a healthy spirit in the mother.
Meditation to Avoid Stress
Stress is a counterpart of pregnancy, especially if the woman is going to face childbirth for the first time. During meditation, you can connect with your soul and avoid negative thoughts. Meditation also helps to build focus and concentration. Meditation is a fantastic way to feel confident about yourself and stay composed. Meditation is the need of the hour if any pregnant mom feels anxious or restless. It will cleanse the soul and often give you the mental strength needed for pregnancy.
Flush Out Toxins from Body
Toxin build-up causes innumerable problems to the body during pregnancy. Thus, avoiding food that can cause toxins to build up, such as junk and processed food is essential. It is essential to rejuvenate your body with antioxidants during pregnancy. Lime water can be an excellent way to induce toxin flush out.
In regular life, many people consume aloe vera juice to flush out toxins from the body. But it is not recommended during pregnancy. You can eat seasonal fruits to make up for the antioxidant demand of the body. Fruits will also help the body with a good boost of vitamins.
Eat Progesterone Rich Food
Are you thinking of how to avoid miscarriage? Eat progesterone-rich food. Progesterone is one of the most important hormones to keep up with healthy and safe pregnancy. Progesterone-rich food can be a natural way to help prevent miscarriage. The food with rich sources of natural progesterone are:
- Broccoli
- Leafy Vegetables
- Avocado
- Almond
- Spinach
- Kale
- Brussels Sprout
- Lentils
- Pumpkin
- Yogurt
These food items help boost the body’s natural level of progesterone. Progesterone helps the female body to keep up with a safe pregnancy.
Healthy and Hygienic Practices
Avoid ionizing radiations like excessive Xrays or any other ionizing radiation. These can cause chromosomal mutations in the fetus leading to miscarriage. Practice hygienic practices. Infections in the mother’s body are a prime cause of stillbirth. Practice good hand hygiene.
Wash your hands thoroughly before and after eating food and abstain from being near anyone who is sick. During this phase, women are vulnerable and susceptible to catching infection and flu. Also, sanitize your hands after touching objects of common use, such as door knobs or toilets.
Be careful with what you touch and in which environment you live. Live in aerated rooms that allow enough entry of sunlight.
Conclusion
Miscarriage is an unexpected event. There are hardly any foolproof scientific ways to prevent miscarriage. However, you can take certain steps to reduce the chances of miscarriage. A safe and hygienic lifestyle with a healthy diet and regular exercise will help lead to a healthy pregnancy.
There is a concept of vitamin supplementation during pregnancy that can help prevent miscarriage. However, this context needs more scientific research. Recent studies show that vitamin B3 can be an excellent natural source to prevent miscarriages.