10 Ways to Prevent Miscarriage

What is Miscarriage

Miscarriage means a pregnancy which ends before the fetus has reached a viable gestation age (usually 20 weeks) due to known or unknown reasons.

Miscarriages are common and almost one in four of all pregnant women will experience it. Early miscarriage or miscarriage in first trimester can go unnoticed as miscarriage bleeding might be mistaken with that of periods.

Causes of Miscarriage

Miscarriage is unavoidable in most of the cases where the underlying cause of miscarriage is chromosomal abnormalities or the structural abnormalities of the uterine cavity.

For the rest, there are some general precautions that can be taken to prevent miscarriages to some extent.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with proper nutrition, a proper BMI (Body Mass Index), awareness of your medical condition, properly planning your pregnancy go a long way in preventing miscarriage.

Here is a list of top 10 ways to prevent miscarriage

1. Folic acid & vitamin Supplements

You can start taking 400 mcg folic acid as soon as you decide to get pregnant (ideally 3 months before conception). Folic acid turns out to be very beneficial in the early stages of pregnancy as it is known to reduce neural tube defects.

Folic acid is also essential in preventing hyperhomocysteinaemia (a condition of high levels of homocysteine) which can cause miscarriage.

2. Quit Smoking

Smoking is a hazard to health whether you are pregnant or not. Smoking increases chances of so many health disorders like various cancer, lung disease, heart disease, etc.

Active as well as passive smoking both are harmful to the child as it is known to cause miscarriage, preterm delivery, low birth weight and even stillborn baby.

Try to abstain from smoking completely as soon as you plan to get pregnant. It's not just the mother who should be quitting but the partner as well.

3. Safe Sex

This might sound funny to talk about safe sex for a pregnant woman but entering pregnancy with STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) can increase your chances of miscarriage.

Some of the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) like chlamydia or syphilis can lead to various complications in pregnancy as severe as miscarriage. 

If you have multiple sexual partners then you should always use a condom. You should also use condoms in case of a new sexual partner unless you are screened for STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections).

4. Restrict Caffeine consumption

More than 4 cups of coffee per day in the initial stages of pregnancy is known to cause miscarriage. So, it is best to restrict caffeine below the recommended levels.

5. Avoid alcohol consumption

 Alcohol consumption can cause a number of birth defects throughout the pregnancy.

Some countries have guidelines for recommended consumption limits in pregnancy but it still comes with some side-effects and hence it is best to avoid it altogether.

6. Maintain a healthy weight

Too low weight or too high weight (overweight or obese – BMI of more than 30) both situations can lead to complications during pregnancy. So you should talk to a medical practitioner for ideas and suggestion to be in ideal weight before planning to get pregnant.

Obesity has been linked to so many complications like preterm birth, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or pregnancy loss.

7. Manage Medical condition

If you have diabetes, hypertension, thyroid or any other autoimmune diseases, it is best to make sure that your levels are within the limits to avoid any complications during pregnancy.

Apart from medications for above-mentioned diseases, any medication even for any small condition should not be taken without physician consent.

8. Maintain a balanced diet

Maintaining a balanced and healthy diet helps in preventing various complications.

A proper diet needs to include more fruits, vegetables, nuts, milk and whole grains. There are some foods which are best to avoid during pregnancy which includes:

• Uncooked or semi-cooked meat or eggs
• Some types of fish varieties
  
• Unpasteurized dairy products, liver or liver products
  
• Some fruits like papaya and pineapple should be avoided especially in 1st trimester
  

9. Stay away from Infections, radiations, etc.

Some of the infections like rubella, STIs, Zika virus etc. are known to cause miscarriage or other birth defects and hence it is best to stay away from them or else get them treated as soon as possible.

Some radiations, X-Rays are also considered harmful for pregnant ladies and should also be avoided.

10. Stay fit (proper sleep & regular exercises)

Moderate exercises and the exercises continued since before pregnancy is generally considered good for you. Should avoid over strenuous exercises or any new exercises.

Walking is considered one of the safest and effective exercise. Proper sleep helps in relaxing your mood and feeling refreshed which is very important for a healthy pregnancy.

Foods that can Cause Miscarriage

Learn about 20 food items which can cause miscarriage.

Foods that can Prevent Miscarriage

Maintaining healthy and nutritious diet can help decrease the chances of miscarriage. Below is the list of 10 foods to include in your daily diet.