Miscarriage Myths

Women fear the possibility of miscarriage, especially those who just found out that they are pregnant with their very first child and have absolutely no experience.  This is very understandable, but because of the many miscarriage myths circulating society and through the media, paranoia and unnecessary precaution are undertaken by these women to be sure that the chances of experiencing a miscarriage are minimal to absolutely 0%.  To give you an idea of what these miscarriage myths are, this article is going to present some of the common myths and beliefs of miscarriage and what can cause a miscarriage to happen.

·      Usually when a doctor declares that you are about to miscarry or have already miscarried, women will immediately believe that they have lost their baby and therefore have lost all hope of having a successful pregnancy.  But in truth, many women have had their pregnancies misdiagnosed but were able to successfully deliver their babies into the world.  It is important therefore to consult your doctor before concluding that you have miscarried and making any drastic decisions.    

·      One of the most popular beliefs is stress being a leading cause of miscarriages.  Though it is possible that stress could lead to a failed pregnancy, it is not possible that the average amount of stress a woman feels during her 36 – 40 weeks of pregnancy will lead to a miscarriage.  In fact, it’s quite unbelievable to assume that a woman would not experience a certain degree of stress during her pregnancy with problems like family issues, fights with the husband, money problems, etc occurring every now and then.  If the woman has clinical or chronic depression and stress though, it could be a factor.   

·      Another popular myth is having sex during pregnancy can cause a miscarriage.  No evidence has been found to link sex to miscarriage and so far there have been no reports of women going into labor prematurely after having sexual intercourse.  Therefore, you should not worry too much about having orgasms and uterine contractions during pregnancy, unless you have been diagnosed with certain conditions like placenta previa.  But of course, it is better to hold the sexual intercourse till the end of the pregnancy if your doctor has advised you to. 

·          Another myth that is spread widely among women is the intake of birth control pills causing miscarriages to happen.  Though it is possible that taking a large dose of these contraceptives during one’s fertile days can work in preventing pregnancy, there is no evidence pointing to birth control pills as a cause of miscarriage, especially in a recognized or established pregnancy.  Some would believe that birth control pills can increase your chances of having a miscarriage in the future, but this is also merely a myth. 

·         One particular miscarriage myth that is taken seriously by most women is having a tilted uterus or a bicornuate or divided uterus.  In this case, most doctors would usually associate a tilted or bicornuate uterus with preterm labor, which could lead to second-trimester miscarriages.  But there are no evidences or findings supporting the idea of this condition leading to a miscarriage.  It is very possible that a woman with this condition can experience preterm labor wherein the baby won’t be able to survive, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that having a tilted or bicornuate uterus can increase your chances of having a miscarriage early in the pregnancy.   

As you can see, some miscarriage myths have a little bit of truth to them while others are pretty well unfounded.  The best way to approach miscarriage is to seek the advice of one’s healthcare provider, especially if you experienced certain unusual signs like vaginal bleeding or cramps during the early weeks of pregnancy.