SUPPORTING WOMEN THROUGH PREGNANCY AND MISCARRIAGE

One of the most honourable parts of my work is helping couples trying to fall pregnant. I’m one of the first people to know when there is a positive pregnancy, including the partner and close family.

Supporting women through the most vulnerable time in their pregnancy, from conception to 12 weeks pregnant is so deeply intimate. Society leads us to believe that pregnancy should be kept a secret when in reality it’s the time when you need to the most support. It can be a wonderful time to celebrate, honour the baby’s landing and welcome them in - but instead, it’s often kept secret.

I remember when I fell pregnant with my first child Sonny, it was before the harmony test and early scanning. I couldn’t quite believe I had to wait until I was 12 weeks pregnant to see a medical practitioner. It seemed like a lifetime waiting to see someone to guide me. It can be a lonely, vulnerable and sometimes scary time for women. The instinct is to keep yourself and the baby safe, so often women take the internet for support and information.

Because of this tendency to keep things secret, many couples go through miscarriage completely alone. They are told not to share the news with too many people in case you lose the baby. Did you know that 12- 15 % of all clinically recognised pregnancies end in miscarriage?

There are many reasons for miscarriage, some known and some still unknown. I believe that every woman should be screened for the obvious causes of miscarriage before they even start trying for a baby, but the medical profession believes there is only a cause for concern after you have had 3 miscarriages. 3 MISCARRIAGES? That is so much trauma for one woman, it’s horrendous.

The known reasons for miscarriage are:

·      Chromosomal abnormalities – i.e the baby wouldn’t have been able to survive outside of the womb

·      Embryo quality

·      Sperm quality

·      Progesterone deficiency

·      Auto-immunity – undiagnosed hypothyroidism, diabetes, thrombophilia, NK cells and environmental factors

·      Anatomical reasons – uterine abnormalities, intrauterine adhesions, uterine fibroids, endometrial polyps, cervical insufficiency

There are naturopathic approaches that can support most of the concerns mentioned above. If you or someone you know is suffering from multiple miscarriages, please share this or reach out for an appointment, I would love to support you.

Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash