 Coping
with miscarriage
One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage but, while everyone is happy to talk about
pregnancy and babies, the topic of miscarriage is still shrouded in
secrecy. We talk to nine women about their experiences and explore how to
cope with a miscarriage...
Coping with the loss of a baby can be incredibly hard - both for
the women and the partner involved. But on top of the grief, dealing
with other people's reactions can also make matters worse, which is
why increasing miscarriage awareness is so important.
Friends, relatives and health professionals are all part of the
coping process and they need to know how to best offer support, understanding and acknowledgment that a baby
has been lost.
There is hope for those who have suffered a miscarriage; most women who miscarry do not
miscarry again. And, according to research verified by the Miscarriage Association, most
women who suffer several miscarriages can still go on to have a successful pregnancy.
There are a range of possible factors that may play a part in
miscarriage, and an
intensive two-year study looking at miscarriage risks is currently in
place. Potential risks include caffeine, alcohol, smoking, air travel,
stress and your occupation, although none of these have been fully
proven yet.
The Miscarriage Association's director Ruth Bender Atik hopes that
the research will pinpoint any clear risk factors women should avoid while pregnant to reduce the
chance of miscarriage She also hopes to offer reassurance by being able to eliminate any
factors currently thought to be risks
but proven by the research not to be.
Personal accounts:
We would like to thank the babyworld members who agreed to talk about
these difficult times in their lives, in the hope that it might help others. Names have
been changed.
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