Recurrent pregnancy loss is when a woman suffers more than 2 miscarriages in her reproductive life. Many of these women give up hope and tend to give up trying to conceive. But there is hope and medical science has evolved enough to be able to help these women carry their pregnancy up to term.
Many women have miscarriages at some point in life. Miscarriages can happen due to varied reasons. Moreover, having a miscarriage doesn’t mean a woman will have another miscarriage if she tries for pregnancy again. But some women suffer more than one miscarriage, and this can be referred to as recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). They tend to get worried that something is grossly wrong with them or they have done something wrong during their pregnancy. RPL is often a natural process and has an underlying cause that is treatable.
We spoke to Dr Ritu Hinduja, Fertility Consultant at Nova IVF Fertility to understand more about RPL and what can be done in the case of it. Here’s what she had to say:
If you are having recurrent pregnancy loss then the underlying cause will be evaluated by the expert. Then, a line of treatment will be decided for you in order to increase the probability of continuing your pregnancy till the term.
1. Surgery
Your treating doctor will fix some problems in the uterus (womb), like extra tissue that divides the uterus (septum), some fibroids (benign tumours), or scar tissue. Correcting the shape of the inside of the uterus will be helpful in lowering the risk of miscarriage. Here, a tool with a camera (hysteroscope) is passed via the vagina to repair the inside of the uterus. This is a daycare procedure and recovery is seen within a few days to a week, as per the magnitude of the surgery.
2. Blood-thinners
Ones with autoimmune or clotting (thrombophilia) problems will be put on a low dose of aspirin and heparin. These medicines are taken during pregnancy to minimize the chances of miscarriage. Do not take these medicines without the doctor’s knowledge.
3. Promptly manage the other medical problems
Recurrent pregnancy loss may occur due to various reasons like abnormal blood sugar levels, an over or underactive thyroid gland, or high levels of the hormone prolactin. Managing these conditions will enhance the chances of a healthy, full-term pregnancy.
4. Genetic screening
Some have a rearrangement (translocation) of their chromosome leading to chromosome imbalances, and then there will be a miscarriage. If a chromosomal problem is detected, you will be suggested genetic counselling. Though, many couples with translocations may achieve pregnancy. In some cases, the doctor will recommend fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF).
In this procedure, the eggs and sperm are combined outside the body in a laboratory. After IVF, before the embryos are implanted in the uterus, they are tested via (preimplantation genetic testing). Then, the embryos without translocations are implanted to improve pregnancy outcomes.
The last word
It is essential for women with RPL to adopt healthy lifestyle practices. Giving up on smoking, alcohol, caffeine, illicit drug use, use will reduce the risk for miscarriage. Moreover, being obese or overweight is associated with a higher risk of miscarriage. Thus, weight loss can improve pregnancy outcomes. There is no evidence available that stress, anxiety, or mild depression causes RPL. However, these worrisome issues can be seen after an RPL. Psychological support and counselling will be beneficial for the couples in dealing with the emotional pain of miscarriage and create a healthy pregnancy environment.
Follow @missmalinilifestyle on Instagram for more content like this and download the Girl Tribe by MissMalini App to join our Mommy Life community.