I Lost My Unborn Baby/How I Coped With the Loss

When I first returned home from the hospital, I felt emotionally numb and disoriented. All around me were things that needed to be done, but I did not know where to start.  I called a couple of friends who had been through the same experience, and they were comforting.  One dear friend sent us flowers and offered to take the children for the afternoon.  I appreciated her warm concern and practical help so much! 

I sorted out family photos into albums.  I looked at and held the newborn baby clothes -the only  tangible reminders of the baby I had lost.  For weeks I was on an emotional roller coaster.  Some days I could stop crying-even with the support I had from my family and friends. At times, I though I was losing my mind.  Being around friends who were pregnant was particularly difficult. Previously, I had imagined a miscarriage to be a mere "blip" in a woman's life, something we got over without too many problems. How wrong I was! 

Frequency and Causes of Miscarriage

"Studies indicate that 15 to 20 percent of all diagnosed pregnancies end in miscarriage," says The World Book Encyclopedia.  "But the risk of miscarriage is highest during the first two weeks following conception (fertilization), a time at which most women do not even know they are pregnant."  Another reference states that over "80 percent of miscarriages occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy,"  of which at least half  are thought to be caused by defects of the chromosomes of the mother or father. 

Other causes of miscarriage may stem from the mother's health. Medical authorities point to hormonal and immune system disorders, infections, and abnormalities in the cervix or uterus of the mother. Chronic diseases such as diabetes (if poorly controlled) and high blood pressure may also be factors.

According to experts, miscarriage is not necessarily caused by exercising, lifting heavy objects, or having sexual relations. It is unlikely that a fall, or a minor blow, or a sudden fright  will cause miscarriage.  One reference says:  "The fetus is unlikely to be harmed by an injury unless the injury is serious enough to threaten your own life."  How well the design of the womb testifies to a wise and loving Creator! -Psalm 139:13, 14. 

Next time: I Lost My Unborn Baby/Love-The Best Cure

From the Awake! magazine