Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Week Of Pregnancy

Question:
I am TTC my first, and want to get info on the miscarriage rate by week of pregnancy. I'm visual, so would prefer a graph with miscarriage rate on the vertical, time of preg on horizontal. For example, I know that very early pregnancies have a high rate of miscarriage and then it declines. Part of the reason I want this info is to decide, once I get pregnant, when to tell family/friends. Anyone got a link?

Answer:
Pregnancy Miscarriage What is a miscarriage? Why do miscarriages occur? What are the signs of a miscarriage? Where can I receive more information on miscarriage? What is a miscarriage? A miscarriage is the loss of a fetus before the 22nd week of pregnancy, or before the developing baby is capable of surviving on its own without artificial support. Women are often most concerned about the possibility of miscarriage during their first trimester - or the first three months - because that is when the natural termination of pregnancy is most likely to occur. It is estimated that only about 10% of women who know they are pregnant miscarry, but the actual miscarriage rate is higher because often a fertilized egg dies before a woman is aware she is pregnant. Why do miscarriages occur? Many that occur before the 12th week of pregnancy result from chromosomal abnormalities, or developmental defects in the fetus. Other causes may include illness, infection or undiagnosed diabetes in the mother, defects in the uterus - even smoking, use of alcohol or drugs or poor nutrition - can be factors. Surprisingly, falls, stress or other trauma rarely result in miscarriage. What are the signs of a miscarriage? The main signs of miscarriage are cramping, vaginal bleeding, or both. Seek immediate medical attention, if these or other signs such as fever, recurring headaches, or blurry vision occur. It may be comforting to note that most women who do miscarry can later carry a pregnancy to term. Where can I receive more information on miscarriage? For more information on miscarriage, talk with your doctor. To find a doctor, call 1-800-211-8181 or click here. U-M Health System Related Sites: U-M Smart Moms, Healthy Babies Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Family Practice Primary Care Network Women's Health Program Other Related Web Sites: FDA - Information for Women Who are Pregnant Ask NOAH About Pregnancy I do not have info to that level of detail. Personally, I would not want to know since there is nothing I could do about it that I would not be doing anyway. But many people wait until after 3 months, when the risk drops quite a bit. Are you sure you want to know with that much detail? Such a graph is merely a representation of a chance, it doesn't guarantee that everything is OK after a certain time. It may be very misleading and frustrating to know. There are pro's and con's for both telling soon and waiting until second trimester. E.g. if you tell early and you have an m/c, you may get a lot of support from the people that knew about it. OTOH, if you tell early they may start bugging you right away about things you are not even remotely concerned with at that stage, and you can be needlessly worried. When to tell is a very personal choice, and can depen on how things go in the first trimester. I had an u/s at 8.5w, which confirmed a good heartbeat and embryo right on track, so we told the family and friends then. However, my mom knew right from day 1. Without the u/s we would have waited a little while longer for sure.