here - Health Promotion Agency

When pregnancy goes wrong
been due. With a later miscarriage,
bleeding is likely to be accompanied
by pains that feel more like the pains
that come with labour.
If you bleed or begin to have
pains, you should contact the person
who is giving you antenatal care,
either at the hospital or your GP’s
surgery. You may be told to lie down
quietly or to come into hospital
immediately. Sometimes the
bleeding stops by itself and your
pregnancy will carry on quite
normally. But if a miscarriage is
going to happen, there is very little
that anyone can do to stop it.
After a miscarriage, you may have
a ‘D and C’ (that is, dilatation and
curettage) to empty the womb. This
is done under anaesthetic. The
cervix is gently widened and the
lining of the womb scraped or
sucked away. The cervix narrows
again afterwards.
AFTERWARDS
One miscarriage will not affect your
chances of having a baby in the
future. Even after three miscarriages
you still stand a good chance of
carrying a baby to term. If you have
three or more miscarriages, you
should be referred for further
investigations. In some cases, all
investigations will be normal and no
precise cause found.
A miscarriage can be very difficult
to come to terms with. You may feel
disappointed, angry, or even guilty,
wondering what you did wrong.
Some people fear that the miscarriage
may have been caused by making
love, though this is extremely
unlikely. In fact, whatever the cause,
it is very rarely anyone’s fault.
You will almost certainly feel a
sense of loss. You need time to
grieve over the lost baby just as you
would over the death of anyone
close to you, especially if the
miscarriage has happened later in
pregnancy. Many people find it helps
to have something to remember
their baby by. In early pregnancy you
might be able to have a picture of a
scan. After about four months you
could ask for a photograph of the
baby. If your miscarriage is very late,
you may be able to see and hold
your baby, if you wish, as well as
having a photograph. Talking also
helps. Talk about your feelings with
your partner and those close to you.
The Miscarriage Association (see
page 150) can give you information
and put you in touch with other
women who have experienced a
miscarriage.
T ERMINATION
If tests show that your baby has a
serious abnormality you may
consider whether or not to end
your pregnancy (see page 57). It is
important to find out as much
information as you can from the
doctor about the particular
condition and how it may affect
your baby, so that you can make a
decision that is right for you and
your family.
You will probably be very shocked
when you are first told the diagnosis
by the consultant and may not be
able to take in very much. You may
need to go back and talk again,
preferably accompanied by your
partner or someone close to you.
You will also need to spend time
talking things through with your
partner or with others close to you.
An early termination, before
12–14 weeks, will usually be done
under a general anaesthetic. For a
later termination you will probably
go through labour as this is usually
the safest way for you. You may wish
to think beforehand about whether
you want to see and perhaps even
hold your baby and give your baby a
name. It can make the baby more
Abortion law in England,
Wales and Scotland is
governed by the Abortion
Act 1967, as amended by
the Human Fertilisation and
Embryology Act 1990. The
Abortion Act 1967 does not
extend to Northern Ireland,
and the grounds on which
abortion may be carried out
in Northern Ireland are,
therefore, more restricted
than those in Great Britain.
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