8 topics

Loss and Complications

Miscarriage, stillbirth, NICU, pregnancy after loss. Held carefully.

• MiscarriageMiscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks. It happens in about 1 in 5 known pregnancies. It is almost never caused by anything you did.
• Your body and heart after a miscarriageAfter a miscarriage, bleeding tapers over two weeks and a period returns in about six. The grief has no schedule. Both are real recovery.
• Termination for medical reasonsTermination for medical reasons, TFMR, is ending a wanted pregnancy after a fatal or serious diagnosis. It is a loss, and the grief is real.
• Ectopic and molar pregnancyAn ectopic pregnancy grows outside the uterus and cannot continue. A molar pregnancy is abnormal placental tissue. Both are losses that need medical care.
• Supporting someone through lossWhen a friend lost a baby or a pregnancy, say the name, bring food, and keep coming back. Here is what to say after miscarriage and what not to say.
• Partners and lossPartners grieve a loss too, often in a different shape: quiet, busy, angry, or late. Grieving differently is not grieving less.
• Infertility and the long roadInfertility is a year of trying without a pregnancy, or six months after 35. About 1 in 6 people face it. The long road is a grief too.
• When the baby is injured at birthSome babies are injured at birth: a stretched arm nerve, a bruised head, or, rarely, a lack of oxygen called HIE. Most recover. Here is what the words mean.