How to Prevent Miscarriage – 5 Ways
How to prevent miscarriage is of great concern for many women and couples. According to the National Infertility Association and contrary to the common belief, as many as 70% of pregnancies may end in miscarriage! With more than 50% of losses going undetected and mistaken for a period. Formerly it was believed that only 15-20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Those figures seem small to the alarmingly high numbers reported today.
The two most common reasons a miscarriage occurs are:
- The product of pregnancy – the embryo was damaged and could not develop into a healthy baby.
- The environment – the embryo’s environment did not support its healthy development.
Either way the culprit can be found on the cellular level.
Chromosomal abnormalities, immune abnormalities and progesterone deficiency are some of the reasons for miscarriage. However they don’t exist without a cause.
The delicate internal balance between hormones, nutrients and toxins in both partners determines what you will be passing onto the embryo and how your body will react to it.
Be that as may the bottom line is – Healthy Couples are Fertile Couples!
How to prevent miscarriage? Here are 5 ways you can minimize the risk of miscarriage and maximize your chances of taking home a healthy baby:
1. Could you be zinc deficient?
Zinc is the most important mineral for the reproductive system. Zinc deficiency among many other things, impairs body’s ability to properly maintain pregnancy in women and produce healthy sperm in men.
Unfortunately zinc competes for absorption with the most of the nutrients from food and is often called the “lonely mineral”. This means it is one of the minerals which is most likely to be deficient. On top of that, artificial hormones in the form of oral contraceptives and ovulation drugs significantly reduce its levels further.
Some symptoms of zinc deficiency:
- Frequent colds and infections
- White spots on fingernails
- Mental exhaustion
- Poor appetite
- Dry skin and hair
- Poor sense of taste and smell
How to boost your zinc levels:
- Good sources of zinc are: lean meat, whole grains, egg yolk and oysters.
- Take a zinc supplement last thing at night to ensure its absorption.
2. Boost your progesterone levels
Progesterone a.k.a pregnancy hormone needs to be at the optimal level for pregnancy to be maintained. Progesterone deficiency is characterized by PMS and short cycles and is often referred to as a luteal phase defect.
What to do?
Ensure you have adequate intake of magnesium and vitamin B6 for production of progesterone.
Foods like seeds, nuts and egg yolk are rich in B vitamins and dark green leafy vegetables, legumes and nuts are a good source of magnesium. However you may need to supplement to get optimal therapeutic doses of each. If you eat non organically grown food, the likelihood of nutrient depletion of those foods is high.
3. Increase your vitamin C intake
The strength of the lining of your uterus (womb) is crucial when you are trying to conceive and stay pregnant. More commonly than not, when the connective tissue is weak the embryo will not be able to attach or stay attached. The quality of the connective tissue and blood vessels depends on how much vitamin C and bioflavonoids are present in the body. Bioflavonoids help the body absorb more vitamin C and also contribute to the strength of the connective tissue.
Where do you find vitamin C?
Citrus fruits: preferably lemons, limes and grapefruits as well as berries which are loaded with bioflavonoids.
4. Butt it out for good
Miscarriages more commonly occur when the male partner has low sperm counts and visually abnormal sperm. Smoking severely impacts the quality and quantity of sperm. Scientists have discovered that when men quit smoking for 5-15 months sperm count is increased by 50-800% on average respectively.
Here is how to give it up for good:
- Set a date to quit
- Tell all those close to you that you are quitting (this add’s to the commitment)
- If both partners smoke, quit together
- When the date arrives throw out all the smoking paraphernalia (cigarettes, ashtrays…) from your home, car etc..
- When you get the urge to light up get up, walk, take a few breaths of fresh air and have some water instead
- Change your routines to reduce the association with smoking (coffee, drinks and parties)…
And remember:
- Your body’s addiction to nicotine only lasts for 3 days
- It takes 21 days to get rid of the old habit and to acquire a new habit
- Nature abhors vacuum! So if you give up something make sure you replace it with something else that’s good for you.
4. Put that drink down and give up coffee
When trying to conceive it is best to stay clear of all the alcohol. Alcohol is very harmful to female eggs and male sperm. As little as ONE glass can reduce fertility by 50%! This can lead to damage of developing embryo and result in a miscarriage.
Are you aware of the scientific fact that drinking coffee before and during pregnancy doubles the risk of miscarriage? Studies have found that drinking as little as one cup of coffee per day increase the risk of non conceiving by 55%. Every additional cup keeps raising the risk even further.
There are great coffee substitutes available in health food shops and you might want to give them a try.
5. Optimal preconception care
Optimal preconception care started well before you try to conceive has been found to reduce most of the common causes of miscarriages.
And remember if you want a complete guide with step-by-step instructions on how to boost your fertility naturally with exact therapeutic dosages of nutrients and food sources as well as dozens or more natural fertility strategies, see my “Essential Nutrients for Preconception and Pregnancy Chart” that’s part of my “Natural Fertility Prescription Program“.
In this article we looked at how to prevent miscarriage. Many women who are trying to conceive are worried about miscarriages. What are your views? I’d like to hear your thoughts on this important topic.
© 2009 Iva Keene – Natural Fertility Prescription – All Rights Reserved
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