Pregnancy is a very special as well as a delicate phase in a woman’s life. A woman has to be careful before taking any step, especially during the first three months of her pregnancy. Changes in mood swings and body are an absolutely common phenomenon during this stage. This comes along with incidents that might be worrying, such as witnessing threatening miscarriages or false miscarriage alarms such as bleeding and cramping.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG), about 15-20 percent of pregnant women come across miscarriages. Such a loss can take a huge emotional toll on the couples going through it, usually blaming themselves for the mishap. Miscarriages can be caused by several reasons, some of which are not in our hands, while some can be avoided. Factors such as age, congenital disease, and uterine disorders can risk or significantly impact one’s pregnancy.

Common causes of miscarriages

The common causes that can lead to a possibility of a miscarriage are:

• A genetic abnormality in the embryo
• Uterine problems
• Hormonal imbalances
• Chronic illness
• Drug usage
• Excessive drinking
• Advanced maternal age

Also Read: Pregnancy: Know 5 causes of miscarriage and reduce its risk

False alarms of miscarriage

Sometimes during pregnancy, one might experience false alarms that are not really a cause of concern but here are 3 signs one must watch out for:

1. Bleeding

At times, a pregnant woman can experience blood while urinating. As bleeding is considered a sign of miscarriage during pregnancy, it might lead to a state of trepidation. During pregnancy, spotting can be noticed visibly due to an increase in the blood flow near the cervix. While a little amount of bleeding is normal, if one witnesses a chunk of tissue covered in blood, there might be a case of pregnancy loss. Please consult your doctor.

2. Cramping

Usually cramping is something not uncommon that a woman goes through, even during her pregnancy as it does not represent anything serious. It is caused when an expansion of the uterus takes place, causing the ligaments to stretch. The pain is usually felt in the lower abdomen as and one makes movements, if it is accompanied by excessive bleeding, seek immediate help from your medical expert.

Also Read: Been experiencing cramps in the early days of pregnancy? Here are some tips to manage them

3. Change in emotions

Symptoms associated with pregnancy might appear and disappear on their own. The loss in pregnancy symptoms such as bloating, food cravings, mood swings, or simply breast tenderness can be a reason to worry and might be misread as a possibility of an early miscarriage. However, in most cases, there is no need to worry as these symptoms might ease up on their own, even in the 12th week of pregnancy.

How to avoid miscarriages?

Miscarriages are unfortunate and cannot be reversed. However, one can take possible prevention to avoid it from happening:

• Eat a well-maintained, healthy balanced diet
• Exercise regularly
• Avoid taking any physical or mental stress
• Stay away from smoking and drinking
• Do not consume beverages such as caffeine more than one cup a day
• Avoid taking illicit drugs
• Be up to date with the required immunisations
• Avoid undertaking environmental hazards such as X-rays
• Be careful of radiations and poisons such as benzene and ethylene oxide

One should get in touch with their pregnancy care provider if they are going through any of the above-mentioned symptoms and are unsure. Proper medical help should be sought right away in cases of worsened symptoms to avoid any serious complications leading to pregnancy loss.