Early Pregnancy Loss / miscarriage

A topic that remains a major taboo for women and couples is the loss of your baby in the first weeks of pregnancy. This is also known as miscarriage , but at Guud, we prefer the term "early pregnancy loss." In this blog post, we'll tell you more about it.

The Emotions of Early Pregnancy Loss

Loss brings with it a wide range of emotions and feelings of grief. It's often difficult to understand or process. Losing a child, in any way, is a difficult, unbelievable, and indescribable experience, and can lead to significant stress and misunderstanding.

The cause of early loss is almost always a genetic disorder. This means the fetus wasn't properly formed. A chromosomal abnormality that arises during fertilization usually plays a role. Nature, as it were, finds a logical solution: the fetus stops developing, and the body rejects it.

Losing a baby is a life-changing event, even if it happens during the first weeks of your pregnancy. Motherhood begins early. During those first weeks of pregnancy, you're already bonding with your baby. As a woman, your body is also changing from day one. And that also affects how you feel and think. Plus, having a baby requires preparation. You and your partner will likely have fantasized for some time about how your lives will be different.

Symptoms of a loss < 12 weeks

• Being overwhelmed by sadness and tears
• Bleeding (may be small at first and more later)
• Sometimes clots (blood clots)
• Pregnancy symptoms such as breast tenderness and nausea decrease

What can you do after the loss?

• Take some time to process the loss and talk about it openly with your partner (if applicable) and also with those around you if you feel comfortable with it; they may have been aware of your pregnancy.
• Get guidance from a midwife who can help you through the grieving process. In Belgium, you are entitled to at least three reimbursed midwife visits after your loss.
• You don't necessarily have to wait if you're very keen to have children and become pregnant. When your cycle resumes, you can generally have sex again to try for a new pregnancy.

Are you 1 in 6?

Did you know that one in six women experiences pregnancy loss? And yet, it's something we rarely talk about. Perhaps it's also because it's simply incredibly difficult. Because it's so incredibly painful.

But every so often, we see a beautiful, warm movement emerge that resonates with us. An example of this is "I Am 1 in 6," a movement and podcast by Julie van der Steen:

" I'll never forget the summer of 2022. I was pregnant. The pregnancy was unexpected, but I wanted to go for it and share the news with everyone as soon as possible because I was truly happy.

Until I heard this from the doctor, “I’m afraid I have bad news…”

The day before my NIP test. I was 12 weeks along. My world stood still, and I felt absolutely nothing. That phrase still rings in my head every day. All my dreams and expectations vanished because suddenly there was no heartbeat during the ultrasound. And that was quite traumatic. It still is, if I'm completely honest.

And that's why I want to share this very honestly. Don't get me wrong, this is truly difficult for me to share. But I feel I have to. Because 1 in 6 women experiences this. That's a lot... There are probably many more. But that also means so many women who, like me, think there's something wrong with their bodies.

But sometimes it just doesn't work out. Of course, something could be wrong, but that's often not the case. And you quickly forget that when you only see the good stories on social media where nine months later there's a baby. Or you quickly forget it because there's such a taboo surrounding pregnancy loss. Out of shame or guilt, it's barely talked about anymore, and the expectation is that you'll get over it quickly. But "it wasn't meant to be" or "nature decided it that way..." simply offer no comfort at that moment .

Julie found the stories of other women so helpful, and that's why she wants to share hers. She's doing this in a wonderful podcast series, "1 in 6," to try to break through the silent grief and loneliness. But also to find answers to her questions. About pregnancy, about loss, and the grieving process.

In the podcast (available on Spotify , among other places) she speaks with well-known and unknown fellow sufferers and experts.

Read more about it on Boundbreakers ' Instagram and of course on Julie van der Steen 's own Instagram.

What about a loss after 12 weeks?

A miscarriage is usually described as the loss of a baby before 12 weeks, but it can also occur after 12 weeks. This is called a late miscarriage.

After 12 weeks, the placenta is formed. If you've lost your baby by then, you'll likely need to undergo a curettage.

What is a curettage?

It often happens that after the delivery of the fetus, the placenta, either partially or completely, remains in the uterus and refuses to be delivered. The body doesn't release it because it's still physiologically premature.

Because the uterus cannot contract properly if the placenta is retained and there is a risk of significant blood loss, surgical removal of the placenta will be performed. This is performed under general anesthesia by a gynecologist in the operating room. It is a relatively minor procedure that takes about fifteen minutes.

How can you prepare your body for another pregnancy?

• Stress
• Lifestyle
• Power supply
• Make sure you have enough folate in your body by supplementing with folic acid . Low maternal folate status is a risk factor for neural tube defects in the developing fetus.
• Ensure you get enough omega-3 (DHA) in your diet . Several studies show that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake contributes to normal eye and brain development in the fetus. Omega-3 is found in oily fish, avocado, olive oil, nuts, and seeds, among other foods.

The partner

Your partner (if male) can also contribute. Three factors play a role in determining sperm quality.

• Sperm motility (the ability to move spontaneously). When sperm cells lack sufficient mobility, they cannot reach the egg to be fertilized, and fertilization does not occur. Research shows that sperm motility decreases with age.

• Morphology (size and shape): A lower number of normally shaped sperm results in a decrease in male fertility, as sperm with abnormal morphology are less likely to fertilize an egg. Studies show that normal sperm morphology declines by 0.2-0.9% per year.

• Sperm count . Normally, between 100 and 200 million sperm are released during each ejaculation; when this number is lower, it's called oligozoospermia (low sperm count). Sperm volume can decrease over time, but research hasn't been able to confirm this, so the impact of sperm volume on male fertility is unclear.

Which nutrients are important for a man?

Several nutrients, vitamins, and minerals can contribute to male fertility. Here are four: zinc, selenium, folic acid, and omega-3 . 

Zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction. Good sources of zinc include oysters and lean red meat, as well as nuts, sesame seeds, beans, and whole grains.

Selenium contributes to sperm quality.
Selenium (also called selenium ) is found in fish and certain types of nuts (especially Brazil nuts).

Folic acid and omega-3 also appear to have a positive effect on male fertility. This has been demonstrated by numerous studies, but the European Food Safety Authority has not yet included this health claim in its database of permitted health claims.

If you'd like to talk about your loss or are looking for answers, please contact us. We're here for you.