WHY HAS THE NARRATIVE ON MISCARRIAGES BECOME DARKER? Fortunately, even though up to 25 percent of women will experience a miscarriage, it is estimated that only five percent of women will have recurrent miscarriages. And there’s more positive news: an estimated 75 percent of women who have three miscarriages (that don’t have a clear reason) in a row will continue on to give birth to a healthy child. These silver linings should remind us of the drastically different reputation miscarriages held in history: a well-known, well-discussed, and non-taboo issue much more commonplace. About a century ago, the discussions about miscarriage revolved around death. It was abnormal to name your fetus or view it as a person. In the 1970s, the narrative was focused on miscarriage as a medical issue and natural occurrence; magazines and parenting books featured miscarriage articles with images of joyful mothers who looked positive about their Most articles on the topic of miscarriages emphasize that they cannot be caused by exercise, stress, Or sex as some misinterpret—and also that women should not blame themselves as they likely did not cause the miscarriage. (Important to know is that some over the counter medicines like ibuprofen can increase the risk of miscarriage!) Modern medicine has a lot to offer expecting mothers, but unfortunately the reason for many miscarriages 1s unknown and undiagnosable. However, the BC Women’s future. As the 20th century ended however, the problematic narrative that all pregnancies are planned and will succeed was born—and this ill-prepared pregnant people to deal with how normal miscarriages are. Now stories about miscarriage are associated with a much sadder and depressed tone; without warning, the unexpected loss of a child has become much more traumatic for expecting parents. Married with our culture’s tendency to humanize fetuses more, miscarriages and stillbirths have become a mental health issue. A study from Imperial College London found that 40 percent of their sample of women who had experienced the loss of a pregnancy reported symptoms often found in those struggling with PTSD. Another unfortunate aspect of miscarriage is that a mother may still appear pregnant for an extended period after the loss—and this can certainly add more anguish. A way to offer some peace to the mourning parents of stillbirths for example is called a cuddle cot. The cot keeps the baby cool and slows the changes that occur after death—as these transitions happen rapidly in infants when compared to adults—and this allows parents more time to grieve their baby. THE REASONS WHY MISCARRIAGES HAPPEN Hospital highlights that it has been shown that 70 percent of miscarriages are “caused by random genetic errors that occur before or during the development of the embryo.” An example of such a genetic error is aneuploidy: an irregular number of chromosomes. (The chances of encountering this genetic abnormality increases with age.) Others who are expecting may experience a miscarriage because of diabetes, thyroid diseases, autolmmune diseases, and specific genetic variations from the biological parents. These cases are rare—but unfortunately generally lead to subsequent miscarriages. THE SOMETIMES-MISTAKEN SYMPTOMS There are several commonly recognized symptoms of miscarriage: vaginal bleeding, pain/cramps in the stomach, pelvis, and lower back—and tissue passing through the vagina. If you or someone you know is expecting, it is essential to be able to identify these warnings. But it just as important to remember is that many of these symptoms can alternatively just be the healthy functions of a woman’s body. For example, light bleeding in the first trimester is normal and can occur after sex or when the cervix changes. ‘Tissue passing through the vagina is also very normal for women who have their periods—and is easily to confuse with an early miscarriage. In an interview with the Other Press, Douglas College student CJ Sommerfeld discusses her experience with a mistaken miscarriage. “A few days after my period was supposed to arrive, I was peeing, and a large clear blob came out of me. I am aware that it is normal for bloody tissue to come of your vagina both pre-menstruation as well as during, Very little blood was in this blob, it was also the size that I convinced myself a one-month-old fetus would be.” As previously mentioned, most miscarriages happen early and often happen when the female was not even aware they were pregnant. “I Googled miscarriages in the toilet, and everything I read in those quick munutes convinced me that I did in fact just have a miscarriage.” All signs pointed to miscarriage, but a smart trip to the BC Women’s Hospital clarified what the issue really was: pre- menstruation vaginal tissue. Sommerfeld mentions that she previously felt uncomfortable talking about these sorts of issues as vaginal health is a taboo topic—and even was unsettled discussing the topic with doctors. On the other end, these symptoms can represent other serious threats to a pregnant woman such as an ectopic pregnancy. When a fertilized egg mistakenly grows anywhere but the uterus it can propose serious issues for the mother—and vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain are symptoms of this. It is recommended that an expecting mother always contact her healthcare provider if any of these potential signs of miscarriage present themselves. BC Women’s Hospital offers a list of times when a pregnant woman should immediately go to the hospital: sudden and severe abdomen pain, feeling like passing out, very heavy bleeding (i.e., three soaked maxi pads in three hours), and a high fever. A helpful resource for parents that have miscarried in BC is called Empty Cradle. Patty Lou started the foundation in 1991 when she had lost a pregnancy of her own and could not find any support. Membership is free and looks to validate the grief of suffermg parents. In the case of miscarriages, our current society’s dialogue on the topic could use a reminder from the past; our lack of discussions on this common issue is causing problems for women everywhere.