QuestionI recently had a miscarriage at 20 weeks. On my 20th week routine check-up I was told that the baby's heartbeat was very low(50) and it had developed hydrops. At 16th week I had gotten amniocentesis done, and all the reports came out negative, so I know that it was not a genetic abnormality. There was no way they could save the pregnancy. I waited a week for the heartbeat to stop before they could induce the delivery.
I am getting back to normal as much as I can in this time period. It has been about 2 weeks now. I am wondering if I need to take some precautions so that when I plan for next pregnancy my body is prepared. I was told not to exercise for a month. Should I be wearing some belt or something to make sure my uterus does not sag and I can have a healthy pregnancy? Are there any specific foods that I need to eat? I am lucky to surrounded by extremely supportive people and my spouse, friends and family have been healing me back to normal. I just want my body to go back to its normal weight shape and size so that when I am ready for my next pregnancy, it does not become an issue.
Please help me out on this aspect, if you can
Thanks
AnswerHi Alex
Please accept my apologies for the long delay in answering your question, I've had a nasty virus which has laid me up for the last week.
Firstly, I hope you are well. It's good to hear ou have good support as this is a key element to a faster recovery. Secondly, 2nd trimester miscarriages tend to be more complicated so do make sure you have had all of your questions answered. You should have had some information on hydrops & the chances of recurrence (which can be caused by a multitude of reasons), advice as to when you can start trying again & any specific care you may need with subsequent pregnancies.
There is a good, informative article on Hydrops Fetalis here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrops_fetalis
As for your aftercare, You do not need any support belts etc unless you have been advised by the doctor. Take it easy and rest up for now. It's recommended that you wait for at least 1 month & ideally 3 months before you start trying for another pregnancy. This is to allow your body to heal.
Dietwise make sure you eat a healthy balanced diet & drink plenty of water. Because anaemia (low iron) is connected to hydrops, be sure to get plenty of iron which is prevalent in red meat, fish, poultry, pulses (lentils, beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas),leaf vegetables, tofu, fortified bread and fortified breakfast cereals.
Cut down or cut out alcohol, caffeine & smoking. If you're on any sort of medication then see your doctor for advice before you start trying.
Avoid gardening & any contact with cat litter - cat poo carries the bug toxoplasmosis, which again can contribute to
It may be worth a trip to your doctor or midwife before you try to concieve so you can have a quick health check & get some good advice on your diet plus any extra information you need because of your previous problems. Take along a list of questions.
To be honest there are risk factors in all pregnancies, regardless of history. Pregnancy is very much a lottery & women have gone full term completely against the odds. You can increase the chances of having a healthy baby, but there is only a certain amount you can do as the rest is in the hands of Mother Nature.
I have never felt more powerless & vulnerable than when I was pregnant. The first pregnancy I took advantage of, until it ended in miscarriage. The second I worried about every single little thing, until I remembered what happened before. I sat down & thought 'This could go any way, so I'm going to enjoy every single minute of it!'
Even when I spent days throwing up 4 or 5 times, I kept thinking it was because my baby was healthy.
I embraced it all despite having pretty much every single ailment a pregnant woman could have!
I recommend doing the same :)
I hope this has helped & if you have any more quetions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Wishing you the best of luck
Sarah
