Miscarriage Specialist

What are miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage?

Miscarriage is defined as the loss of a pregnancy before you reach 20 weeks. Early pregnancy loss occurs in about 20% of known pregnancies, but most women go on to have a successful pregnancy.

When you have two or more miscarriages, it’s called a recurrent miscarriage. If you suffer repeated pregnancy losses, your doctor at Park Avenue Women’s Center will perform tests to try to determine the cause of the problem.

What causes recurrent miscarriage?

About half the time, recurrent miscarriages occur due to a random event when the egg is fertilized, resulting in the embryo having extra or missing chromosomes.

Recurrent miscarriage may also be due to abnormalities in your uterus such as uterine fibroids, polyps, adhesions, or another structural abnormality.

A woman with repeated pregnancy loss may have a medical or genetic condition that leads to recurrent miscarriage. For example, diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, or hormonal abnormalities like hypothyroidism may cause pregnancy loss.

When should you seek infertility counseling?

Women who have trouble conceiving should consider an infertility evaluation when they’re:

• Age 35 or younger and not pregnant after one year or less of regular, unprotected intercourse
• Older than 35 and not pregnant after several months of trying to conceive

If you’re 40 or older, have an irregular menstrual cycle, or have a known condition that interferes with fertility, please see your doctor at Park Avenue Women’s Center. Schedule a consultation as soon as you plan to get pregnant, so they can find and treat any potential problems before you conceive.

Prepregnancy evaluations may include blood tests to be sure you are immune from important viruses like rubella, measles, and chickenpox, and genetic testing to find conditions before they could affect your pregnancy.

How is ultrasound used during pregnancy?

Ultrasound, also called sonography, uses sound waves to produce images of your uterus and baby. The doctors at Park Avenue Women’s Center perform early sonography to monitor women who have had recurrent miscarriages.

In your first trimester, your doctor performs transvaginal sonography by placing a thin probe inside your vagina. This produces a clear image because the sound waves don’t have to go through your skin.

Transvaginal ultrasound reveals very early stages of pregnancy by showing the size of the gestational sac and yolk sac in the uterus, the size of the embryo and fetus, and the heart rate. Early sonography reveals if you’re carrying multiple babies.

Will you need a dilation and curettage?

Following a miscarriage, tissue remaining in your uterus may need to be removed. Your doctor can do this with an in-office dilation and curettage (D&C). During this procedure, your cervix is minimally dilated, then a looped or spoon-shaped instrument (curette) is used to remove tissue.

The team at Park Avenue Women’s Center understands the emotional pain of miscarriage and infertility. Call the office or schedule an appointment online to receive compassionate care.