You have a miscarriage if your pregnancy ends spontaneously before week 20 of your pregnancy. Miscarriages are more common than you think; in fact, more than 15% pregnancies end in miscarriages. However, if you have three consecutive first-trimester miscarriages or two with one in first and one in second trimesters, you may have an underlying condition causing repeat miscarriages. It is not easy to deal with a miscarriage, both mentally and physically. Fortunately, you can take some measures in advance to avoid the occurrence of miscarriage.

Who Are at Risk of Miscarriage?

In order to understand how to avoid miscarriage, it is important that you first have some knowledge about who are at a greater risk of having a miscarriage. While it is true that pregnancy loss can happen for no apparent reason, there are certain factors that increase chances of having a miscarriage you should be aware of.

1. Age Factor

You are more likely to have a miscarriage if you at a relative old age for conception. Research shows only one in ten chance of having a miscarriage if you are under 30 and pregnant. There is one in four chance of experiencing a miscarriage if you are between 35 and 39 years of age. If you are over 40, there is one in two chance of dealing with a miscarriage.

2. Health Factor

Your current health condition will also determine the chances of you having a miscarriage. You are more likely to have a miscarriage if you have obesity, hypertension, diabetes, or some kidney problems. Women with coeliac disease or thyroid problems may also face issues while pregnant. Similarly, you may have a miscarriage due to abnormalities of the uterus or conditions such as polycystic ovaries that affect your hormones. Proper management of these conditions will help complete your pregnancy in a healthy way.

3. Lifestyle

While lifestyle does not play a huge role in leading to a miscarriage, certain things can definitely raise the risk of miscarriage. You may face pregnancy related problems for being obese, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, or taking illegal drugs such as cocaine. Too much caffeine intake may also cause complications.

Steps to Take to Avoid Miscarriage

To learn how to avoid miscarriage, you first need to understand what increases your risk of having a miscarriage. At the same time, you should take precautionary measures to ensure your pregnancy proceeds healthily. For instance:

1. Check for STDs

You are more likely to have a miscarriage if you already have a sexually transmitted disease such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and herpes. Finding out those problems in advance is always better for you to take some treatments or seek some professional advice regarding on conception.

2. Pay Attention to Vaccination

Many vaccinations are given to you as a child, while some are not. Therefore, you'd better check the records of your vaccination or get a blood test to determine whether you should get vaccinated for some diseases. Get this done by professionals before planning for a baby.

3. Take Folic Acid Daily

Folic acid is essential when it comes to how to avoid miscarriage. You should take at least 600mg of folic acid daily starting from a couple of months before you plan to conceive. Folic acid plays a big role in preventing birth defects in newborns.

4. Follow a Balanced Diet

While it is important to take a prenatal vitamin, you should ensure that your diet contains all sorts of nutrients. Eat fresh vegetables and fruits to lower your risk of having a miscarriage.

5. Exercise Regularly and Moderately

Exercise regularly and moderately though. It is important to stay active during pregnancy but doing more than seven hours of high-impact exercise a week greatly increase your risk of miscarriage. You should also avoid participating in contact sports to be on the safe side.

6. Lower Your Caffeine Intake

One of the most important steps to take to learn how to avoid miscarriageis to keep an eye on your caffeine intake. If you consume more than 200mg a day, the chances of miscarriage is greatly alleviated.

7. Learn to Manage Stress Better

Do some meditation, practice breathing techniques, or try anything that helps reduce stress. Feeling relaxed and happy during pregnancy lowers your risk to have a miscarriage by 60%.

8. Monitor Your Weight

You are more likely to have a miscarriage if you are already obese and gain excess weight during pregnancy. If your body mass index is over 30, you should first try to lose some weight and then try to conceive. Be sure to stay active during pregnancy and engage in activities such as swimming and walking. Ask your doctor for advice when necessary.

9. Stay Away from Smoking and Drinking

Just stay away from smoking and drinking alcohol in pregnancy. Smoking is bad for you and your unborn child in pregnancy, which may end up deal with a miscarriage. You may face other issues as well, like birth of low-weight baby, preterm labor, or even still birth. Similarly, alcohol may also cause a miscarriage and even hurt your baby by causing mental retardation and congenital birth defects.

10. Say No to Illegal Drugs

Try to figure out how to avoid miscarriage, one common sense to remember is to take no illegal drugs in pregnancy, otherwise, you may end up with dealing with immediate miscarriage. In fact, you may not be able to conceive in future again. Also, be sure to take medications only after your doctor's advice. Even over-the-counter drugs can cause pregnancy related complications.

11. Say No to Junk Food

Eating junk food during pregnancy will hurt your health because they just contain calories and no vitamins or proteins at all. Your stomach size decreases during pregnancy to provide more space for your growing uterus, but eating junk food will leave your stomach full and cause several complications.

12. Avoid Exposure to Microwaves and X-Rays

Any exposure to x-rays may cause a miscarriage by directly hurting the fetus. You should wait to have an x-ray until you have delivered your baby. Similarly, microwave sends out radiation that can be harmful for your unborn child. You should also avoid exposure to radiations of all sorts as well as poisons such as lead, arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, and ethylene oxide.